Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-08
Continuation of. Chapter xx1v)


But Stull said nothing and his
sour, pasty visage turned sourer. 1t
was the one possibility that disturb
ed him-the only fly in the amber
the only mote that troubled his
clairyoyance. Also, he was the only
man among the three who didn't
think a thing was certain to happen
merely because he wanted it to hap
pen.
There was another matter, too,
which troubled him. Brandes was un-
reliable. And who but little Stull
should know how unreliable?
For Brandes had always been that.
more than that--knew him to be
treacherouS.
Whatever in Brandes had been de-
cent, or had, blindly perhaps, aspired
toward decency, was now in allegiance.
Something within him had gone to
him that night in the. frightened
presence of Rue Carew.
And from that night, when he had
lost the only woman who had ever
stirred in him the faintest aspiration
20 better things. the man had grad
ually changed. Whatever in his na-
ture had been unreliable became
trea cherous; his sto1ldity became sui
ionness. A slow ferocity burned with
in him; embers of rage which no
red in his brain until his endless
meditation became monomania. And
his monomania was the ruin of this
woman who had taken from him in
me very moment of contamination all
that he had ever really loved in the
world-a thin, awkward, freckled
Ted-haired country girl, in whom, for
the first and only time in all his life,
Re saw the vague and phantom prom
Use of that trinity which he had
l~,,0 xr-ifn a a
home
~laring out of his dull green eye.
the pleasant countryside, his thin
lips Tightening and relaxing on his
cigar.
Curfoot, still ponderiing over the
new stuff" offered him, brooded
others out of his tiny, bright eyes.
DO anything in London?" inquired
stull.
who was you working for"
"a jock and a swell skirt. But
Scotland Yard got next and chased
The main guy over the water"
What was your lay?"
Same thing. 1 dealt for the jock
and the skit trimmed the squabe."
Anybody holler?"
"Aw-the kind we squeezed was too
nigh, up to boiler. Them young lords
AXE their medicine like they wanted
it, They amt like the home bunch
that is named after swell hotels"
After a silence he looked up at
Brandes.
She got her divorce, didn't she"'
insisted, Curfoot. .
"Alimony?"
NO. She didn't ask any"
How about Venem?"
Brandes remained silent, but Stull
Il guess she chucked him. She
wouldn't stand for that snake. I got
to hand it to her; she amt that kind. -
What kind is she7"
1T tell you I got to. hand It to her:
I can't complain of her. She acted
right all right until Yemen stirred
her up. Eddie's got himself to blame;
he got in wrong and Venem had him
followed and showed him up to|
you got tired of her, didn't you?"
said Curfoot to Brandes. But Stull
answere for him again:
Like any man. Eddie needed al
vacation now and then. But no skirt
'I'll live to fix Minna YETI
was. that there Brookhollow stuff
"Can it," retorted Brandes, turning
a deep red.
"Aw-don't hand me. the true-1ove
stuff, eEddiei If you'd meant 1t with
that little haymaker you'd have re-
spected her.
Brandes' large face became Grim
son with rage:
"You say another word about her
and I'll push your block off-you lit
tie dough-faced kike!'
Stull shrugged and presently whis-
pered to Curfoot:
That's the play he always makes.
I've waited two years, but won't
ring down on the love stuff. I guess
he was hit hard that trip. It took
little red-headed, freckled country
girl to stop him. But it was comm
20 Eddie Brandes. and it certainly