The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-06-30
(Gontinued from last issue)
CHAPTER Xxx:
on the Carpet.

On the Carpet. q. *.
The question at issue was notswheth.
.ef, Beatrice would break with her
q fiance, but in what way 1T should be
done. If her father found him guilty
OF what Durand had said, he was Ito
{ dismiss him brusquely; if not, Beatrice
wanted to sdisengage herself gently
and with contrition. -; : ~ .s'>. :. E
Whitford summoned Bromfield to his
office where the personal equation
would be less pronounced. He put
to him plainly the charge made by
Jerry and demanded an answer. :. !
No lie could save him. \. The only
thing he could do was to sugarcoat
the truth. He set about making out
"a case for himself as skillfully as he
could Hi ss%%$;s}}-s f.. s...~s->s =
I'm man Of the world, Mr.. Whit
ford, =, he explained. "When L meet
IAN ugly fact / look it in the face.
This man Lindsay was making great
impression on you and Bee. Neither
of you seemed able quite to realize
his--his deficiencies, let us say. I
felt myself at a disadvantage with
him because he's such remarkably
kvirile young man and he constantly
eminded you both of the West. you
ldsA It seemed fair to all Of us to
try him QUITO find out whether at
I. bottom he was a decent fellow. or not,
So / laid little trap to find out. !" ~
."Not the way Durand tells it," an
swered the miner bluntly. "He says
you paid him thousand dollars to
arrange a trap to catch Lindsay"
Either he misunderstood me or he's
ilistorting the. facts" claimed the club
man with an assumption Of boldness.
'.That ought to be easy to prove.
Wen make an appointment with him,
for this afternoon and check up by the
fdictagraph." s4 So Il !, 4 5 !.
Bromfie cid laughe i, uneasily: =: rs
that necessary, MI. Whitford2 Surely
my word is good. have the honor
Ito tell you that did nothing discred-
liable. ~ ~. &.
iWhitford leaned back in his swivel
chair and looked steadily at the man
to whom his daughter was engaged.
I'm going to the bottom of this, Brom-
field. That fellow Durand ought to go
I to re penitentiary. We're gathering
e evidence to send him there. Now
he tells me he'll drag you down to ruin
with him If he goes. Come clean. Can
1,he do it?'' I5' ). - - s%.--~'.'" -
"Well, + wouldn't say"
q o. 49,.
Don't eyade, Bromfeld. Yes or
no" ''-'~~" D.. . '.,' - - b.
II suppose he can" The words
came sulkily after a long pause
''You did hire him to destroy Lind
says reputation" vTcs-t~ : n!a1te,enii !.
Lindsay had no business here in:
New York. He was disturbing Bees
peace Of mind. 7 wanted to get rid
OF him and send him home."~ $50 80
! $50 you paid crook scoundrel who
hated him to murder his reputation"
THAT'S not what call il, - defended
the clubman.
I N"It doesn't matter what you call it,
\ 1.-THE fact stands"
{ IT told him explicitly gain and
again--that there. was to be no vio-
Hence. Il intended only to show him
up ! had a right to do it." =,
/ Whitford got up and walked up and
Gown the ROOM; He felt like laying
hands on this well dressed scamp and
throwing himeout Of the Office He tast-
cd something Of his daughters sense
Of degradation at, ever having been
connected With "a man Of = so little
character. The experience was. a2hit-
terly humiliatpg one to him. For
Bee was, in his opinion, the ecleanest,
truest little thoroughbred under neav-
en-. Thy only questionable thing he
n had ever known her to do was to en-
,gage herself to this man. Z, -r I'm.
Colin came to halt in front of the
Other. III r II - N~-'A.~i-l
We've got. to protect you, no mat
ter how little you deserve it. 1scant
s. have Bee'sEname dragged into all. the
papers Of the country. The case
against Darand will have to- sbe
dropped. He's lost his power anyhow
and he'll never, get it back" ~
Then it doesn't matter much wheth
er he's tried. or not" . 1, ? ? r. zs.z.3
That phase Of the subject Whitforc
did not pursue. He began to- feel in
MS vest pocket for something. 80.
OF course you understand that
were through with you, Bromfield.
Neither Beatrice nor / care to have
anything more to do with you"
pdon't see why" protested Bronl'
AS a man Of the world"
you don't see the reason I'm
not able to explain it to you" Whit
!ords fingers found what they were
looking for. He fished a ring from
ms pocket and put it on the desk.
beatrice asked me to give you this. y
II don't think that's fair. If she