The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-03-10

ne good news had been kept a secret.
He is to. spend day or two ut one
II the mountain hotels, and / am to 60
slong to do his correspondence. Isn't
I inst lovely? have so wanted to 60
o the mountains. but never felt that
could afford 1t. And now can COM
zine business with pleasure"
The smile died out of Dawes eyes,
ind his face became more set and
tern than she had ever seen it.
"Why. what's the matter, Mr.. FL
ienT she exclaimed. 'Is anything
yrong?"
He found II hard to meet her frank,
lnsuspecting eyes; hard to draw back
he curtains of the world so much that
hose eyes would never again be quite
10 frank and unsuspecting Miss
Wardin." he said. ibid Coward tell
fou that?"
'What? About going to the noun
aims? OF course. He said he was
,aking some work with him. and he
wondered IL would mind going along
% do 1t. and he would pay the ex-
)enses, and-and-" There was
quick, hard catch in her voice, and she
seized Elden's arm violently. Her eyes
we're big and round; her pretty face
lad gone suddenly white.
"Oh. Mr. Eden. you don't think
you don't think-that THAT he
You wouldn't believe that"
~ think you are absolutely inno-
cent" he said gravely. "but-lt's the
innocent thing that gets caught"
The girl had broken into violent
tears. whatever shall / do? What
can do?" she moaned. "Oh, why
didn't somebody tell me? What can
I do?"
He let her passion run on for few
minutes. and then he sought, as gently
as he could. to win her back to some
composure. "Some one has told you. /"
he said--.'in time. You don't have to
go. Don't be afraid of anything Con-
ward may do. / will settle this score
with him.
She controlled herself, but when she
4
shame in it. II hate to tell you,
Mr.. Eden. but / must tell you'll
took--I let him give me some money
to buy things. He said maybe / was
short of money and l would want to
buy some new clothes-and he would
pay me extra, in advance-and he
gave me fifty dollars-and-and-Tye
spent it !"
Elden swung on his heel and paced
the length of the Office In quick, sharp
strides When he returned to where
Miss Wardin stood. wrapped about In
her misery, his fists were clenched and
the veins stood out on the back of his
hands.
"Scoundrel - he muttered. "Scoun-
drel! And / have been tied to him.
have let him bind me have let him
set the standards. Well, now know
him" There was a menace In his last
words that frightened even Gladys
Wardin. well though she knew the
menace was not to her. but ranged In
her defense.
Iiclcs ft Sdtus tdhluS Solic puiS
from his pocket. "You must tell him
You can't go-tell him you won't go T:
you must return his money. I will
lend you wha. you need. Don't be
afraid / will go with you"
"But I can't take your money.
either. Mr.. Eden" she protested. 81
can't stay here any longer. will have
no job and can't pay you back. You
see I can't take Ii. even from you.
What a fool I wasl For a few
clothes"
"You will continue to work-for
me-" he said.
She shook her head. "No, can't.
can't. I can't work anywhere near
him."
"You won't need to. The firm of
Coward & Eden will be dissolved at
once. I have always felt that there
was something false In Coward
onv,,atbtrc that vUouldnsf afand foat