The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-02-12

was skllifuly pinnneu 10 appeal %
her vanity. and her anger was due ia
It's success. She told herself she
should not listen 20 such words: she
should hate TO hear such words. And
yet she listened 10 them, and was not
sure that she hated them. She could
only say:
"You are very good. Mr.. Coward"
He pressed her hand at the door,
and agnin that strange mixture of
emotions surged through her.
Coward proceeded to the business
section Of the town. well pleased with
the evenings events. He found his
way impeded by crowds in front Of the
newspaper Offices. lie had paid little
attention to the progress Of the war
scare, attrlbutlng Il TO the skillful pub
bclty Of interests connected with the
manufacture OF ornaments. To the
last he had not believed that war was
possible.
Nobody wants TO fight," he had as
sured his business acquaintance
"Even the armament people don't
want to fight. All they want Is to
frlghien more money out Of the tax
payers Of Europe" To Coward this
explanation seemed very complete. II
covered the whole ground and left
nothing TO be said
| But tonight he was aware If n
keener tension In the crowd atmos-
phere. They were good-natured
crowds. TO be sure. laughing and
cheering and making sallles of heavy
wit but they were In some way more
Intense than he had ever seen before
/ There was no fear of war; there was.
rather. an adventurous spirit which
seemed to fear that the affair would
blow over, as had so many affairs In
the past. and all the excitement go
for nothing. That war, II II came to
war. could last 40 one dreamed; 1t
would be matter Of a few weeks, a
few months, at the most. until thor
oughly whipped Germany would retire
behind the Rhine to plan ways Of rails
ing the indemnity which outraged civil
lization would demand.
Coward elbowed his way through
the crowds, smiling. in his superior
knowledge, over their excitement.
Newspapers must have headlines.
At his office Coward used a tele-
phone. Then he walked TO a restau-
rant. where. after few minutes. he
was tolned by young woman. They
took q table In box. Supper was dis
posed OF. and the young woman began
TO grow impatient.
swell, you brought me here" she
said. at last. you've fed me. and you
don't feed anybody, Coward. without
n purpose. What's the considerationr
I'm pulling of a little joke. and J
want you to help me. You know Elder
Dave Elden?"
Sure I've known him ever since
that jolt put him out of business up In
your rooms. ever so many years ago
He was too rural for that mixture"
II want you to get him down &c
your place some night to be agreed
upon-Pll fix the date later-and keer
him there until / call for him. with
his fiancee."
"Some joke" she said, and there was
disgust In her voice. "Who is itson-
Eden, me. or the grip
"Neyer mind who it's on" .Conwart
returned. I'm paying for 1t. Herei
something on account and II you max,
a good job Of 1t won't be stingy."
He handed her bill, which sh,
kissed and put In her purse. II nee,
the money. Coward. or l wouldn'
take IT.
This part of his trap set, Conwar,
awaited a suitable opportunity e,
spring 1t. In the meantime he tool
Mrs. Hardy partially into his conf
dence. He allowed her TO believe. how
ever, that Elden's habits would stan,
correction and he had merely arranged
to trap him In one of his favorit,
haunts. She was very much shocke,
and thought 1t was very dreadful, bu
"of course we must save Irene"
But concerning another part Of hi
program Coward was even less franl
with Mrs. Hardy. He was clever
enough to know that he must observ,
certain limitations.
AT length all his plans appeared I,
be complete. The city was in tumul
Of excitement over the war, but 70
Coward deeper interest centeres
In the plot he was Matching under tn,
unsuspectlng noses of Irene and Eden
II he could trap Dave the rest woul,
be easy. II he failed in this he hat
another plan to give failure at leas
the appearance Of success.
The fact that the nation was nov
at war probably had an influence II
speeding up the plot. Everything wa
under high tension; powerful currents
Of thought were bearing the masses
along unaccustomed channels; societ,
itself was In a state OF fiux. II h,
were to strike at all let the blow fal /
at once.
On this early August night he ascer /
tained that Dave was working alone IN |
his office. Then he called numbe
on telephone.
"rhis is the night" he explained
you will find him alone In his Office
l will be waiting TO hear from you
- A.