Meade County news., 1916-12-28

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"Do you think I'd have made a fool
Of myself If / hadn't2 Do you think
I'd have ruined myself?"
"Have you ruined yourself2" she
interrupted, quickly.
"Not quite, perhaps; but what I've
lost, what I've sacrificed, would have
ruined most men. My home is gone,
and my family-as you know-yes,
and a good many other things you
don't Know about. Financially I'm not
done for"
"That's too bad"
"Eh? 1 don't understand. What
are you getting at?"
"I'll tell you. I never intended to
marry you, Jarvis"
He started as IL she had struck him.
"That's what said," she reaflrmed,
"and I'll tell you why! Look at me-
close"
He did as she directed, but saw
nothing, his mind being in chaos. 1t
had been her intention to call Lorelei
to witness this dramatic disclosure
and thus enhance its effect, but in the
excitement of the moment she forgot
"Look at me-" she repeated. "I'm Lily
Levinski."
"Levinski. A Jew?" he exclaimed,
in naive surprise.
"Yes. I'm Joe Levinski's girl. Do
you remember?" eSaG5S.f ~
"a Jew" 1t was plain that the
name meant nothing.
She slid down from her perch and
approached him, crying roughly,
Don't you remember Joe LevinshT
Hammon shook his head. "He worked
for you in the Bessemer plant Of the
old Kingman mill. Don't you remem-
| ber?"
"There were four thousand mem"
"He was killed when the converter
dumped. You were rushing the work.
Do you remember now" Her words
came swift and shrill.
Harmon started; frown drew his
brows together. His mind groped back
through the years, and memory family
stirred, but she gave him no leisure
to speak.
81 was waiting outside with his din
ner bucket, along with the other wom-
en-. 1 saw him go. saw you kill
| him"
"Lilasl Good God, are you crazyT"
he burst forth.
"It was murder"
"Murder?"
"It was. You did it. You killed
him." She had dropped her cigarette,
and it burned a black scar into the
rug at their feet. Harmon retreated
step, the girl followed with blazing
eyes and words that were hot with
hate. "You spilled that melted steel
on him, and I saw it all. When 1 grew
up prayed for a chance to get even,
for his sake and for the sake Of the
other hunkies you killed. You killed
my mother, too, Jarvis Hammon, and
made me a-a-"
"Be quietw he commanded, roughly.
"The things ncredible-absurd. You
the daughter Of one of my workmen-
and Jew!"
"Yes. Levinski-Lily Levinski. And
you wanted to marry me-" she glbed.-
"But 1 fooled you"
"I guess must be-out Of my
head. I never knew the man-there
were thousands of them; accidents
were common. But-you say" He
gathered his whirling thoughts, and,
strangely enough, grew calm. "You
say you prayed for chance to get
even So, then, you've been hnmbug-
ging- BY God, don't believe it"
"It's true. It's true. It's true"
shrilled the girl so Historically that her
voice reused Lorelei, sitting vacant
eyed in the room down the hall, and
brought her to her feet with ears sud-
denly strained. Lorelei could hear
only part Of the words that followed,
but the tones OF the two voices drew
her from her retreat and toward the
front Of the apartment.
II knew you," Lilas was saying. 'I
figured 1t all out, and-you were easy.
You were bigger fool than l
dreamed"
"You took my money-you let me
support your cried Harmon, in bitter
accusation.
"Oh, did more than that, planned
everything that has happened to you,
even that bIackmail."
"Blackmailw he shouted Did you
was that your-T He grew suddenly
apoplectic; his eyes distended and red
dened with rage.
His dlsmay delighted her.
Certainly" she smiled. "Half the
money is in my bank at this minute
besides all the rest you've given me.
oh, rye got enough to live on with
out marrying you. Who do yOu think
put your wife wise and gave her the
evidence for her divorce, eh? Think
1t over. Do you remember those let