The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-12-28
his pocket, as il he had just hidden

/ Her mother had been afraid or them
and her brother had never flourished
any around the house, yet she knew by
instinct hat some weapon of defense
was In Gordon's possession; and a
narneless horror rose in her heart and
shone from her blue eyes, but She would
not speak a word to let him laiow ii. If
he had not been in such haste. he would
have seen. Her horror would nave been
still greater II she had know that he
already carried one loaded revolver and
was taking a second in cage OF an
emergency.
Don't worry he called as he hur-
ried out the door. Henry will get
anything you need, and | shall soon be
back" e
The door closed and he was gone. she
heard his quick step down the hall,
heard the elevator door slide and slam
again, and then she knew he was gone
down. Outside an automobile sounded
and she seemed to bear again his words
at the phone. "The rear door" Why had
he gone to the rear door? Was he in
hiding? Was he flying from someone?
What, oh what, did it mean?
Without stopping to reason it out, she
flew across h room and opened the
door of the bedroom he had just left,
then through ii passed swiftly to n
bathroom beyond. Yes, there was a
window. Would it be the one? Could
she see him? And what good would
1t do her If she could?
n crowded close to the window.
There was a heavy sash with stained
glass, but she selected q clear bit of
yellow and put her eye close. Yes,
there was q closed automobile just be-
low her, and it had started away from
the building. He had gone, then.
Where?
Her mind was a blank for a few
4 mInufaS Sha uvnnt clnuylp aa1la ,,iooI-
ly back to the other room without no.
ticing anything about her, sat down in
the chair, putting her lands to her
temples, and tried to think. Back to
the moment in h church where he
appeared at her side and the serv-
Ice had begun. Something had told
her than that he was different, and vet
there had been those letters, and how
could 1t possibly be that he had not
written them? He was gone on some
dangerous business. OF that she felt
sure. There had been some caution
given him by the man to whom he first
'phoned. He had promised to take pre-
caution--that meant the little, wicked,
cleaning thing in his pocket. Per-
haps some harm would come to him,
and she would never know. And then
n stared at the opposite wall with
wonder filled eyes. Well, and suppo il
did? Why did she care? Was he not
the man whose power over her but
two short days 6 would have made
her welcome death as her deliverer?
Why was all changed now? Just be-
cause he had smiled upon her and been
kind? Had given her a few wild flow
ers and said her Eyes were like them?
Had hair that waved instead Of being
straight and thin? And where was all
her loyalty to her dear dead fathers
memory? How could she mind that
danger should come to one Who had
threatened to tell terrible lies that
should blacken him in the thoughts of
people who had loved him? Had she
forgotten h letters? Was she willing
to forgive all just because he had de-
clared that he did not write them?
How foolish! He said he could prove
that he did not, but OF course that
was all nonsense. He must have writ
ten them. And yet there was the wave
in his hair, and the kindness in his
eyes. And he had looked-oh, he had
looked terrible things when he had
read that letter; as if he would like
to wreak vengeance on the man who
had written it. Could a man masquer-
d that way?
And then n new solution to the prob
lem came to her. Suppose this-who-
ever he Was--this man who had mar
ried her, had gone out to find and
punish George Hayne? Suppose
But then she covered her eyes with
her hands and shuddered. Yet why
should she, care? But she did. Sup
pose he should be killed, himself! Who
was he If not George Hayne and how
did he come to take his place? Was
1T just another of Georges teryible
tricks upon her?
A quick vision came of their bring
ing him back to her. He would lie,
perhaps, on chat great crimson leather
couch over there. just as he had lain
in the dawning of the morning in the
stateroom Of the train. with his hands
hanging limp, and one perhaps across
his breast, as if he were guarding
something, and his bright waves Of
brown hair lying heavy about his
forehead-only, his forehead would be
white, so white and cold, with a little
blue mark in his temple, perhaps.
| The footsteps of the man Henry
brought her back to the present again.
She smiled at him pleasantly as he
entered, n answered his questions
about what h would have for break
fast; but 1t was he who selected the
MENU, not She, and after he had gone
she could not ave told what she had
ordered. She could not get away from
the vision on the couch. She closed
her eyes and pressed her cold fingers
against her eyeballs to drive il away
but still her bridegroom seemed to lie
there before her.
The colored man came back pres
entity with n loaded tray, and set it
down on a little table, which he wheeled
before her, as though he had done it
many times before. She thanked him,
and said there was nothing else she
needed, so he went away.
She toyed with the cup Of delicious
coffee which, he had poured for her,
and the few swallows she took gave
her new heart. She broke a bit from
a hot roll, and ate a little Of the de-
licious steak, but still her MIND was
at work at the problem, and her heart
was full of nameless anxiety.
He had gone away without any
breakfast himself, and he had had no
supper the night before, she was sure.
He probably had given to her every
thing he could get on the train. She
was haunted with regret because she
had not shared them with him. She
got up and walked about the room,
trying to shake off the horror that was
upon her, and the dread Of what the
morning might bring forth. Ordinarily
she would AVE thought of sending a
message to her mother and brother,
h,,x Ear y1aiyl xr,n 60 1~n,,l1-l 49, tL,A