The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-03-17

trouble me with your presence"
When Dave had gone Mrs. Hardy
rang up Conward's number.
"Oh. Mr.. Coward r. she said. You
know who II speakingf Yes
You must come up tonight do want
to talk with you. 1--we been insult
ed-in my own house. BY that-that
Eden. It's all very terrible. ] can't
tell you over the telephone"
Coward called early In the evening.
Mrs. Hardy had heard the bell and
hustled into the room. She had not
yet recovered from her agitation, ana
made no effort to conceal 1t.
"Come into my sitting room. Mr..
Coward. am SO glad you have come.
Really. am so upset. 1t Is such
comfort to have some one you can de-
pend on-some one whose advice one
can seek, on occasions like this. I
never thought"
"There. there" he said. "You must
control yourself. Tell me. 1t Will re-
lieve you. and perhaps can help"
"Oh, I'm sure you can" she re-
turned. ITS all over Irene and that
that--I will say it--that cow puncher.
To think 1t should have come to this (!
Mr.. Coward, you are not mother, so
you can't understand. Ungrateful girl
But blame him. And the doctor. !
never wanted HIM to come West. 1t
was that fool trip. In that fool mo-
tor"
Coward smiled to himself over her
unaccustomed violence. Mrs. Hardy
must be deeply moved when she for
got to be correct. He had readily sur
missed the occasion Of her distress. 1t
needed no words from Mrs. Hardy to
tell him that Irene and Dave were en-
gagged. He had expected 1t for some
time. and the information was pot al
together distasteful to him. He had
come somewhat under the spell OF
Irene's attractiveness. but he had no
deep attachment for her. He was not
aware that he had ever had an abid-
ing attachment for any woman. At
tnchments were things which he put
vi anu oh 40 ICuuiiy 40 NhoAec u
clothes. He planned to hit Dave
through Irene. but he planned that
when he struck 1t should be death
blow. Their engagement would lend
a sharper edge to his shaft.
1t may MS well be set down that for
Mrs. Hardy Coward had no regard
whatever. Even while he shaped soft
words for her ear he held her In con-
tempt. To him she was merely silly
old woman.
From the day he had first seen Mrs.
Hardy his attitude toward her had
been one Of subtle fiattery, partly be-
cause 1t pleased his within and partly
on that same day he had seen Irene.
and he was shrewd enough to know
that his approach to the girls affec-
lions must be made by way of the ac-
quaintanceship which he would estab-
lish under the guise of friendship for
her mother Since his trouble with
Dave Coward had a double purpose
in developing that acquaintanceship.
He had no computations as to his
method of attack. While Dave was
manfully laying siege to the front
gate Coward proposed to burglarize
the home through the back door Of
family intimacy. And now that Dave
seemed to have won the prize Con-
ward realized that his own position
was more secure than ever. Had he
not been called in consultation by the
girls mother? Were not the inner af-
fairs of the family now laid open be-
fore him? Did not his position as
her mothers adviser permit him to
assume toward Irene an attitude
which, In sense, was more intimate
than even Dawes could be? He turned
these matters over quickly in his mind
and congratulated himself upon the
wisdom of his tactics.
''It's very dreadful" Mrs. Hardy was
saying, between dabbings Of her per-
fumed handkerchief on eyes that bore
witness to the genuineness Of her dis
tress. 'Irene Is not an ordinary girl.
She has in her qualities that justified
me In hoping that--that she would do
very different from this. Need ]
conceal from you, Mr.. Conward-from
you, of all men--what have been my
hopes for IreneY
Conward's heart leaped at the con-
fession. He had secretly entertained
some doubt as to Mrs. Hardy's pur-
pose In opening her home to him as
she had done; absurd as the hypothe-
sis seemed, still there was the n.y.
pothesis that Mrs. Hardy saw In Con-
ward possible comfort to her declin-
ing days. He had no doubt that her
vanity was equal to that superstition,
but he had done her less than justice
in supposing that she had any directly
personal ambitions. Her ambitions
were for Irene. She had hoped that,
by bringing Coward into the house.
by bringing Irene under the influence
of close family acquaintanceship
with him, that young lady might. be
led to see the folly of the road she was
-. n.