Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-31

overheard you must know. / brighten
ed Garavel into dismissing him, and
: set out TO break him. just to show him
that he needed me. Tonight he scorn
ed me- That's the truth. Stephen. II
we believed in oaths l would swear it. -
You are shielding him. You want
to make me out wrong" But she
knew he knew.
Those are the facts. Heaven knows
they are bad enough. but they are by
no means so bad as you thought And
I'm your wife. Stephen. That thing
sou did was brutal. Those men will
talk. L was guilty no doubt in my
thoughts. hut I'm young. and you have
no right to blight my life and my rep
utation-yes, and yours-by thing like
that. We will have to meet those men.
What are you going to dor
II don't know" he said. "In all my
life 1 never felt but one moment of
I power. and that, it seems. WIS false
/ For years / have longed to show my
self a man. and now-what have 1
done? What have l done? 1 am no
monster. Why couldn't you be con-
sistent? Why did you go halfway :?
/ Why couldn't you be all good or all
bad and save me this?'
.'Ail women are half good and half
bad"
can't blame you for not loving me.
! suppose he mumbled. mo woman
of your kind could love a man like
me-"
"Those menu she said in a way that
| made him writhe.
wait until I-think. I must think"
Perhaps in the morning we can see
a way out
That's it, He nodded. "You go to
bed and III think. I'm trying to think
now. but this heat is suffocating me
and my head is tired"
Despite the breathless oppression of
the night, she shivered. IT never can
meet them now, and 1 don't see how
you will dare to, knowing that you
were wrong"
''Don'tr' he pleaded. THE other was
bad enough, but this Tell me what
to doi''
81 can't. don't know myself. All
can see is that those men will never
cease to believe, no matter what you
tell them"
As she prepared for bed an hour later
she heard him still stirring about in
his quarters, but afterward she did
not detect his cautious footsteps when
he stole out of his chamber, closing the
door softly behind him.
Kirk was reused from a hes w,
senseless slumber the next mornin by
a vigorous rapping at his door. He
opened the door and Runnels rushed
in.
where did you GO otter left you
last night?"
81 came here. Of course" As the
memory of the previous night swept
over Kirk he scow ed
did you stay here?"
'.No. went out again. and was out
nearly all night trying to walk it off,
Runnels' face blanched, and he drew
back
'Then. OF course. you know?"
"What?"
about Cortlandt He's deadr'
Dead? When? Where? How did it
happen?"
Nobody knows just how. He was
found on the sea wall near Alfarez's
house, shot"
"Shoti Good Lord"
"Did you see Cortlandt again after /
left your Runnels swallowed hard.
Kirk whirled about and faced him. |
Great heavens, No! See here. that
idea is ridiculous
Runnels sank weakly into a chair |
and mopped his face. when you
said you'd gone out again it knocked |
me fiat, understand"
81 can prove where I was. for Allan |
was with me. l couldn't sleep, so
tried to walk off my excitement. No. |
no; I couldn't do thing like that
thought last night that could. butt
really"
I'm afraid Wade will tell all about
the party il we don't stop him"
Then we'd better hunt him up.
Kirk resumed his dressing, while Run
neIs consulted his watch.
mo. is due in twenty minutes
Wen probably find him at the office"
Together they hastened TO the rail-
road building. Runnels telling all he
knew OF the tragedy as they went
along. Cortlandt's body. 1t seemed, had
been found about daylight by Srig-
|
Becoming panic stricken at the impor-
lance of his discovery. he had sounded
the alarm. then reported directly to the
governor. whose house was close by.
The whole city was alive with the
news. The police were buzzing like
bees Rumors of suicide, murder. rob-
berry. were about, but no one seemed
70 know anything definite.
'.It was suicide" Kirk averred. with
conviction THE man was insane last
light. and that accounts for what he
said about me. He's been sick for
ong time"
IF those boys will only keep their
mouths shut" Runnels said anxiously.
There's no telling what these Spig-
,oties might do If they heard about
hat row.
Cortland was an American"
But 1t happened in Panama, and 1t
would be their affair"
Although IL was Sunday the four |