Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-02-17

be "such a cat
Were she more experienced in the
| ways of the world she would have
| understood the real cause of Marion
Miller's annoyance. Beatrice was
young, sylphlike, and unconsciously
| attractive, Marion was already a full
| blown rose whose petals were in dam
| ger of dropping, and Arthur Hard
! wiclze, in the brief half-hours he al
lowed himself from an unfiagging at
tendence on his doomed wife, had
shown marked partiality for the so
ciety of that lively chatterbox, Be
| atrice Tourneur. What more need be
| said? Marion hated the girl and would
| have welcomed anything which re-
| moved from her path a rival whom
| she deemed all the more dangerous
because of the artlessness of her ri
valry.-
But Beatrice was just as much a
daughter of Eve as the other woman.
The very next time she saw Hard
wicke and Miss Miller chatting on the
lawn of the hotel she did not scruple
| to signal the man with an inviting
glance as she passed, with the certain
result that he quilted Marion abruptly,
being only too glad of Beatrices COM
partnership.
The incident was seen by many eyes,
and correctly Interpreted by at least
| one of the residents in the hotel. Doc
tor Merriam, concealing a cynical smile
behind cloud of cigarette smoke, gave
the angry woman a little time to re
cover her self-control before he
strolled up.
"Good-day," he said cheerily.
Charming weather we're having.
aren't we?"
''Oh, gutter came the curt answer
Miss Miller did not like Doctor Mer-
RAM, and was in no mood to conceal
her feelings at that moment.
''Sad thing about Mrs. Hardwicke,"
he persisted, land the position is par
ticularly hard for her husband, who is
really delightful fellow and worthy
of a better fate
The woman wheeled around on him
as though his words had aroused her
interest.
SIS Mrs. Hardwicke very ill, then?''
she asked.
"'Ilr isn't the word. She's fated.
In week or two Hardwfcke will be
absolutely compelled to send her to
sanatorium, where she will linger
for few months, until death sends
a merciful release
care you sure?" demanded Marion
fiercely.
''Why otherwise should 1 tell you
such thing?' said the doctor slowly
Now look here, Miss Miller, it is
part of my business to keep my eyes
open. You help me in this matter and
I'll help you.''
A sordid plot was entered into that
afternoon, and its development was
not long delayed. Doctor Merriam's
prophecy was borne out within week
by the stricken Mrs. Hardwicke, be-
cause her mental condition became so
bad that it was impossible to keep her
in the hotel. The doctor persuaded
Arthur Hardwicke to leave all the ar
engagements in his hands and remain
quietly at Lakeside, regaining his own
vitality, while his wife was taken care
of by Others
The distressed man agreed. As a
consequence he found the society of
Beatrice Tourneur more and more con-
genial, and Doctor Merriam had to
bend his wits to the task of persuading
Marion Miller that she must keep with
in bounds.
In this world 1t too often happens
that the way of evil is made easy by
circumstances. One day, when Hard
wicke was somewhat recovered from
the shock of the knowledge that his
wife'S death under most distressing
conditions could be only a matter of
a month or two he met Beatrice by the
side of the lake. In the distance, some
four miles away, large island doomed
through the haze. IT. was a rocky
place, little wooded. and providing no
pasturage, SO no one lived there.
But 1t offered excellent facilities for
fishing, and the hotel had built a hut,
with rough provision-fn the shape of
stored food, hunks and materials for
a fre-for parties who might wish to
spend the night.
Somehow, the chance conjunction
of charming gil, a boat, and an OBJ
jective in the hard physical exercise
of rowing to and from the island, APP
pealed to Hardwicke
The weather was fine when they
started. They were so engrossed in
each others conversation that they
paid little heed to bank of heavy
black clouds gathering over the dis
tant hills A summer storm came up
swiftly and broke in fury when the
boat was about half d mile from the
island The comparatively shallow
waters OF the lake were soon dashed
into a turbulent and dangerous state.
The boat was caught In current and
crashed against rock 1t was stove
.