The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-12-07
MONDAY, DECEMBER Z, 1925

such close watch OF her that she
could not spill her glass into the
bucket. except rarely. Hilda hated
alcohol and its effect; she was not
accustomed to drinking. As she felt
her intoxication mounting she be-
came fearful that the very medium
upon which she had counted for Sue
cess would prove to be her undoing.
Desperately she battled to retain her
wits. More than once, with reck-
less defiance utterly foreign to her
preconceived plans. she was upon
the point of hurting the bubbling con-
tents of her glass into the flushed
faces about her and telling these men
how completely she was shan1fning.
but she managed to resist the tempta-
ton. That she felt such an impulse
at all made her fearful of commit
ting some action equally rash, of
dropping some word that would
prove fatal.
1t was a hideous ordeal. She
realized that already the cloak of
decency, of responsibility, which she
had been at such pains to preserve
during these difficult years, was gone,
lost for good and all. She had made
herself Lady Godiya; by this night
of conspicuous revelry she had I'M
done everything. Not only had she
condoned the sins and the short
comings of her dissolute husband,
but also she had put herself on a
level with him and with the fallen
women of the town-his customary
l.:
to her. 1t had been his proposal.
She could have throttled him where
he sat.
The long night dragged on INTERIM
inably. Like leeches the two Nc
Caskeys chung to their prodigal host.
and not until the early hours of
informing, when the Count had be-
come sodden, sulleh, Sstupefed, and
when they were i'll a condition little
better. did they permit him to leave
them. How Hilda got him home she
scarcely knew, for she, too, had all
but lost command of her senses
There were moments when she
fought unavailingly against a mental
numbncss, a stupor that rolled up
ward and suffused her like cloud Of
noxious vapors, leaving her knees
weak. her hands clumsy, her vision
blurred; again waves of deathly ill.,
ness surged over her Under and
through it all, however, her sub
conscious will to conquer remained
firm. Over and over she told her
self: I'll have the truth and then
LII make him pay" -
Courteau followed his wife into
her room. and there his maudlin
manner changed. He reused himself
and smiled at her fatuously into his
eyes famed desire. into his cheeks
came a deeper flush. He paved a,
her caressingly; he voiced thick,
passionate protcsG1ncs. Hilda had
expected nothing less; it was for
this that she had bled her flesh and
crucihed her spirit these many hours
"Youre-wonderful woman" the
man mumbled as he swayed witt,
her in his arms. Got all the old
charm and more. Game, toor HI
laugh foolish!y. then in drunken
, gravity asserted: well, I'm the
man. the stronger vessel. To turn
: hate into love. that"
you've taken your price. You've
; had your hour" she told him. Hel
head was thrown back, her eye.
were closed. her teeth were clenchet
as if in final struggle for self.
$ restraint
then in sudden frenzy he crushe,
her closer and fell to kissing he
cheeks: her neck, her throat. H
I mistook her shudder of abhorrenc
; for = thrill responsive to his passion
and hiccoughed:
You're mine again, all mine. an,
I'm mad about you. I'm afiame
This is like the night of our mar
riage. what?"
Are you satisfied, now that you'v
made me suffer? Do you still imag
inc ! care for that foolish bow"
Phillips? Bah! A noisy swine.
.Again the Count chuckled, but thi
tisne- his merriment ran awav witt
him until he shook and, until tear
came to his eyes.
Without reason Hilda joined j,
o his laughter. Together they stoo,
rocking. giggling, snickering, as j
at some excruciating Jest.
II He-he tried to steal you-fron
me. From me. Imagine it! Thel
!. ne struck me. We'll. where is h
I'll Il never dreamed that you care,
). enough for me to-do what YOU. did
81 To risk so much"
eE "Risk?"
81 Hilda nodded. and her loose straw
tgold-hair brushed Courteau's cheel,
Don't pretend any longer. I kney
!. from the start. But you were zeal
: Gus. When a woman: loses the pow
er to excite Jealousy it's sign, She
= tgrowing old and ugly and losin,
y y her fire. She can face anything &
cept that"
: "Firey' Henri exclaimed. "Po,
:. ble"! Don't ! know you. 10, be ,
IL How did you manage the afFai
y that fellows ruin? 1t frightens. M
o to realize that you can accomDlisI
IS such things" =
The Count pushed his wife away
t What are you talking. about?" b
s "Oh. very we'll! Garry It out 4
: you WISH" she said, with q careless
J. shrug. But you're not fooling M
: in the least. On the contrary, ! ad
ntrnife your spirit. Now then, In
s thissty. And you are, too" VIII
: smile she cvaded his outstretchc,
y arms and left the room. She wa
Y back in a moment with q bottle an,
Y two glasses. The latter she filed
+ her own she raised with 4 gesture
!. and Courteau blindly followed suit
y In spite of his deep intoxicatiol
> the man still retained the embers o
suspicion, and when she spoke o
n Pierce Phillip: they began to glo,