Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-21
CHAPTER Kill.
.swset Fortunes MinIon..

1t was late dinner-time when Smith
closed the big roll-top desk in the new
private suite In the Nnzie building Of.
fees and went across the street to the
hotel. The great dining room Of the
Hophra House was on the ground floor.
The room was well filed, but the head
waiter found Smith = small table in
the shelter Of ono Of the pillars and
brought him an evening paper.
Smith gave his dinner order and be.
gan to glance through the paper. The
subdued chatter and clamor of the big
room dinned pleasantly in his ears
Half absently he realized that the head
waiter was seating someone at the
place opposite his own; then the faint
odor Of violets. instantly reminiscent,
came to his nostrils. He knew in.
stinctively, and before he could put
the newspaper aside, what had hap
pened. Hence the shock, when he found
himself face to face with verda Rich.
lander, was not so completely paralyz.
ing as It might have been. She was
looking across at him with lazy smile
in the glorious brown eyes, and the
surprise was quite evidently no sur.
prise for her.
IT told the waiter to bring me over
here" she explained; and then, quite
pleasantly: 1T is an exceedingly little
world, isn't It MontagueT
y, lie nodded nodded ss!cn.n!ly
much too little for a man to hide
in,'. he agreed: adding: "But think
/ have known that, all along; known.
at least, that It would be only ques.
ton Of time"
After the waiter had taken Miss
Richlander's order she began again.
why did you run away7" she asked.
Smith shrugged his shoulders help,
lessly.
What else was there for me to dol
I Besides. believed. at the time, that
had killed Durham. could have
sworn he was dead when I left him."
She was toying idly with the salad.
fork. Sometimes am almost sorry
that he wasn't she offered.
(which Is merely another way Of
saying that you were unforgivins
enough to wish to see me ,hanged?" he
suggested, with q souAsmile.
1T wasn't altogether that: no."
There was a pause and then she went
On: az suppose you know what has
8heen happening since you ran away
what has been done IN Lawrenceyille, ]
meant"
II Fl know that I have been indicted BY
sthe grand jury and that there Ii re-
ward out for me. It's two thousand
dollars, isn't it,"
She let the exact figure of the re-
ward go unconfirmed.
"And still you are going about In
public as II all the hue and cry meant
nothing to you? The beard Is an i'm.
provement-it makes you look older
and more determined-but 1t doesn't
disguise you. should have known you
anywhere, and other people WILL"
Again his shoulders went up.
.sWhat's, the use9" he said. II
couldn't dig deep enough nor fly high
enough to dodge everybody. You have
found me, and II you hadn't, somebody
else would have. It would have been
the same any time and anywhere"
II was intending to 60 on up to the
mines with father" she said evenly.
"But last evening, while was waiting
for him to finish his talk with some
mining men, ] was standing In the mez.
canine, looking down into the lobby. j
saw you 90 to the desk and leave your
key; / was sure I couldn't be mista-
ken SO told father that had changed
my mind about going out to the mines
and he seemed greatly relieved. BE
u had been trying to persuade me that ]
would be much more comfortable If ]
should wait for him here"
It was no stirring Of belated senti.
ment that made Smith say: you
you cared enough to wish to see mey
Naturally" she replied. "Some peo-
pie forget easily: others don't. sup.
pose am one Of the others"
Smith remembered the proverb about
q woman scorned and saw a menace
more to be feared than all the terrors
of the law lurking in the even-toned
rejoinder. It was with some foolish
idea Of thrust1ng the menace aside at
any cost that no said: "You have only
to send ten-word telegram to Sheriff
Macauley, You know. TIM not sure that
IL ISN'T your duty to do 90"