The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1922-03-11


the rear seat
Agnes could hardly believe her eyes.
Could 1t 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
| logger, Tom the man who had held
fast to ideals and to honesty and 10
everything worth while in the face
of all temptations. To think of Tom
going in for this sor; Of thing. 1t
was bad enough for Agnes to be in it,
but for Tom, too She felt hurt
dreadfuIly hurt.
Tom, how could you?" she cried
How could your
1t seemed to Agnes that Tom looked
abashed. But he gazed at her steadily
nevertheless.
1T can't be so terribly bad" he
said 'or-you wouldn't be doing it,"
| Agnes put her hand up to her face
at this as though to ward off q blow.
She really felt almost as though Tom
had struck her. Certainly he had hurt
her. and yet she really deserved It,
eli.
Tom getting into this.
"They tell me you're in love with a
| boctlegger,' said Tom. IF that's the
sort of man who can win your love,
then me for it. | can bootleg as well
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 bootlegger? Or had she been
swept off her feet by the easy money,
the excitement, the lure Of John
Greenleaf's skilled wooing?
Without another word Agnes crawled
into her car and started furiously down
the road
Quite suddenly she had come to a
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
| I'm
following close behind her A grim.
set look came into her face as she
made this discovery
A mile she sped down the road,
further before she stopped with a
rafting Of the cars brake bands d.
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
| 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 it 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.
I'm through with it-all through"
she cried. Pm going to turn over
every cent I've made by Bookkeeping to
the government
| For moment she stopped as an in
finite sorrow came into her face.
"Oh, Tom." she cried. Pm sorry
| 30 terribly sorry you've skidded. |
never loved Greenleaf-I can see that
now. II was simply infatuation. And
l could never, never love a man who
wasn't perfectly square and honest
and upright"
To Agnes's great surprise a smile
came to Toms face, at this.
II knew It'll" exulted Tom. Il knew
| you were o. K. at heart even If you
did make mistake. | knew you
couldn't love a man who was law
breaker. SO, look !"
From the car Tom jerked one of the
booze cases. Quickly he broke one of
the bottles on the bridge.
.Smell it! Taste it," he cried.
"COlored water! That's all 1t is.
There's no booze in my car I'm not
. bootlegger. filled up the car with
this fake stuff to wake you up. And
I did-thank heaven"
For lust a moment Agnes gaZed at
Tom in amazement. Then a great JOY
rushed into her heart. She flew into
his arms. hA
Tom was still square and honest and
upright-the one man she really loved
the only kind Of man she could love!