The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-06

mes sir feit he heaft sinking.
aomehpB y seenld Is though her.
\ las hold ON every thin thai ~as
good and sweet and oiespfne was
I ltpping away from her.
why. TOM. she cried what do
you meangr
II mean thisr' exclaimed Tom.
With a quick movement Of his
right hand he threw back the side
icurtainS which had screened his
rear seat. Then he pointed d.amat.
ically to carpet covered load just
in front Of the rear seat.
Agnes could hardly believe her
eyes. Could II be possible that
Tom-the man She had always
thought to be the best man in the
lworld-was actually
But perhaps she was mistaken
after all.
With a quick rush TO the car Az
ines Jerked away the carpet cover.
ling.
There beneath the covering re-
posed 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. 1t was bad enough for
Agnes to be in II, but for Tom, too
She felt hurt, dreadfully hurt.
Tom how could your" she cried.
How could you?"
] It seemed to Agnes that Tom
looked abashed. But be gazed at
her steadily nevertheless.
ut can't be so terribly bad" he
said, 'or-you wouldn't be doing
lit"
Agnes put her hand up to her face
at this as though 10 ward on a
blow. She really felt almost as
though Tom had struck her. Ger.
tainly he had hurt her, and yet sho
really deserved 1t. Undoubtedly
she was tho 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 mo for It I can bootleg
as well Us any one else. And you
know I'd do anything for you, Ag.
ines-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 bootleg.
ger? Or had she been swept of her
feet by the easy money, the excite.
iment, tho luro 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
Ia decision. She knew now Just
where she stood, Just what she was
going TO do, Just what sort OF III.
tu7e IL she was going 10 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 a half mile
farther, before she stopped with a
rattling OF the cars brake.bands dl.
rectly in the middle of concrete
bridge over, little stream. As she
stopped she saw Tom draw up be.
side her.
Without looking at Tom, Agnes
Ejerked the six cases Of liquor from
the tonneau Of her car. Then, quick.
ly, efficiently, she threw each bot.
tie over the bridge to the rocks in
the river below, where each bottle
smashed to bits as 1t foil. When
she had finished with this she dump.
cd tho cases themselves over tho
bridge into the water.
Then she turned tragically to
Tom"
I'm through with 1t - all
through" she cried. I'm going to
turn over, every cent I've made by
boouegging to the government"
For a moment she stopped as au
infinite sorrow came into her face.
"oh, Tom,' she cried, I'm SO
sorry-so terribly sorry you've
slddded. never loved Greenleaf-
! can see that now, 1t was simply
infatuation. And could never,
never love man who wasn't per.
fectly square and honest and up.
right"
To Agnes great surprise smile
came to Toms face at this.
Il knew IT." exulted Tom. 50
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