The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-06-02
>, CHAPTER VI
Beatrice Up STAGE,


If you vision Clay as man Of bat
ties and violent death, you don't see
him as he saw himself. He was q
peaceful citizen from the law-abiding
West. It was not until he had been
flung into the whirlpool Of New York
that violent and melodramatic mishaps
befell this innocent.
This was the version Of himself that
he conceived to be true and the one he
tried to interpret to Bee Whitford
when he emerged from the hospital af-
ter two days Of seclusion ana pre-
sented himself before her.
1t was characteristic Of Beatrice that
when she looked at his battered face
she asked no questions and made no
exclamatiOns. After the first startled
glance one might have thought from
her expression that he habituaIly wore
one black eye, one swollen lip. one
caulitlOwer ear, and strip Of gauZe
across his cheek.
The dark-lashed eyes lifted from him
to take on u business-like directness.
She rang for the man.
"Have the runabout brought round
ut once, Stevens. I'll drive myself"
she gave orders.
With the light ease that looked silk
EN- strong she swept the car into the
PARK. Neither she nor Clay talked.
Both Of them knew that an explana-
tion Of his appearance was due her
and in the meantime neither cared to
fence with small talk. She drew up
to look ut some pond lilies, and they
talked about them for a moment, after
which her direct eyes questioned him
frankly.
He painted with a light brush the
picture Of his adventure into Bohemia.
The details he filled in whlmsicully,
In the picturesque phraseology Of the
West. Up stage on his canvas was the
figure Of the poet In velveteens. That
Son Of the Stars he did full Justice.
Jerry Durand and Kitty Mason were
accessories sketched casually.
II gather that Mr.. Lindsay Of Ari-
zona was among those present." Be
atrice said, smiling.
II was givin' the Dance" he agreed,
and his gay eyes met hers.
Since she was woman. one phase
Of his story needed expansion for Miss
Whitfortl. She made her comment
carelessly while she adjusted the mile
age on the speedometer.
"Queer you happened to meet some
one you knew down there. You said
you knew the girl, didn't you?'
1--WE were on the same train out Of
Denver. l got acquainted with her."
Miss Whitf0rd asked no more Ques-
tions. But Clay could not quite let
the matter stand so. He wanted her
to justify him in her mind for what
he. had done. Before he knew it he
had told her the story Of Kitty Mason
and Durand. y 10Y ~ |FIt T.
II couldn't let him ,hypnotize that
little girl from the country, could r"
he asked. ~
. " II suppose not" Her whole face be-
gan to bubble with laughter in the
way he liked so we'll. "But you'll be a
busy knight errant if you undertake
to rright.,the wrongs Of every, girl you
meet in New York. Don't you think 1t
possible that you rescued her out Of a
job?"
The young man nodded his head rue
fully. "That's exactly what did.
After all her trouble gettin' one I've
thrown her out again. I'm a sure
enough fatlead." " .~..~.
"You've heen down to find out p. she
asked with sidelong tilt Of her quick
eyes. g. ~
Eyes. I went down this mawn'n'
with Tim Muldoon. He's a policeman
I met down there. Miss Kitty hasn't