The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-12
EDening Story
A Counterfeit Husband.
ny a Louis RAYBOLD.J

Her information had been wholly un-
expected.
so, Miss Anthony" he said at
length, ''you are really going away
Isn't there any chance at all that you
may reconsider"
Helen Anthony threw him a fleeing
glance. She had lived in the apart
ments for nearly two years and haa
grown to like the gray-eyed man with
the lazy drawl who now sat looking
| st her with such evident dismay. And
he had shown every sign of enjoying
the friendship she had given him, her
occasional companionship at the thea
ter, an infrequent invitation TO eat IN
her studio. She wondered II he mao
said the right word in time he might
have kept her in the city. WE'LL II
mo" she said, at am really going
home. 1 haven't exactly failed; but,
on the other hand, my success nasn
amounted to enough to JUSTIFY my re-
naming here My mother is not well
and has considerable to worry her. NY
place for the present is back home:
| IT say. Hel-Miss Anthony, sald
| Anderson earnestly, st can't begin TO
| tell you how hate to have you go
Won't you give fortune one more
He was surprised at the vehemence
of his feelings. A confirmed bachelor,
SO he imagined himself, at the age OF
IS, he had lively appreciation OF the
easy going freedom ne Woulo De sie
! ing up if he asked this girl to marry
him and she said yes And yet
His thoughts were interrupted:
NO" she replied quite definiteiy'
am going"
sleep. His inclinations were ora"i IIs
him in two opposite directions. ne
got up, lighted a cigaret, and stood oy
the window, meditating. His glance
wandered idly across the court 10 the
ell of the building in which was tne
studio of the girl he did-and didn't
want to marry.
And. startled violently out of his mus
ings, he saw a man who had cllmped
the fire escape, disappearing into Hell
ems window
gown about him, took his revolver
from the drawer, and FASTENED to her
aid. AS he reached her door, he
caught voices raised in alteration
within.
mo, no, girl! Don't do it, 1 tell
you. 1t would means sure death to
Bob seized the handle of the door,
Helen" he cried, IF you can, open
the door"
Came from within a mans angry
curse. Then followed swift steps and
a pafe-faced woman flung the door
to ender my rooms at this time OF
night. Mr. Anderson" she cried.
Bob was altogether taken aback.
why. II" he stammered, Il saw
a man
Exactly" she said cuttingly.
Don't say it. Nell.'' came the mans
voice from within.
my husband" she concluded
| weakly.
Bob reeled as if he had been struck
Then, It beg your pardon, ne said
and turned on his heel.
For hours he paced his room. trying
| to reorganize his shattered outlook on
life. For now that Helen Anthony was
irrevocably anothers. it had come to
him how deeply he loved her. Why
had she deceived him?
Three days later, Helen, white and
weary-eyed, stopped him in the hall.
IT am staying a week longer than
expected" she informed him. Here
is the difference in rent"
Bob took the crisp, new bills she
held out to him without comment,
making no effort to detain her as she
walked quickly away. But when he
came to deposit the money in the bank
he met with a surprise. Counter
felt" declared the teller with calm
certainty and STAMPED it full of tri-
angular holes.
At the words man stepped quickly
forward to Bob's side. Counterfeit?
he said.
Eyes" said the teller, ct is, but I
can vouch for Mr.. Anderson"
There's a gang working the city,
but we're after them and sooner or
later will put them where they belong.
From whom did you get this?" The
man seemed very certain OF himself
and Bob concluded he was a treasury
agent.
Bob hesitated. Then. mo" he said
shortly, i've had a lot of money
coming in from various sources in the
last few days and cannot place this"
well. it's your loss" said the other
cheerfully.
my loss it is" said Bob and went
out. The loss of couple of five dol
lar bills meant nothing. but when 1t
came to losing faith in the one woman
he would have said was pure gold
that hurt.
The setting sun was turning to points
of fire the myriad windows of the
apartments. In the gathering twi-
! light of the room he at first scarcely
! saw the slender figure leaning back
in his deep-cushioned chair. Then.
| Helen!' he cried, and, forgetfpl that
he thoroly believed in hands off" OF
/ his knees beside her and took her in
his arms. Counterfeit or simon-pure
metal, married or unmarried, he loved
this woman.
But Helen was trying to withdraw
| from his embrace even as she ex-
planned her presence in his rooms.
THAT money 1 gave you" she said,
was bad. I tried to speEd some and
found out. But. oh, 1 didn't know it
when I gave il TO you" she besought
him imploringly.
"Of course you didn't" he assured
her.. TITS nothing to worry about
At the tenderness of his tone tears
gathered in Helen's eyes. Bob" she
whispered. Would you be glad to
know that that was my brother-not
my husband? Wait-until have told
you the rest. He was just telling me,
when you came, that the police were
looking for him. and that IL could
only let him stay there that night he
could manage to slip thru to Canada