Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-06-16

the best right in the world. He is my
husband"
It was out at last, and the boss
poor little house Of cards that I knew
he had been building all these months
had got it's knock-down in just those
Sour quietly spoken words. AS well as
I knew him, I couldn't begin to guess
what he would do or say. But he was
such a splendid fighter that I might
have known.
Il heard, no longer ago than this
afternoon, that you were not-that
your husband was still living" he
said, speaking very gently. II didn't
believe it-not fully-though l saw
that there might easily be room for
the belief. It MAKES no difference,
Sheila. You are my friend, and you
are blameless. But before we go any
farther I want you to believe that
I wouldn't have been brutal enough
to give you that bit Of paper if 1 had
remotely suspected that Collingwood
was the man."
She didn't make any answer to that,
and after a while he said: "Having
told me so much, can't you tell me q
little moreg"
"There isn't much to tell, and even
the little is commonplace and-and
disgraceful," she replied, with a touch
of WEAKNESS that was fairly heart
breaking. Don't ask me why we were
married; I can't explain that, simply
because | don't know, myself. It was
arranged between the two families,
and l suppose HOWE and l always
took it for granted. / can't even plead
ignorance. for / have known him all
my life"
go on" said the boss, still speak
ing as gently as a brother might have.
"Howie was a spoiled child, an only
son, and he is a spoiled man. | stood
it as long as / could-I hope you will
believe that. But there are some.
things that a woman cannot stand,
and
81 know he broke in. $50 you
came out here to be free
ut is four years since we have,
lived together she went on "and for
a long time / hoped he would never
find out where I was. There was no.
divorce. / had taken my mothers
name, and only Cousin Basil and his
wife knew that i was not what per.
haps every one else took me to be-
a widow with a Sead husband instead
of a living one.
49, NO. A
aDid C~ollingwcod sly TO find YOUR
NO. I think not. But when he was
here last spring with his Uncle Breck-
enridge he saw me and found out that
was living here with Cousin BASIL
did he try TO persecute you?H
mo, not then. / was afraid of only
n thing: that he might drink foo
much and-and talk. Part Of the fear
was realized. He saw me that Sun.
day night in the Billiard. That was
why he was trying to fight the hotel
pe0ple-because they wouldn't let him
come upstairs. ] saw what you did,
and / was sorry. I couldn't help feel
ing that In some way it would prove
to be the beginning Of a tragedy"
you saw no more Of him theng"
mo; I neither saw him 0 heard
of him until about d month ago when
he came west with a man named
Bullock-a New York attorney.
didn't know why he came. but j thought
1t was to annoy me.
And he has annoyed you?e
"until this night he has missed
an opportunity OF doing so when he
could dodge Cousin Basil, II was his
haunting hoast Yesterday ut the capital.
TINT led me 10 telegraph Cousin Basil
and Upton Van Britt about Your trip
to %Strafbcnna. He knew that you We're
going I'd The gold camp, and he declared
To mo that you'd never come back
alive
"Dut tonight the boss persisted.
AWhnt did no want tontghta
AiIe wanted toto use me. He said
that he had snnt something across