The St. Johns herald., 1922-03-16

the rear seat.
 Agnes could hardly believe her eyes. Could it be possible that TOm-the man she had always thought to be the best man in the wOrld-was ac- tually--
 But perhaps she was mistaken after all.
 With a quick rush to the car Agnes jerked away the carpet covering.
 There beneath the covering repOsed six booze cases!
 Agnes staggered back as though she had been struck. Tom a boot legger! Tom, the man who had held fast to ideals and to honesty and to everything worth while in the face of all temptations. To think of Tom going in for this sort of thing. It was bad enough for Agnes to be in 1t, but for Tom, too She felt hurt, dreadfully hurt.
 From, how could you?" she cried. How could you?'
 It seemed to Agnes that Tom looked abashed. But he gazed at her steadily nevertheless.
 "It can't be so terribly bad" he said "Or-yOu wouldn't be doing 1t.
 Agnes put her hand up to her face at this as though to ward off blow. She really felt almost as though Tom had struck her. Certainly he had hurt her, and yet she really deserved it. Undoubtedly she was the cause of Tom getting into this.
 "They tell me you're in love with a bootlegger," said Tom. "If that's the sort of man who can win your love, then me for 1t. I can bootleg as we'll as any one else. And you know I'd do anything for you, Agnes-almost anything"
 Agnes retreated swiftly to her car. She simply couldn't speak. How Toms words brought the whole situation home to her! Was she really in love with a boOtlegger? Or had she been swept off her feet by the easy money, the excitement, the lure of John Greenleafs skilled wOOing?
 Without another word Agnes crawled into her car and started furiously down the road.
 Quite suddenly she had come to decision. She knew now just where she stood, just what she was going to do, just what sort of future life she was going to lead.
 AS she sped down the road she turned and looked back Tom was following close behind her. A grim, set look came into her face as she made this discovery.
 A mile she sped down the road. then another mile and half-mile further before she stopped with a rattling of the cars brake-bands di- rectly in the middle of concrete bridge over a little stream. As she stopped she saw Tom draw up be- side her.
 Without looking at Tom. Agnes jerked the six cases of liquor from the tOnneau of her car. Then, quickly, efficiently, she threw each bottle over the bridge to the rocks in the river below, where each bottle smashed to bits as 1t fell. When she had fin- ished with this she dumped the cases themselves over the bridge into the water
 Then she turned magically to Tom.
 "Pm through with it-all through" |" she cried. "Tm going to turn over every cent I've made by bOOtlegging to the government!
 For a moment she stopped as an in- finite sorrow came into her face.
 ''Oh, Tom," she cried. 'Tm sorry so terribly sorry you've skidded never loved Greenleaf-I can see that now. It was simply infatuatiOn. And I could never, never love man who wasn't perfectly square and honest and upright p
 To Agnes's great surprise smile came to Toms face at this.
 "I knew it!" exulted Tom. q knew you were O. K. at heart even if you did make a mistake. 1 knew you couldn't love a man who was law breaker. So, lOOkI"
 From the car Tom jerked one of the booze cases. Quickly he broke one of the bottles on the bridge.
 Smell 1t! Taste It." he cried. "COlored water! That's all it is There's no booze in my car. I'm not a bOOtlegger. I filled up the car with this fake stuff to wake you up. And I did-thank heavenw For just a moment Agnes gazed at Tom in engagement. Then a great joy rushed into her heart. She flew into his arms.
 Tom was still square and honest and upright-the one man she really loved