The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-27

Il believe you did care for Mrs
Vane, honorably and sincerely, AMI
it is for that very fact that l ask
you to tell us the truth now"
For AN instant the young man
hesitated, and then sinking once
more into his chair he buried his
face in his hands.
At last Gordon Laid raised his
head, and upon his white, set face
there was written implacable re-
solve.
"You win, Sergeant Barry! l
would die myself before l would
willingly rake up anything against
the memory of the woman / loved.
even though she had played merci-
lessly with me, only to turn me
down irrevocably in the end, but
there's some mystery about this
whole thing that don't understand,
and it may in way have some
bearing upon the manner of her
death. No breath of scandal has ever
touched her. Nevertheless, she must
have had some source of income. for
her studio was almost
palatial compared to this-and her
war work and fits of idleness
which she INDUCED in later were
alike unremunerative.
His voice broke and Sergeant
Barry waited moment before ask
ing:
"Why did Mrs. Vane return to
America last autumn %
Gordon Ladd shrugged.
"A whim of hers, we all thought;
We would not have been surprised
had she announced her departure
fer China. There was nothing-no.
thing definite between US two, YOU
know. l was simply one of many
who were permitted to adore her at
distance. The rest forgot, but
didn't; / followed her to New York,
and when l found that success had
corwned her bizarre talents and yet
she was living in this-this howell,
l was amazed beyond words! In the
artistic colony in Paris false con-
ventions that this studio here was
vacant took it just so that I might
be near here, even though she still
laughed at my wooing. Then then
l began to notice this man Girls
void" 49,
His voice had hardened perceptibly
on the last words and Barry re-
marked:
"1f the report we get on him tai
lies with his own account of him
self, he is highly respectable
member of society,""
"Oh, I know all about him! All
anybody knows, l mean. I've looked
him up" Ladd cried defiantly.
What l want to know is this:
why is he living hidden away in a |
cheap, makeshift studio building
like this, man with all his money?
success, content even for day in
such surroundings after the luxury
which had always been hers? Why |
did he-reputedly confirmed
woman-hater-call upon her, and
why did she even permit or toler-
ate his acquaintance, she who was
abroad to the society of !
notable men,"
"Why did you not ask herr"
81 did, but she always put me
off; told me he was an American
type that she had almost forgotten
and that he amused her. A week
ago l couldn't stand it any longer;
to. her for the last time,
and when she laughed at me as
usual l must have lost my head and
gone bit too far, for she told me
seriously at last that she would ne
YER be my wife,"
Gordon Ladd paused, his clenched
hands tightening until the knuckles
showed white.
81 kept away from her after that
until tonight, when 1 came in as l |
told you and saw her bidding him
goodnight on the landing above.
There's no love lost between them,
could swear to that! She was jeer-
ing at him, and if ever hatred look
ed out of mans eyes, it looked
out of his, and yet somehow the
sight drove me wild!
Continued in Our Next Issue)
Copyright, 1923, NEA Service)