The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-10-01

"You wish to know about the money,
perhaps?"
I'll go! There'll be no scandal, none
at all. I'll just 60, and that will be an
end of it."
Wainwright strobe forward.
"No!' he shouted, with primitive vio-
lence. Il say no.
mo, no" she gasped. you must let
me 60. It's the only way"
Andrews voice came is gloating &C.
q%uiescence:
THAT is it, precisely
Wainwright, however. was not to be
intimidated by this mysterious con-
spiracy that meant the wrecking of
his life's happiness.
mo! There are things you must tell
lne." His eyes pierced to the soul OF
his wife, so that she dropped her own
and answered %hurriedly:
VERY we'll. Only. please. hurry.
What do you want to know?"
Andrew again interrupted. very bland
ly now:
"You wish to know about the money.
p~erhaps?"
about the money! Wainwright re-
peated.
The wife hesitated.
1T was for jim" she said feebly. for
the soul of her revolted almost beyond
endurance. 1T was for hi~m-Creegan.
Oh, you've been good to me in your
way, Cortland. But your way isn't my
way. and-and now it's over"
Wainwright spoke with an infection
of half amused tolerance:
You are making it very easy for
me to let you go. Do you know that?'
The wife blanched.
And why not?' she responded, with
an effort toward brazen assurance.
Haven't you heard what Mr.. Andrew
said? And, now Her voice vas
tremulous, then broken with the bur-
den of feeling. Yet she finished brave
ly. "And now I'm Off"
Andrew added his word of corrobo-
ration. with a certain dreadful, mirth-
less jocoseness:
Yes. the games overt"
Wainwright was contemplating his
wife with a strange intenseness. He
approached her closely and spoke in a
| voice that seemed plant to her control.
Il see!" he said slowly. when do
you wish to go?"
The answer came in a great gasp of
despair:
"NOw-at Once!"
or a sudden some delicate phase of
expression in the beautiful face before
him caught the attention of Vain
wright, diverted it to a new under
standing not complete yet, but enough
for guidance in this time of crisis.
IT see," he said softly. But, Lu.
Gene, you've overlooked one rather i'm
portant thing"
His wife stared at him uncOmpre.
hendingly.
"Have II" she questioned mechan-
ically.
EYES," Wainwright answered. "Of
course. l dare say, it's a matter really
Of no moment to any one except my
self. But the fact is you've made me
love you"
There came from the girl a tiny
burst Of sound, indeterminate, yet
fraught with emotion. The husband
continued with a curious severity of
expressions:
you had forgotten that?"
"The wife gasped. Her color flowed
to and fro in her face, so that she was
pallid and fevered in the same instant.
"No, nor she breathed.
"But-hadn't you?" Wainwright per-
sisted. Hadn't you forgotten. too.
how you-feel toward-me?"
Lucene shuddered visibly. But her
resolve of martyrdom. formed under
the specious arguments of Andrew. still
held. She would not yield to the love
light in her husbands eyes-the en-
v%eloping caress in his voice.
"No. no" she cried, with a hys-
terical vehemence. Don't you see?
That was all a part of the game-my"-
Wainwright smiled ~inscrutably.
Something in the manner Of his wife
was convincing toward comfort.
"Oh. yes, to be sure!" he said smooth
ly. "All u part of the game! And
that--that is-all?'
Lucene faltered. shrank, could not
meet his searching eyes.
THAT" she said ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
is-allw .
Wainwright went slowly toward his
wife. There was something compel
ing in his aspect, something that beat
upon her heart and bent it to his will.
despite her struggle against him.
Blindly she saw an imperative gesture
from Andrew, bidding her go. She
gave no heed to 1t. Her whole soul
vas absorbed by the man she loved,
who came close to her, and looked