The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-05-05

chuckled; and he said it without ask
Ing me how | had found Mrs. Sheila,
or how she was looking, or anything.
l told him l had met Mr.. Hatch on
the stair going down.
"Hc didn't say anything to You, did
he?' he asked.
"Not a word"
II had to pull that Sand Creek bust
ness on him, and I'm rather sorry
he went on. "fIe and his people are
going to fight The new company to a
finish. and he merely came up here to
tell me So--and to add that | might
as we'll resign first as last. because,
in the end, he'd get my goat. When
l laughed at him he got abusive. He's
an ugly beggar, Jimmie.'
"That's what everybody says OF
him.
IT'S true. He and his crowd have
plenty Of mOney-stolen money. a
good deal Of it-and they stand in
with every political boss and gan"Ster
in the state. There is only one way to |
handle such man, and that is With
out gloves. | told him we had the |
goods on him in the matter OF Mr.
Chadwick'S kidnapping adventure. At
first he said | couldn't prove it. Then
he broke out CurSing and let your
name slip. | hadn't mentioned you at
all, and 50 he gave himself away. tie
knows who you are, and he rcmem-
bered that you had overheard his talk
with Henckel in the hotel lobby"
| heard what he was saying, but
didn't really sense IT because my head
was ram jam full of q thing that was
so pitiful that it had kept me swas-
lowing hard all the way back from
Major Hendricks. It was this way.
When | had jiggIed the bell out at the
house it was Maisie Ann who let me
in and took the box of flowers and the
boss note. We sat in the dimly lighted
hall and talked for a few minutes.
One thing she told me was that Mrs.
Sheila had company and the name of
It was Mr. Van Britt. That wasn't
strictly news because I had known
that Mr.. Van Britt was dividing time
pretty evenly with the boss in the
Major Kendrick house visits. That
wasn't anything to be scared up about
But my chunky little girl cidn't stop
at that.
81 think we can let Mr.. Van Britt
take care of HIMSELF" she said. "lle
, has known Cousin Sheila for a long
time. and I guess they are only just
good friends. But there is something
YOU ought to know, Jimmie-for Mr..
Norcross' sake. He has been sending
lots Of flowers and things, and Cousin
Sheila has been taking them because
. we'll, | guess it's just because she
! doesn't know how not to take them.
t go on" I said, but my mouth had
| suddenly grown dry.
Such things-howers, you know
. don't mean anything in New York
d where we've been living. Men send
e them to their women friends just as
e thev pass their cigar-cases arount
among their men friends. But Tn
: afraid it's different with Mr.. Nor
+ cross"
r ut is different I said.
<, Then she told me the thing tina
s made me swell up and want to burst
Q ut mustn't be different, Jimmie
e Cousin Sheila's married, you know.
k 81 know she has been married.
n corrected: and then she gave me tn
u sure-enough Knockout
"She is married now, and her hus
lie band is still living"
If For little while couldn't do any
IS thing but cape like a chicken wit
ar the pip. It was simply fierce! | kne"
~ as we'll as l knew anything, that tn
ID boss was gone on Mrs. Sheila; tina
ID he had fallen in love, first with tn
a back of her neck and then with ne
III pretty face and then with all of her
and that the one big reason why h
had let Mr.. Chadwick persuade MI
at to stay in Portal City was the FAC
| that he had wanted to be near her an
d. to show her how he could make a PEI
re fectly good spoon out of the spolIe
ir horn of the Pioneer Short Line.
s. When l began to get my grip bac
~ a little l was right warm under I'll
ev collar.
Ell "She oughtn't to be going aroun
telling people she is a widow"
Oh blurted out.
es "She DOESN'T was the calm repl
ny "They've separated, you know-yea
Oh ago-and Cousin Sheila has taken N
III mothers maiden name, Macrae.
ol we were going to live here always
al would be different. But we are on
IN visiting Cousin Basil, or l suppose v
Ell are, though we've been here now +
eo nearly year"
H. There wasn't much more to be sal
and pretty socn had staggered
nc. with my load and gone back to Il
30 ' office. And this was why | couldl
'uA get very deep into the Hatch busine
. with Mr.. Norcross when he told I
what he had been obliged to do abo
the Sand Creek hold-up.
l