The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-03-19

| But, Bob" cha answered. -ana aAe
looked ut him through mist dimnse4
eyes--"vrhy has be told me kaythingi
Why. II this--this terribls thiag has
happened yoa told me or
warned met Brand said yoa ara
ruined"
Il am" hs broke In quickly. He told
you the truth there. but did be tell yoa
how am going 70 remedy itf-
@Hs said you had asked for more
monsy-hlacknail. Oh. Boa" she
cried. csutch!ng at hin hands. IL iaa't
! true. Ia itY''
| He pressed her hands. but answered
doggediy;
Yes, IT'S true. That's the word for
it-hlaekmaii. and I'm going 10 have
| tt
| She drew back and looked At him
through her tears, startled and afraid
Then she glanced Involuntary ct tho
table.
"oh, don't think I'm drunk" be said
stubbornly. 4 know what I've done
and what I'm going TO do now"
But you can't do II; you shant. I"
she exclaimed. brand doesn't owe
ron money. II you've Lost yours ne
win have to suffer for II not Brand"
Her words acted az an irritant TO
the sore.
so. its Brand, not me-" be An.
swered bitterly. That's what l want.
ed to know; to know how ! stand bs-
tween you two. You mapped out my
line OF march once. but not again.
Jane, II you aide with Brand against
me this time We are done. thats all
We don't seem TO do team work very
well and | can 10 Il alone"
His tone. as cold and hard as his
words. truly frightened her.
"Bob--Bob. dear" she cried, don't
talk TO me that way. You're not your.
self You don't know what you're say
ing"
Il know exactly what I'm saying.
he answered. "and mean every word
Of II. Brand fooled you once and he's
fooled you again. but he'll and !
haven't been 30 dull q pupil a. he
thinks. His game Is all right II Ito
played to a finish. and that Ia Just
what | am going to do--play II to the
end. He used me when | was useful
and thought when the right time came
he could throw me aside ! was weak
enough to get into his meshes and
I'm strong enough to get out. He found
stock and trade In your credulity over
on Staten Island and he thinks he can
rely on you again. Did he tell YOU
how lost my money--the very last OF
III"
In the stock market"
Yes, but did he tell you invested
on the advice of hk brokerT Did he
tell you that he won lot Of money on
the same stock? Did her" he repeated
as she sat staring at him in silence.
He didn't say anything about him.
self. Bob"
mo. Of course, he didn't He didn't
say anything about you. either. ! sup
pose, lie didn't tell you that when he
framed II up with you for Us to take
that money from the cement deal that
we were committing felony and that
you were party to the crime ~ much
as any OF us. He didn't tell you that
II I talked and we went to jail that you
would 20 along with Us. He didn't say
that. did he7"
Reynolds paced the noor and his
voice rose TO almost q hysterich pitch.
"God." he exclaimed. as he stopped
and faced her. Il almost believe he'll
convinced you that I'm . criminal and
he's saint with . double rinxed
haioi"
She had reached the and OF hsr On.
durance and stood up Qu!vering with
resentment
You have no right to abuse me this
way" she cried. and l won't stand II.
You know that only tried to nnd o
place for US among decent people and
give you the opportunity TO provide
IT,"
Opportunity he sneercd Yes.
opportunity for plain. ordinary thiev.
ing. That's what II was, and did II
for you Now there are two alterna.
tives, Jane. One TO 80 on, and the
other TO give up. II you want TO 80 on
I'm going to have my way this time
and Brand will have 10 deal with me
and answer 10 me, not to you. I'm not
going to let him OF with $4,000 by
squaring matters at the bank. and 30
out into the world penniless. am go
ing to clear my conscience and make
clean breast OF II or ! am going TO
make II plain blackmail and make It
pay. Either we're crooks or we're
honest and II we've made up our minds
to BE- crooks lets be good ones."
] "Bobl" she cried again, backing
away while he followed. Her back
was TO the wall now and she crouched
almost a. II she expected q blow.
"Yes. crooksi" be persisted In an
swer to her look OF horror. -Thst's
what I said c-coks!"
His hand was extended, fist doubled
But VI . sudden II dropped to his
side. Her look OF appeai--of ah,ect
.evrur-picrced the mists OF his cloud,
Cd brain. He stopped. limp and hslp-