Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-02-24

| him how deeply he loved her. Why
| had she deceived him?
Three days later, Helen, white and
weary-eyed stopped him in the hall.
II am staying week longer than /
expected she informed him, colby.
sHere 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 surprise. Counter
felt declared the teller with calm
certainty, and stamped it full of TRAN
gular holes.
I At the words man stepped quick
ly forward to Bob's side. Counter
feit?" he said.
EYES," said the teller at 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, 1--WE had a lot of money COM
| ing in from various sources in the last
few days and l cannot place this"
"We1l, it's your loss," said the other
cheerfully.
"My loss it is" said Bob and went
out. The loss of a couple of five dol
lar bills meant nothing, but when it
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 city's buildings as Bob reached
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, forgetful that
| he thoroughly believed in Glands off,
other peoples property, he dropped
on 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 explain
ed her presence in his rooms. THAT
money | gave yOu," she said, "was
bad. / tried to spend some and found
out. But, oh, didn't know it when
/ gave it to you," she besOught him
imploringly.
"Of course you didn't" he assured
her. cts 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 if | could
only let him stay there that night he
could manage to slip through to Can
ada next day. Before he left he in
sisted on my taking those bills. / am
sure he didn't know they weren't
good Billy was weak, but he wasn't
a criminal-although this time he had
got mixed up with a bad crowd. He
made me promise to tell no one who
he was-he was nervous and afraid.
And for mothers sake-he has
brought her great unhappiness and
worry, but he was always her fSvOrite
i let you think he was my husband"
"And nearly broke my heart" said
Bob reproachfully.
"Well, I don't think l would have
had the courage" confessed Helen, eff
you hadn't nearly broken my heart by
being SO perfectly willing to let me
go!"
"And I was an idiot" said Bob.
Heaven knows I wanted you, but l
didn't know how much until I thought
l had lost you."
$50 by passing off counterfeit hus-
band, | was able to win real one,"
said Helen whimsically. 81 suppose
Billy is safe in Canada by now; as for
mother"
"As for mother" whispered Bob,
''she must come here. And we will go
after her together"