Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-03-05
A Forgotten
Promise
How II Was Recalled.
By REINETTE LOvEWELL
Copyright by f. A Munsey Co

ana reNeaieu Slndll ShIe Lie hSut
from the shaded library lamp fell upon
her bare shoulders as she bent toward
1t, resting a hand on the black metal
"In there" she said to Crawford, SIS
$4,000"
She paused
in shape l can convert into mon
ey," she added after a moment.
The man stood few feet away.
leaning against the mantel, and not by
the slightest movement did he betray
that he heard her.
"Oh, Bob, what is the user she
pleaded. This house is just prison
cell for me-" The last words We're al
most a sob.
THAT money is as much mine as
his" she went on dehantly. HE got
it away from other people, and why
shouldn't take 1t from him?"
"He is your husband" Crawford said
slowly.
MY husbandr' the woman returned,
30 bitterly that an ugly shadow seemed
to mar her face. She made a cropping
gesture with her outstretched hands.
Eyes, he is my husbandy'
She paused. and her lips moved scorn-
fully.
HE gives me all the things want"
she went on. Pm the envy Of the
neighbors. I've everything money can
buy.
Bob" she whispered, 1.-The only real
feeling I've ever had from anybody is
what you've given me since that time
you picked me up In the park and
brought me home for dead"
She paused and drew In her breath
with q quick sob.
81 want another chance to live a
oh, real life-to get away from all
this. Somehow / can't help feeling
that we just had to meet as we did,
Her head, with its weight Of shining
hair. dropped down upon the table, her
chest resting against the leather skin
which covered it.
"I've felt just like a show window
dummy" she ended brokenly. IL need
something to make me over into a
woman"
Mrs. Fairbanks took from drawer
a map and spread before him the out
line OF the north coast Of Massachu-
sets.
Il know every inch of the way from
Boston," she said, with an alert deci.
sion that surprised the man she tempt
ed, land up there'-she put her finger
on an irregular projection-'is where
Captain Zeb has his old whaleboat
He's the biggest old miser ever you
saw, and l know for a hundred dollars
he'll take us out and keep us out weeks
If we want Well take the car part
way and bride man to bring 1t back
and leave it. Oh, it is easy enoughp
Crawford tipped his head back upon
the leather cushions of the chair in
which he sat and closed his eyes
drawing his hand across them YEARLY
Eyes, It's easy enough" he repeated
slowly.
He was thinking of the last ter
years of his life, the years between fif
teen and twenty-five. Hard years they
had been. spent in struggle and pow
erty. with always the torturing desire
to break away into strange new lands
of promise.
He remembered the October day tina
he had dropped on bench in the park
determined to get into something any
thing which would rid him of the plod
ding pace he had trod so long. The hoo
beats of horse striking the road will
terrific speed had startled him, and ,
moment later Mrs. Fairbanks had beef
pitched into pile of red. rustlin,
leaves at his very feet.
From that hour to the present mo
ment her fascination had seemed to b.
: beyond his power of resistance, and II
her presence Crawford felt himself be
coming the man he had long wante'
\ to be. The whole change In his life II
4 both business and social connection
n he owed to the circumstance whic
had thrown their lives together.
Lying there In the great chair, wit
II his eyes closed, he recalled his frs
meeting with John Fairbanks. Their
came to his mind his invitation I
make himself at home about the grea
= house.
NJ Pm almost never there" the olde
man had said carelessly. you
amuse Mrs. Fairbanks"
This Crawford had done He ha
learned to drive her automobile, an
almost every hour that he was free
spent in her company.
The silent man at the head OF tn
q household. with his strange indifre
n ence. had remained mystery to Crav
ford. Selfish and sordid he might b
III but some way
Mrs. Fairbanks reached over an
touched his sleeve.
iii "Wake up, Bob" she said with
little shake. Lets plan some more"
- Twenty-four hours later Crawfol
NJ guided the Fairbanks car out from Il
city, far down the sound. The woms
at his side laughed joyfully as he 4
ii creased his speed at times, and the CT
shot noiselessly forward down the O
ed roadways.
The conta pfon of her haDDfneSs 4