Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-10-21
ftf.

felt that Mrs. Van Trevor's sudden
friendship for Leila BODIED III for them
both. But Leila had been crazy 10 go;
there were to be house parties and all
sorts of gayety. and later Evans was
to be invited for a day or two.
Somewhere a bell had been ringing
furiously all the morning. The little
Welshman wondered where it could
be. He threw up the window and
looked out. Suddenly a violent pain
shot through his head, as If a knife
had pierced him. The bell was in his
own head. And the pain was stab.
bling without cessation.
He screamed with the agony OF It
He tried to stagger across the room,
collapsed, and moaned upon the floor.
He saw Van Trevor standing over
him, a look of fear in his eyes. Then
through a period Of Inconsistencies
he grew to a dim realization of the
jolting ambulance, the hospital, the
white-capped nurses, and the sicken.
ing stencil of the ether one.
He opened his eyes to find himself
in a bed in the hospital. His head
was swathed in bandages.
You'll do finely now the nurse
said, and he opened his eyes a second
time to e Van Trevor at his side.
How are you, my dear chap" he
asked. by George, that was touch
and go, but the surgeon says you're
all right now"
You haven't told my wife?" asked
Evans weakly.
mo. thought it best not to alarm
her." answered the other.
Van Trevor never came again
through the slow days of conva.
lescence, Evans letters to Leila
were unanswered. Gradually a sick.
ening fear began to come over the lit.
tie Welshman, a sense of some UNI
def1nable tragedy. At last, when two
weeks had passed, he was permitted
to leave the hospital. He hurried to
the Van Trevor house. The butler,
who opened the door, stood in his
way.
Mr.. Van Trevor left a letter for
you, sir" he said, handing him a mis-.
sive.
The little Welshmen opened it. II
stated briefly that the work had come
to an end, and included a check for
five hundred dollars.
Evans tore the check to pieces and
turned away from the house in blind
agony and rage.
~.
The bungalows stood side by side
in their trim plots at the edge of the
shore. Near by, at the huge hotel
were music and dancing, and the
mirth Of holiday-makers. Many
couples, strolling along the road,
looked askance at the seedy little
man, with the bandage about his head,
who walked hurriedly toward the
bungalow at the end of the row
In the shadow of a pine tree Evans
halted. The bungalow was ablaze
with lights. He heard the voices oil
Van Trevor and his friends, and the
tittering laughter of his wife. Then
came a laugh that made him clutch
at his heart-Leila's.
Then suddenly the little Welshman
seemed to become inspired with q
strong personality that had never been
his. He strobe through the open door
into the living-room, and stood there
at the door.
He saw a look of fear in Van Trev.
or's eyes, establishment in the guests
wonder in Leila's. The little, shabby
man suddenly dominated the situation.
Hugh exclaimed Leila, leaping
to her feet. you are i'll! What is
the matter?"
81 have come to take you home,
DEAR" said Evans.
Mrs. Van Trevor advanced with
mincing steps. "This is Leila's hus-
band" she explained to the group.
He has been unwell, you know. Mr..
Evans, it would really have been more
seemly to have written"
Come, dear" said Evans, taking his
wife's arm in his. In that moment he
saw all the struggle in the girls soul;
the old love and the new pleasures. 1t
was a hard test for her, beaten by the
storms of uncertainty.
Leila is certainly not going away
with you," exclaimed Elsie Van Trev-
or angrily. "This Is an outrage!
Leila, dear, we will protect you"
With a swift, passionate gesture
Evans tore the bracelets from Leila's
arms, the pendant from her neck, and
cast them down. And, while they still
stared at them, they were gone, and
Leila chung to her husbands neck in
the darkness.
Hugh, d~earest!" she wept. What
was it? Why didn't you write? |
didn't know you had been i'll. They
wanted me to get a divorce-O, Hugh,
If you hadn't come they would have
made me do anything-anything. Keep
me! Guard me! Never leave me
again!"
And in her husbands clasp she felt
at last a safeguard against the dan
gers that had beset her, and knew
that thenceforward their real life
would be together.
His Discrimination.
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