Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-07-09
CHAPTER XII.


efore leaving the house.
81 owe you my good Wishes" he
mid "And l give them most frankly,
S,though perhaps with more difficulty
han you suppose"
"You are very good, MIR. Coward"
he acknowledged.
81 could not wish you anything but
happiness" he returned. "And had
been so fortunate as Eden, in making
kour acquaintance first, l might have
hoped to contribute to your happiness
more directly than I can under the
hresent circumstances" He was
kneaking in his low, sedulous notes,
md his words sent the girls blood
flushing in a strange mixture Of graft
6cation and anger. The tribute he
mplied-that he himself would have
been glad to have been her sutton
WAS skillfully planned to appeal to
her vanity, and her anger was due to
IT'S success. She told herself she
should not listen to such words; she
should hate to hear such words. And
vet she listened to 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 again 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. He had paid little
attention to the progress Of the war
scare, attributing it to the skillful pub
lcity 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
brighten more money out Of the tax
payers of Europe" To Coward this
explanation seemed very complete. 1t
covered the whole ground and left
nothing to be said.
But tonight he was aware Of q
keener tension in the crowd atmoS-
phere. They were good-natured
| crowds, to be sure, laughing and
cheering and making sallies 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, If it came to
war, could last no one dreamed; 1t
would be matter of 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 q restau-
rant, where, after few minutes, he
was joined by young woman. They
look table in box. Supper was dis
posed of, and the young woman began
to grow impatient.
wen, you brought me here" she
said, at last. you've fed me, and you
aoht iced anybody, Coward, without
purpose What's the consideration p"
I'm pulling off little joke, and /
want You TO help me. You know Eden
Dave Elden?"
sure I've known him ever since
'hat JOLT put him out of business up In
your rooms, ever so many years ago.
ne was too rural for that mixture"
l. want you to get him down to
your place some night to be agreed
upoh-lll fix the date later-and keep
nlh there until l call for him, with
his fiancee."
some joke" she said, and there was
ulSsuSt in her voice. "Who is 1t on
Hl9eh, me, or the girl7'
Never mind who it's on" Coward
returned. I'm paying for 1t. Here's
eonelftng on account. and IL you make
good Job of 1t won't be stingy."
tie handed her bin, which she
Kissed and put In her purse. ~ need
"e money. Coward, or l wouldn't
take It,"
nus part OF his trap set. Coward
awaited suitable opportunity to
spring 1t. In the meantime he took
"'S' Hardy partially into his conf
''a'e' lie allowed her to believe, how
'Ne' That Elden's habits would stand
direction and he had merely arranged
!" rap him In one of his favorite
""nIltS. She was very much shocked
una thought 1t was very dreadful, but
Y, course we must save Irene"
hoi concerning another part of his
program Coward was even less frank
va" Mrs Hardy. He was clever
e'''ush To know that he must observe
'eflaln limitations.
AZ length all his plans appeared to
~ complete. The city was in tumult
~ excitement over the war, but for
J., inward deeper interest conferred
mn ."e plot he was Matching under the
"a ',usIecting noses of Irene and Eden.