Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-03


days when she took breakfast with
her husband were long since past.
She usually spent her mornings in bed,
recovering from the fatigue of the pre-
vious nights session at auction bridge.
For Isabelle's chief folly was the play
ing for high stakes at the home of
Mrs. Cora Blake, an attractive widow
Of fifty.
Clay had frequently objected to his
wires visits to the Widow Blake's
apartments. He had objected at first
because he did not like some of the
people she had met there and later
he had continued his objections be-
cause OF the financial drain that Isa-
bellies losings had imposed on the
family exchequer.
Stories had come to Clay, stories of
wild times at the Widow Blake's
Stories had come to him, too, of the
fascinating widows wild infatuation
for Horace Stone, attorney and
sharper, whose business dealings were
often open to suspicion and whose
escapades in which automobiles,
chorus girls, wine suppers, stage doors,
and midnight revels were largely in
terspersed made the chief topics of
conversation among the men about
town.
Careful investigation, however, had
AeSAAON ~ iSNCai any
in Stones conduct while the play was
on at Cora Blake's beautiful home. It
is true that the widow confessed to
30 years of age. 1t is true that Stone
was 20 years her junior, but Clay had
gradually, through mental process
that he could hardly analyze, come to
regard this as matter entirely be-
tween the widow and Mr.. Stone. AS
he had once said to himself with a
shrug, eff Stone wants to WOO a
woman old enough to be his mother,
that's his business. And If Cora
Blake wants to be fooled by man
young enough to be her son, why
that's hers"
And so gradually his objections to
Isabelle's auction games had grown
less and less-had grown less probably
not so much because he approved of
them but because they provided occu-
nation for her while he indulged his
favorite folly-his nightly time with
the boys.
this, Isabelle's early rising on this
fateful Saturday morning had to do
with the play at Mrs. Blake's. Luck
had been against her once more. The
tickle Goddess had deserted her almost
entirely and when the play on Friday
night was over she shuddered at the
staggering amount of her losses.
OllC lto ISdSlCo lIl6 Cuu VI hGT re-
sources. Her allowance for the next
three months was pledged. Her
jewels were gone. All that remained
to her was the diamond engagement
ring that Edgar had given her on the
never-to-be forgotten evening when
she had blushingly promised to tske
him for better or for worse" HaG
times she asked herself that question
as she lay there all that long, long
night, staring with wide open, but
sightless eyes into the wall of dark
ness that seemed to shut her in-a
wall that had no opening to the right
or to the left-above or below.
Morning came at last. And with it
awakening to the broad light OF day
and a full realization that she had q
problem to face.
Cowardice was not one of Isabelle's
follies. THE sooner the better" she
had murmured to herself, and after a
careful toilet had gone resolutely to
her husbands dressing room, there to
put the whole sordid story before him,
and ask for help once more. Well she
knew that he would storm. Well she
knew that the only times he objected
20 Mrs. Blake's now, was when she
had to come to him for money to re-
coup her losses. But there was no
help for 1t. He was her only hope.
But she had reckoned without the
wet towel and the headache and the
morning after crouch. And so as we
have seen, her mission had ended in
failure.
A detected little figure she sat in
her husbands dressing oom, keeping
up her pretense of gayety, only when
Clay happened to raise his eyes to-
wards her-which was not often.
"a telephone for you sir" said the
butler, creating a welcome diversion,
as he handed Clay the extension in
strument.
"Hello-yes, this is Clay. Oh, hello,
irwin. What's that you say? All
right, Fll be right down."
His wife saw the look of anguish
and despair that came into his face,
Is he hastily slammed up the re-
:eiver. finished his dressing and
rushed from the house without giving
ler any explanation.
CHAPTER TWO.
Russell Irwin was early at the office
that Saturday morning. Things were
bad in the real estate business and It
was only by being on the job early
and late that he managed to keep
things going-Inanaged to hold the
hrm of Irwin & Clay on top Of the
turbulent waters of failure that
threatened to engulf them at any mo.
nAnf