The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-07-15

Eyes. Finding himself in pitfall
which he has digged with his own
hands, he is like other men Of his kind !;
he would be very glad to climb out
upon the shoulders of a woman"
1 guess the boss saw red for min
ute, but the question he asked had
to come.
by what right did he come to you,
Sheila?"
by what he doubtless thinks is
the best right in the world. He is my
husband"
1t was out at last, and the boss
poor little house of cards that knew
he had been building all these months
had got its Touchdown in just those
four quietly spoken words. AS well as
l knew him, l couldn't begin to guess
what he would do or say. But he was
such splendid fighter that might
have known. a
81 heard, no longer ago than this
afternoon, that you were not-that
your husband was still living" he
said, speaking very gently. Il didn't
believe it-not fully-though I saw
that there might easily be room for
the belief. 1t makes no difference,
Sheila. You are my friend, and you
are blameless. But before we 60 any
farther ] want you to believe that
wouldn't have been brutal enough
to give you that bit of paper IL 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 a
little more?"
"There isn't much to tell, and even
the little is commonplace and-and
disgraceful," she replied. with touch
of WEAKNESS that was fairly heart
breaking. Don't ask me why we were
married; I can't explain that, simply
because l don't know. myself. 1t was
arranged between the two families,
and / suppose Howie and always
took it for granted. can't even plead
ignorance, for l have known him all
my life"
"Go on" said the boss, still speak
ing as gently as brother might have.
"Howie was a spoiled child, an only
son, and he is spoiled man. stood
it as long as could hope you will
believe that. But there are some
things that 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, land for
a long time 1 hoped he would never
find out where I was. There was no
divorce. I had taken my mothers
name, and only Cousin Basil and his
wife knew that l was not what per-
haps every one else took me to be-
a widow with a dead husband instead
of living one"
Ibid Collingwood try to find your"
mo, 1 think not. But when he was
here last spring with his Uncle Brock
| enridge he saw me and found out that
1 was living here with Cousin BASIL"
did he try to prosecute you?"
mo, not then. 1 was afraid of only
one thing: that he might drink too
much and-and talk. Part of the fear
day night in the Billiard. That was
why he was trying to fight the hotel
people-because they wouldn't let him
come upstairs. l 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"
S"You saw no more of him thenT
mo; I neither saw him nor heard
of him until about a month ago when
he came west with a man named
Bullock-a New York attorney. l
didn't know why he came, but thought
it was to annoy me-"
| "And he has annoyed your"
Until this night he has never missed
an opportunity of doing so when he
could dodge Cousin Basil. 1t was his
haunting boast yesterday at the capital
that led me to telegraph Cousin Basil
and Upton Van Britt about your trip
to StrathcOna. He knew that you were
going to the gold camp, and he declared
to me that you'd never come back
alive"
"But tonight" the boss persisted.
"What did he want tonight?"
"He wanted toto use me. He said
that he had put something across
for his uncle, that he had gotten into
trouble for it. and that-to use his
own phrase again, you were the man
who would try to get his goat"
"And his object is telling you this?"
"Was entirely worthy of the man.
He asked me. or rather l should say,
commanded me, to choke you off.
And, of course, he added the insult.
He said / was the one who could
do It,"
"Without intending to, you have
tied my hands," the boss said gravely.
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