The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-07-01
PROLOGUE.


the orchestra and the murmuE"d
voices OF the dancers, h" revolver
shot rang out The music died III
mid-air, its pulsatiug throbs ebaihE
away into a slow. pathetic wall mat
ended almost in a human sob. Ni'h
pale faces and trembling limbs me
dancers stopped where the music had
left them. some with arms upraIsed,
some with one foot in the air.
Il was a tense moment. a moment
fraught with pregnant portenJ
All the wealth and society OF IN"
town was at the Van Lind residence
that night. Mrs Van Lind, leader in
her set and fashions dovOtoe. was Civ
ing A ball for the relief OF the Bel
giane All the music had patriotic
ILL.,. all the guests carried tiny Amerl-
can flags. and the pretu"st girl in
town. dressed as Miss Columbia. was
leading the dance. Joy reigEed IN
confined
And then the shot
The sound seemed 70 come from a
chamber TO the right Of the ballroom,
One. more bold than the rest. STROBE
towards the door and threw aside the
heavy hangings And the tableau that
was there revealed offered food for
several hundred late supper discus
sions and gave the busy gossips OF So
Ciety many a dainty mOrsel.
The room was, strictly speaking, a
den. richly furnished and not very
large Across a table in the center,
when the curtain was so rudely
brushed aside. sprawled the inert body
OF Edgar Clay. society leader, business
man, good sport, hard drinker and the
husband of Isabel Clay, prettiest but
terfy OF them all Standing over him
in a protecting attitude. the smoking
revolver still in his hand. was the bus
mess partner and father-in-law, Rus
sci Irwin. Hate cleaned from a pair
OF narrowed eyes; beady, steady eyes
that never wavered from those of
Horace Stone, attorney, who, pale as
death, stared back at Irwin from
across the table At Stones feet lay
shattered deCanter. the contents OF
which ran over the rich rug in tiny
rivulets. strongly suggesting blood to
the excited minds OF the eager spec
tators. But Stone was grasping his
right hand with his left. and the tickle
OF red that oozed between his fingers
told only too plainly where the bullet
had found its mark.
oh. Edgar, Edgar are you dead"
From the surge Of figures at the
door. one fair form detached itself and
hurled its length across the limp and
sagging body OF Clay on the table
With trembling hands she raised his
=, "..u "rtn cnoning sobS planned
fearful kiss on his unresponsive lips.
Anguish and relief and disgust strug-
gled for the mastery OF her features
as che read the answer to her question
In the kiss. Clay was not dead. He
had yielded again to a habit that was
stronger than himself
And may ! ask the meaning of this
ill-bred Disturbance"
Mrs. Van Lind was speaking and the
tone was cold, incisive, uncompromis-
ing.
Irwin nodded grimly towards
Stone. And those who watched him
closely noted that he held his weapon
In frmer grip
Haughtily the hostess turned her
icy, questioning stare In the wounded
mans direction
For moment he hesitated. Then
his eyes wavered under the steady
gaze OF Irwin, and he answered sui.
lenly:
IL was an accident"
Avoiding the glances of those who
would have questioned him: ignoring
the advances OF those who offered
sympathy, Stone elbowed his way
through the excited throng at the den
door and left the house. And so the
incident was ended But II is not with
the incident 30 much. as with the
happenings Which lead up to It that
our story has TO do
Folly was a constant guest at the
home OF Edgar Clay and his pretty
wife, Isabelle. Folly was the boon
companion Of this young society cou-
pie. Reared In luxury and knowing no
restraint except that imposed by their
own desires they had gone the pace
that has but one ending; had travelled
along the road that leads but to dis
aster-disaster that is the more COM
plete the longer II is delayed That
they drifted farther and farther apart
was but natural for Folly was always
there to see that both persisted in the
~Elfui pursuit q individual enjoyment
And so the Saturday morning on
which our story opens. found them
dangerously near TO the parting OF
the ways
Clay, young. good looking, but with
the marks OF dissipation already
showing on his otherwise boyish fea.
lures. was in no mood for trifling that
morning. The cares OF business
weighed heavily upon him Junior |
member OF the real estate firm OF IT. |
win & Clay. he realized that the house |
OF which his father-in-law. Russell IT. |
win, was head. faced financial ruin be- |
cause OF his eXtravagances and reck. |
iessness. The throbbing in his tenn /
pies and the racking reminders OF last
Origin Of an Old Phrase.
BY hook or nv crook'' rov,,J , L.,