Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-17
he BOOZE of FEAR &4rhm Samezs Roche

u
In
He had been careful. cautious 10 the degree
of cowardice. Also. Rosa had watched over
him alertly. For Rosa loved him.
Not a woman OF any particular morality,
the vicious things that he did to others had
no effect upon her love. Again and again
she even forgavo the vicious things he did to
her. She had strained. almost to the breaking
point. that animal-hke devotion which she
accorded to him when he had entered into =
marriage with A1ayne Guernsey But she
was the kind who refused to CRY over split
milk. Halsey always came back to her: b.
would come back now And when. slinkily.
he returned from the railroad wreck with his
story of failure. the fact that he came back
offset the fact that he had gone away. Want
ing the man. craving him with every bit Of
her animal nature It was easy for her to
believe what she wished to believe He'd
never intended to stick to Alayne; he'd in
tended to get her money and desert her for
Rosa As matter of fact, the marriage b
Alayne had been most repugnant to him.
Women of the Rosa. sort forgive the un-
forgivable, believe the incredible. They want
to.
To get away from New York had been
their aim. They had drifted to South Africa
and luck had broken badly. Halseys illness
had eaten up most Of their funds. Also, the
particular kind Of swindling that was Hal
sey's long suit found profitable field in
South Africa. Rosa, further impelled by the
belief that a sea voyage would benefit Halsey.
consented to try Europe. Once there, Hasey
told her that he had been recognized by
Do rrcso lA&a 6<ad To dpy, A
few days later he told her that he had learned
that the London police were on the lookout
for him. And SO she was easily persuaded tn
go to New York. whence they fed SO many
months ago.
Once there, Halsey had pretended to meet
a man from Hilstown, told Rosa that by
going to Hillstown he would be able to put
across a profitable swindle. Rosa, timorous
wherever they were fearful lest Gefstein or
some other old acquaintance run across
them, cheerfuly accompanied him to HIS
town.
Halsey would have left her behind IN
New York save for the fact that his health
was a source of constant fear to him. Rosa
was more than companion; she was nurse
He was grateful for her presence in the
hotel where they had registered, in the cheap
er section of Hillstown.
For he felt another attack coming on. So
block or so from the hotel he ordered his
taximan to stop before a drug store. An
other man wished to engage the car, and 40
it was only few rods from his hotel hs
glanced at the meter and handed the man.
as he thought, two-dollar bill, instructinS
him to keep the change. Then he entered
the drug store and ordered common heart
depressant- He drank 1t and felt better.
r,x< ho xo. a covv~rd EaRcr~ o,r%,xripo A.
layne's home he had watched, and seen
Bourke depart; stiil, while he was there, hs
could not know but that Bourke would 70.
turn at any moment Fear made his heart
race Now, even the depressant which he
had taken could not quiet the harried organ
When he reached the hotel, after his briez
walk, porter had to assist him to his room.
and shortly he was In state Of collapse.
Rosa, in panic, Immediately asked the hotel
clerk to send for a doctor.
The medical man, a general practittuneEI
managed to revive his patient But who's
Halsey refused to go to bed the physician
told him some plain truths
:" II you want to commit suicide, stay cut
of bed" he said
What do you mean" demanded Halsey,
fearfully.
The doctor was one who did not believe
that it was fair to extend lying hope to .
dying man. II mean," he said, that you've
got the worst heart I've ever examined. You
haven't week to live. II you want to die
in a day-get up"
Meekly Halsey climbed into bed. He svaL
lowed the stimulant prescribed by the dco-
tor Immediately feeling better he began to
doubt the physicians diagnosis He asked
him 10 send for consutant. Struggling.
the doctor did So Two hours later. lying
on hts bed, staring up at the ceiling. Halsey
realised that he was waiting for death. He
could hear. from the next room, the muhaed
sohs Of Rosa. But no sorrow for her was IN
his heart. He could think only Of himself
And as he thought the veins in his throat
sweiled with impotent wrath. The last TIVE
years had been years Of privation. moro o1
less Always had been the fear Of arrest:
every strange face had been potential ON
Ger Of the hw. That feeble heart Of his had
leaped and pounded a score Of times q day
due solely to fear.
And It was Anayne's fault! So he rea-
soned, half mad with dread Had she actsd
like a sane woman that night on the train.
worry would have slipped forever from his
shoulders. With plenty of money he'd have
found no need for continuing his Illegal ca
reer. Without eternal fear his heart would
have been quieted; he could have bought q
country place somewhere have given his
health that care which It had needed. Z.
We never blame ourselves. Always 1t -
some one else who has wronged us, been I'M.
fair. So with Halsey now. Toward AllAyne
arose a tremendous hate IN hts heart.
She. when he was dead. would be happy.
She had wealth, position. Bourke he hated
too. Bourke had the things which should
have come to him, Halsey. It never occurred
to him to blame Rosa for her scene ut ths
train gate He never had been particularly
ansered at her. Fur split milk was some.
thing over which. with his crooked phfloso-
ply to sustain him. he never worried.
It was Allayne whom he blamed Rosa.
IN accostine him at tho train gate, had been
fighting battle for something that belonged
to her. But Aliayns. In sending him from
her. had been acting the part Of q conoetted
little prude. who thought an tho world was
bad save herseH.
The pa1vations. the worries Of tho last two
yoars were due 10 her, Ansyne! And when
he was In his grave her life would continue
placidly. happily. He writhed at the
thought Tho sobs Of Rosa awakened In