The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-05-11
CHAPTER xXIIi-Continued.
by Mcclure Publications. In


-18
"Do you have to walk as fast as
this?'
"I said I was in hurry. Once q
week / get off ilttle early to go to
the hospital. The Resented boy
The monstrous injustice of the thing
overcame her. Palmer and she walk
ing about, and the boy lying on his hot
bed She choked.
"Well?"
"Ee worries about his mother. II
you could give her some money, ii
would help"
money! I paid his board for two
months in the hospital"
When she did acknowledge this gen.
erosity-amounting to forty-eight dol.
lars-his irritation grew. Her silence
was an accusation. She was too calm
in his presence, too cold. Where 1t
had pleased his pride to think that he
had given her up, he found that the
shoe was on the other foot.
At the entrance to a side street she
stopped.
81 turn off here"
"May 1 come and see you sometime?''
"No, please"
'That's flat, is it?'
at is, Palmer"
He swung around savagely and left
her.
The next day he drew over thou
sand dollars from the bank. A good
many of his debts he wanted to pay
In cash; there was no use putting
checks through, with discriminating in
dorsements. Also, he liked the idea
of carrying a roll Of money around.
The big fellows at the clubs always
had wad and peeled off bills like skin
off an onion. He took a couple of
immunity from debt.
At nine o'clock that night he found
Grace. She had moved to a cheap
apartment which she shared with two
other girls from the store. The others
were out. 1t was his lucky day, surely.
His drunkenness was of the mind,
mostly. His muscles were well con-
trolled. The lines from his nose to the
corners of his mouth were slightly ac-
centuated his eyes open a trifie wider
than usual. That and q slight pale
ness of the nostrils were the only evil
dences of his condition. But Grace
knew the signs.
"You can't come in"
"Of course I'm coming in."
She retreated before him, her eyes
watchful. Men in his condition were
apt to be as quick with blow as with
a caress. But, having gained his point,
he was amiable.
"Get your things on and come out.
We can take in roof-garden."
"Ive told you I'm not doing that sort
of thing"
He was less steady than he had been.
The heat of the little fiat brought more
blood to his head. He wavered as he
stood just inside the door.
''You must go back to your wife,"
"She doesn't want me. She's in love
with q fellow at the house"
'Palmer, husb!'
81 only want to take you out for
good time. I've got money. Look
here !"
He drew out a roll of bills and
showed it to her. Her eyes opened
wide. She had never known him to
have much money.
'Lots more where that comes from."
A new look flashed into her eyes, not
cupidity, but purpose.
She was instantly cunning.
"Aren't you going to give me some of
that?"
"What for?"
"I want it for Johnny Resented"
He thrust it back into his pocket, but
his hand retained it's grasp of it.
"That's it," he complained. Don't
femme be happy for minute! Throw
1t all up to mel'
"You give me that for the Rosenfeld
hoy, and I'll go out with YOU
'If give you all that, / won't have
any money to go out with ~
But his eyes were wavering. She
gould see victory.
"Take off enough for the evening"
But he drew himself up.
tits my lucky day." he said thickly.
@Plenty more where this came from.
Do anything for you. Give it to the lit
lie devil. +" He yawned.
His head dropped back on his chair;
he propped his saggfng legs on stool.
She knew him-knew that he would |
,leeD almost all night She would have |
% make up something to tell the other
girls; but no matter-she could attend |
% that later.
She paused, in pinning on her hat,
% count the bills. She had never had I
, thousand dollars in her hands before. |
CHAPTER XIV.
X. spent all Of the evening of that |