Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-21

"why should you telegraph Barton
Macauleyf" she asked placidly. Tin
not one of his deputies" ~
"But you believe me guilty, don't
your"
The handsome shoulders twitched In
the barest hint Of Indifference. "As
have. said, / am not in Bart Maca,iley''
employ-n0r in Mr.. Watrous Dun
hams. Neither am l the Judge and
jury to put you In the prisoners box
and try you. I suppose you knew what
you were doing, and why you lid it.
But do think you might have written
me line, Montague. That would have
been the least you could have DONE"
For some time afterward the talk
was not resumed. Miss HIGHLANDER was
apparently enjoying her dinner. Smith
was not enjoying his. but he ate as a
troubled man often will; mechanically
and as matter of routine. It was not
until the dessert had been served that
the young woman took up the thread
Of the conversation precisely as If it
had never been dropped.
II think you know that you have no
reason to be afraid of me, Montague;
but Ican't say as much for father. He
will be back in few days, and when
he comes 1t will be prudent for you to
vanish. That is future, however"
Smiths laugh was brittle.
"We'll leave 1t future, If you like.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof"
"Oh; so you class me as an evil, do
your"
''No; you know didn't mean that
I merely mean that it's no use crossing
the bridges before we come to them.
I've been living from day to day so
long now, that am becoming hard.
ened to it."
Again there was q pause, and again
1t was Miss HIGHLANDER who broke it.
The slow smile was dimpling again at
the corners Of the perfect mouth.
"You are going to need little help,
Montague-my help-aren't you? 1t
occurs to me that you can well afford
to show me some little friendly atten.
ton while am Robinson rusoed here
waiting for father to come back"
"Let me understand" he broke In,
frowning across the table at her. "You
are willing to ignore what has hap.
pened-to that extent3 You are not
forgetting that In the eyes Of the law
! am criminalf' s.,,a... III
She made Z faint little gesture Of i'm.
patience.
Why DO 11Ss rrcc ..ss..:::: !. dragging
that .inf ! am not supposed to know
anything about your business affairs,
with Watrous Durham or anybody
else. Besides, no one knows me here,
and no one cares. Besides, again, am
a stranger ina strange city and we are
-or we used to be-old friends"
Her half-cynical tone made him
frown again, thoughtfully, this time.
"Women are curious creatures he
commented. II used to think knew q
little something about them, but ]
guess It was q mistake. What do you
want me5to dor
"Oh, anything you like; anything
that win keep me from being bored to
death"
Smith laid his napkin aside and
glanced ct his watch.
'There 10 a play Of some kind on al
the opera house, believe" he said
rising and going around to draw her
chair aside. 'If you'd care to 60. I'll
see II I can hold somebody up for .
couple Of seats"
'.That IL moro Ike It. used to be
afraid that you hadn't drop Of sport
Ing blood In you, Montague andaI am
glad to learn, even at this late day,
that was mistaken. Take me up
stairs, and wen 60 to the play"
They left the dining room together,
and there was more than one pair Of
eyes to follow them in frank admira.
ton. "What a strikingly handsome
couple" said bejewelled lady who
sat at the table nearest the door and
her companion, a gentleman with rest.
less eyes and thin lips and rather
wicked jaw, said: Eyes; don't know
the woman, but the man is Colonel
Baldwin's new flnancier: the fellow
who calls himself John Smith,"
The bediamonded lady smiled dryly.
you say that as II you had mortal
quarrel with his name. Crawford. II, II
were the girl, I shouldn't find fault
with the name. You say you don't
know herr
Stanton had pushed his chair back
and was rising. take your time with,
the ice cream. and TIL join you later
upstairs. I'm going to find out who The
girl is, since you want to know
(To Be Continued)
Different-But Satisfactory.
T,oI