The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-06-11

told him my suspicious. At word
from him We hurried our steps.
"Oh, ho!" he exclaimed. Sc
that's it. ] wondered why my
friend Harry from the upper office
was trailing along here with the
look OF the hunt in his eyes. The
temptress is being trailed. | know
where she's FROM"
We were passing the siren when
Oliver addressed her, without
stopping, from the corner of his
mouth:
You'd better beat it-there's a
dick watching you. He'll nal
you for soliciting" And. for just
a glance, he looked at her fully
significantly.
Her first pretense of indigna'
tion passed and In its place came
a glimmer of gratitude.
Thanks she said, cautiously
You're a good sport. won't for.
get" and with that she turned III
Grant ave.
A passion to clash with Bis
Martin shook me. His crafty an
noyances We're becoming unbear
able. Had / known then that h,
had told Anna the story of m,
lapse the night | got drunk moth
ing could have restrained mt
from hunting him openly ant
battling with him physically.
T've got to beat that man
up with my fists before he'll
let me alone" said to
Oliver. Then I told him how
almost daily Martins female
pawns from the Coast had
tried to lure me to the places
where Martin would have
me at his mercy.
NO" cautioned Oliver,
''yOu cant clash with that
fellow. You'd lose If YOU
won, for you can't attack
men and women of that
stamp without getting soil
ed. Stay away. Leave Mar
tin to me. I've been think
ing about him n good deal
of late, and I've got "a
scheme"
Not until Anna had installed me
in my favorite big chair at home
and ministered tenderly to my
comforts did the uneasiness of the
Market st. episode pass away.
And then, on the instant, | de-
termined to tell Anna all about
that miserable night which had
given Big Martin an advantage
over me.
I've got something / must tel
you, dear-somethlng that will
probably kill your respect for me,
l said, hurrying into the comics.
sion lest my courage fail. She
sat beside me, pale with fore
boding.
IL told you long ago that at
one time had 10 battle drink"
began. well, my cups ran away
with me the other night-the
night ] didn't come home. was
up on the Barbary Coast
drunk"
Through the open window, flut.
tering the dainty chintz, came a
breath of acacia from Golden
Gate park, in it's sweetness IN
elusive sense OF old dreams and
loneliness and the joyous respon-
sibilities of youth clamoring to
reign once more.
~ got drunk"-there was
no mincing of wOrds-''and
women i'm n Pacific st. hall,
and Big Martin-God, the
shame and ignominy OF it,
he It was who carried me to
Oliver Harding's office SO
that you might not know.
And Oliver lied so that you
might not know. l have not
had the courage to tell you
until now."
When / had completed the diff.
ficult recital l saw that she was
waiting to hear still more-ad.
mission of further and even more
shameful guilt,
No." / exclaimed, sensing
her thought. mo, not that,
Anna. / wasn't disloyal; !
haven't broken my VOWS. L
have told you all; there's
nothing further. You believe
me, don't your"
| "Yes," she replied, quiet
ly, ~ believe you, John. L
have known about this for
over a week." she continued,
with gentle patience, silenc-
ing my exclamation of sur
prise. martin told me-
and she shuddered with ex-
IRENE lOathing.
"He told me in vile way. He
tried to make 1t serve his pur-
pose. You can guess what that
was. I've waited for days for
you to tell me. knew you would
because, John, we do love each
other, and love must grow by
honesty and frankness, as well as
trust and forgiveness.
IL felt that much that Martin
told. me was lies-how much l did
not want to decide until you had
confided in me.
r-"Oh, john" she cried, sudden.
lily thrown out of her self-control,
I'm so glad 1t was mostly lies
what Martin said about you. I'm
not fit to Judge you or to be ex-
acting with you-not girl like
me!--but I'm glad 1t wasn't tiny
thing else"
Then, even though I was the