Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-24

while before, and the porter had heard him
ask to be driven to the Cresthill Inn.
Where is that?" demanded Rosa.
The man told her Sort Of roadhouse.
ma'am," he added.
Slowly bewildered, Rosa went back to
their rooms. She sat down, studying the sit
uation. And slowly terrible anger began to
possess her. Bennett Halsey was no fool.
He'd undergone too many heart attacks to
have any illusions about his safety. He knew
that he was in the very shadow Of death.
He was not anxious to die. Rosa knew the
heart of him. She knew that he was COW
ard, that he shuddered at thought of death,
1t was not for his virtues that she loved
Halsey. 1t was for no particular reason;
1t was because she couldn't help it.
Then what, she asked herself, had caused
Halsey to risk the advancement, in time. Of
the death he dreaded? 1t couldn't have been
business. True, Halsey did not keep Rosa
informed as to the details of his illegalites,
but she knew perfectly we'll that, in his pres
ent condition, a million dollars would not
have tempted him to leave the room, much
less the hotel.
But she knew what would make him take
risks. A woman! She thought that she knew
Halsey as well a. mortal ever had known
mortal. And, knowing him, she was certain
that she guessed the reason for his absence.
The getting rid Of her on specious ex.
cuse; the hasty departure; the place to which
he went-a roadhouse! 1t was for this that
she had been ever faithful to him, loyal had
dragged out terror filled years of sacrifice, so
that at the last she might be deserted for
another woman.
Before this desertion all other treacheres
became little things. She had forgiven them,
ehA hol
last few moments of his life belonged to her
To rob her of them meant to slap her face, to
jeer at her devotion. to tell her, in so many
words. that she had been fool, used as fools
are used, only when necessity Of convenience
compels.
He would not leave her even memory
God knew that 1t would be q sad enough
memory at best, memory Of lies, of deceit,
that had bruised her soul. Butt would
have been something. Now-there would be
nothing.
Before her eyes ran picture of the past.
Always she had given, never taken. Time
and again she had sworn to leave him. vet
had been unable to do so. She did not re-
spect him; she despised him. Yet he had so
satisfied something in her that always she
had remained, had suffered. had endured.
She had asked nothing save a little kind
ness, a little affection To gain these occa-
sonaly she had given everything. She had
no high code of morals. That Halsey was
a criminal. a thief, had never weighed
against him. She did not realize that phi
losophers might consider that she was reap
ing the reward Of her own venality. She
only realized that she was woman and that
her man had, at the very end betrayed her
For that her logic was wrong never entered
her head She knew him too we'll And so
the crossed strains in her-she was Latin
and Slav combined-began to throw off the
restraints that society imposes. This was
the final offense. For another woman he
dared death. Very well. He would dare
death in another fashion that he dreaded.
She left the rooms and descended to the
street. The hotel was in cheap neighbor-
hood and on her way to the drug store Rosa
had passed a pawnshop. Her association
with Halsey had made her familiar with
such places. and this one she entered con.