The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-05-08
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII. g.
In the course Of a few wretched
days Clay picked up some Of the facts
about Daphne's presence in Wether-
ellis fatal car. He was more furious
at her than ever and more incapable
Of hating her. n
He saw Bayard often, but Bayard
knew little and said less. One after
noon he invited Clay to ride with him
to the hospital, whence Leila was to
graduate. He warned Clay not to be-
tray how shocked he would be at Lei
las appearance, which, he said, was
q wonderful improvement on what 1t
had been.
She was, indeed, a mere shell, and
Clay was not entirely successful with
his compliments.
Leila sighed: "Much obliged for
your good intentions. I'm a mere
sack Of bones, but I'm going to get
well. The doctors say that If I take
care of myself every minute and go
to a lot of specialists and go to Bar
Harbor in the hot weather and to
Palm Beach in the cold and spend
| about a million dollars I'll be myself
| some day. That's not much, but It's
all I've got to work for. Poor Bydte!
| He didn't know he was endowing a
/ hospital when he married me-"
"What do I care, honey?" Bayard
cried, with perfect chivalry. 1.-THE
money Is rolling in and I'd rather
spend it on you than or anybody else"
"The moneys rolling out just as
| fast as it rolls in" Leila sighed. 1.-THE
Lord seems to provide a new expense
for every streak of luck. And that's
my middle name-Expense."
She had actually learned one lesson.
| That was a hopeful sign.
Clay sought Daphne in her odious
Ito him) place Of business. She asked
him what she could sell him. he said
he would wait till the shop closed.
She raised her eyebrows impudently
and gave him a chair in a r He
sat there feeling as out Of place as 9
strange man in a harem.
Eventually the last g%arrulous Gus
toner talked herself dumb; the last
sewing woman went. Mrs. Chivv1s
pulled down the curtains IN the show
window and at the door and babe good
night. #..
Then Daphne locked the door,
dropped YEARLY into a chair, and
sighed, swell Clay?"
81 want to know why you don't give
up Tom Duane"
She shrugged her excellent shout
ders again, but she did not smile
She spoke instead: II don't ask you
to give up your stenographer."
"Oh, it's like that, Ell? Well, then.
why won't you let me lend you money
instead Of Tom Duane?"
Her answer astounded him with its
feminine logic: II can borrow Of Mr.,
Duane because L don't love him and
never did and he knows it.. I can't
borrow of you because"
He leaped at tho implications BE
cause you love met" )
Because I used TO-"
Don't you any moreY he groaned.
"HOw can I tell? It's been months
and months since I saw the Clay
Wimburn that came out to Cleveland
and lured me on to New York. The
only Clay Wimburn I've seen fol
some time has been a horribly pros
porous, %domineering snob who is too
proud to be seen with a working
woman. He wants to marry a lady
I never was q and don't want ia
be one. I'm q business woman and
I love it"
aAnd you wouldn't give up YOU
shop for mel" :
Certainly not"
He looked at her with bafled emo
lions. She was SO delectable and SO
obstinate, SO right-hearted and 50
wrong-headed. It was intolerable that
she should keep a shop. He spoke
after a long delay:
MAY I come and see you once IL
a while?"
IF you want to-"
'Where you living now?"
'Still at the C~hivvises'."
'sYou ought to take better care q
yourself than that. Surely you car
afford a better home."
II suppose so; but 1t would BIZ
lonely anywhere else. It has beer
safe there-since You quit calling or
me. It doesn't cost me much"
'But you're making SO mucl
money"
mot 80 very much-yet, but It'll
all my own and / made every cent lo1
II, and-gollyl how ! love to watch
It grow"
'sYou miser."
'Maybe. / guess that's the only
way to save money-to make q pas
sion ont Of It and get q kind Of 70
luptuous feeling from II. But I really
think, that It's the FUN OF making 4
that interests me MOST II certainly
keeps me ont of mischief and out u
H loneliness. Oh. there's no freedom