Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-04-12
BY BERTRAND w. SINCLAIR

he snorted contemptuously. "Our best
friends, as you please to call them, are
crooks, thieves and liars. They're rot
ten. They stink with their moral rot
tenness. And they have the gall to
call it good business"
"Just because their business meth
DDS don't agree with your peculiar
ideas Is no a why you should call
Names she fiared. "Mr. Brooks called
just after you left at noon. He told
me something about this, and assured
me that you would find yourself mis-
taken If you'd only take pains to think
it over. l don't believe such men as
they are would stoOp to anything
crooked"
$50 Brooks came around to talk 1t
over with you, eh?p Bill sneered. Told
you it was all on the square, did he?
Explained it all very plausibly, l sup
pose. Probably suggested that you try
smoothing me down, too. 1t would
be like EN-"
"He did explain about this stock
selling business" Hazel replied defen-
sively. sand l can't see why you find
IL necessary to make a fuss. / don't
see where the cheating and crooked
ness comes in. Everybody who buys
stock gets their moneys worth, don't
they? But ! don't care anything about
your old mining deal. It's this fighting
and quarreling with people who are
not used to that sort of brute action
and the horrid things they'll say and
think about us"
About you, y&1 mean-as the wife
of such a boor-hlt's what's rubbing
you raw" Bill fiung out ~passionately.
you're acquiring the class psychology
good and fast. Did you ever think of
anybody but yourself? The petty
larceny incident of my knocking down
two or three men and being under ar
rest as much rs thirty minutes looms
up before you as the utter depths of
disgrace. Disgrace t. you'll It's all
yOu-youl How do you suppose it
strikes me TO have my wife take sides
against me on snap judgment like
that? 1t shows a heap Of faith and
trust and loyalty, doesn't it? oh, 1t
makes me real proud and glad of my
mate. 1t does"
IF you'd explain" Hazel began hes
i~tatingly. She was thoroughly startled
at the smoldering wrath that fiared out
In this speech of his.
"I1l explain nothing" Bill flashed
stormily. Not Mt this stage of the
game. I'm through explaining. I'm
going to act. 1 refuse to be raked over
the Goals like a naughty child, and
then asked to tell why l did it. I'm
right, and when / know I'm right I'll
go the limit. I'm going TO take the
kinks out of this Free Gold deal inside
of forty-eight hours. Then I'm through
with Granville. Hereafter l intend to
fight shy of a breed of dogs who lose
every of square dealing when
there is a bunch of money in sight. ]
shall be ready to leave here within a
week. And I want you to be ready
too"
l ~ won't" she cried, on the verge OF
Mysteries. 81 won't go back to that
cursed silence and loneliness. You
made this trouble here, not l. l won't
go back to Pine river, or the Klappan
I won't, / tell youI"
Bill stared at her moodily for a sec
ond.
"Just as you please" he said quietly
He walked into the spare bedroom
Hazel heard the door close gently be
hind him, heard the soft click of &
well-oiled lock. Then she slumped
gasping. in the wide-armed chair b!
the window, and the hot tears came ii
a binding food.
They exchanged only bare civilitieI
at the breakfast table, and Bill at ono,
went downtown. When he was gone
Hazel fidgeted uneasily about tn
rooms.
When six O'Clock brought Bill home
she was coldly disappearing of hin
and his affairs In their entirety, and q
no pains to hide her feelings. He fol
lowed her into the living room whel
the uncomfortable meal-uncOmfort
able by reason of the surcharged al
mosphere-was at an end.
Lets get down to bed rock, Hazel,
he said gently. doesn't 1t seem rattle
foolish to let a bundle of Outsid
troubles set up SO much friction be
tween us two? ! don't want to sti
anything up; / don't want to quarre
But / can't stand this coldDess and re
proach from you"
II don't care to discuss 1t at all,
she fared up. 1--WE heard nothin
else ali day but this miserable mimi