Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-19
AS PLAIN AS DAY
By ELLIS PARKER BUTLER
Author Of pigs Pigs and the famous 'Phio Gueb
and "Jabez Bunker" Stories

Han. Cf1eO Ed+ kne" IT. II MOI
his house, and it's not your house. nar
You sent him word. and he followed
you, You think I'm a fool. do you n
you were not told to follow her here
he asked Morley Smith. why did you
come here?"
"A friend Of mine lives here" said
Morley Smith. II ran out to drop ir
on the old char"
"You did. did you. Al ten at night
and sober? What's his namc?'
Morley Smith hesitated. A suhur
hanites name Il apt to be proclaircd
in thousand placee-vritten in books,
on envelopes. shown by tslitaie initial
on silver and linen. II he invented .
name. he was trapped.
Il say. YOU know he said. 'iurt
what are YOU doing here, II II Gomez
to that. old iad7"
The ~yes OF the man called Ed mar
rowed.
I'm the one that Is asking" ne said
I've got the gun. None OF your bust
mes, why I'm here"
Morley Smith had little doubt what
had brought the man to tn. house. II
he va. not burglar n. was nothing
He drew his thin, carefully engraved
watch from his pocket and looked a.
II.
I've had my bl. OF fun" he said
holding the watch. 80 I'll stop sroof-
Ing and tell YOU the truth. Old char.
I'm a elubmsn. sit all day in the
club and get stale. and once in while
| go forth and look for adventure
Pick out house at random. don't
you know. like hally old Arabian
Nights chappie. and butt right into ad-
venture and romano. and all that sort
Of thing. Run into hsliy burglar, At
work At their trade. and 40 forth. don't
you know. No end OF lark, Blu,
n gp- p
don't you know. so s.; an hour" he
lied. and minute. when my chauf-
feur is TO come In and rescue me. In
three minutes the lad outside viii come
In for me. Jove, yes'"
He looked at the watch steadily.
What was out there" the man
called Ed asked tho woman.
"A biaek-and-1 hi,e taxi" sh. ar
sv.red
Listen. Dear" n. ,aid: "th-r. NAV
be COPS In that car. r~7 Tni. mar
has told US lies riTh, thru. You 20
out and take look and como back and
report IN hold this one her>-
She went without replying Sh.
opened the dor and slipped outrd-.
and as she closed tho door. tn. mar
called I'd backed away from Noriey
Smith. II. backed down the hall.
covering tn. matcur stventurer with
his gun until his hand touched fha
swinging door that led into tho escs
haIl' incn he swung the door outward
and disappeared.
The woman returned as she Rad.
gone When she had closed n. door.
she looked about with surprise.
Where 10 he7" she asked
The burglar chaprieT'' said Ncri-v
smith. He went away. don't you
know. He got tired Of ny cor,r,ny
When there w"rc no lsdi.s presen,
.xHs -
say farewell"
Cut and lef, mr. did he. N. cur
she asked bitterly. That's ils. MIN e.
She seemed to remember tina, n.
man named I'd might b>>lurkins near.
and she lowered her voice
i thought he WAS straight vh-- I
took Up with him" she said He told
mo he was in clean bu.i-ess-
sraisht EamhlinS.-and married
him. m thru now. lie thought you
had n bunch Of bulls out th~-. in the
cab. and he left m. 10 be pinch~t While
he made his getaway. Hes yellow.
Listen: you but,.d into thl.-can YOU
help mo get away from him. Hes
be~n getting more Of brute 70 m.
every day, and hen kill m, yet II
don, Tct away from him"
she put her hand on Morley Smith.
arm and looked into hi. face. hu, ~
hcr eyes fell. shc also looked az tho
iaee OF his watch and saw that mo-r
than the throc minutes that the CLUB
man had set as the limi, Of tlrn~ bef8rs
tho tsNicab driver would come 20 h.r
rescue had passed
You knew what ne was didrf
you7 she went on, Burglar and
cheap gambler; that's what n. i
Hes crook, "a Is Look h.re-lct
m" show you whsre hr beat me uP iast
nisht when he came home drunk"
Snc tried 20 roll up her sleeve bus Il
was too ught.
Never mind" she ,atf W., go
guess how tt iooks-aii black and hiuc
from my shoulder 10 ms elbow. vherr
ne beat mo with wire-bottl-. i've
been his slave. tho brute haven't
dsrrt to call my life my own. Won
don't know what that means. you
men"
oh. say" exclaimed Norls-
Smith. "fI.. a ro,;e-. what,
And quitting me Ike this. 20 SAVE
his own mean hidei" sNe cried Eif.
'orly Leaving me her. 10 h. plnrhrd
20 NJ can make a clean Est-.va,.
but All men arc like that
whs, no" rnid Morley smith
That's = hit strong. vhat7'
Wen. what do you care7' sN~ ssL-F
NTH sudden anger. "whs, 4. n 5.J
beat mo2 What " he did treat mo
roughf l thought he wa. so,ta-c u--
~ you came bu;tins In here. n YOU
mad not Come here. rayh- would
never have known how yellow ne oa-
Maybe I would have gone along o.i,h
MIN forever. Just thinking Nr ~.
rough but never finding out n vssr'.
class You did It. You came ard
gave him the chance to .horr hfp,,rfr
up, ana now ! can't go back to him 20
My word" said Morley smith
Could you 60 back to him n sou
were In my place. she dsmsrdsi
fiorcely.
But, I say" exclaimed Mo-i,y
Sr'''A You don't want me 20 Narry
YOU. vhai7 Ry Iove. that would ~ ,
nice bit of trouble. that would when
he's your hubby and all that u cant
be dons my good sitl I'm bachelor.
WHAT
You don't saw" Ehs said ,-or--