The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-02
THIS HAS HAPPENED


BERTHE Lou WARD mnrries
ROD my FER. who hnd previously
been engaged a. LILA MARSH.
The only shadow on the brides
happiness II LiIn's habit OF telling
friends that she was Rode arst
love.
A position In New York 70 of
fcred Rod by TOM FRASER and
he accepts. Anxious to make n
good Impression. they live beyond
their income and Berthe Lou linda
II hard 10 resist when MOLLY
FRASER urges her 10 buy more
than she can afford. She and Rod
have their nrat quarrel over
money. and 10 make matters
worse lila nrrives to vis.t Molly
md make life miserable for BERTHE
Lou. Hut they Introduce her tO n
rich MIR. l.OREE md ahe surpFtses
them by marrying him.
Lila nsks Rertie Lou to forgive
the pnst md he friends and she
their wealthy friends plunRes
them In debt. Rod becomes de.
pressed md Lila scixes her chance
10 persunde him TO accept higher
salary from Loree. She also In.
duces Bertle Lou to Indulge IN ~
orgy Of spending.
During LOree's absence Lila
asks Rod to put her Jewels In the
Office vault. Later she requests
him tn return them nmd when they
open the cnse the Jewels are gone.
N0d wants to notify the police
but she will not let him. lie
n nnnmy promise. (" keep The toss
their vnIue In instnllmcnta M he
u able to save from his snlnry.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER XIV
WHEN she begged Rod not to tell
:" BERTHE Lou OF the theft Lila did
not take into account his inepti.
tude for lying.
A few minutes after he left her
apartment she had occasion to tele-
phone BERTHE Lou. In the course
OF the conversation she mentioned
that Rod had Just returned her
jewels. And before he reached
home Rod decided not to say any
thing about the matter to BERTHE
Lou.
BERTHE Lou knew he had lunched
with Lila on the day he took the
necklace and bracelets to the office,
80 naturally she expected him to
speak OF having returned them.
AS the evening wore on and Rod
offered no explanation for his late.
ness In coming homo Berthe Lou
began to wonder. Oh. we'll. per.
haps It had slipped his mind. He
seemed to be deeply troubled about
something.
whats the matter with you,
Rod?" she asked him finally.
Nothing" he answered shortly
and a trifle bruskly.
Rod stiffened his resistance. "I'm
tired" he said: worked late to.
night"
He hardly knew be had lied. Had
he been clever about It he'd have
been very careful to tell Berthe Lou
that he was at Lila's house.
RUT to BERTHE Lou It was q shock.
- She shrank hack In her chair
they were sitting before the Dire
as though he had struck her. Her
face went white. Rod was staring
at tho dancing flames: he did not
see the effect of his words.
In z moment Or two she got up
quietly and said she thought she
would retire. Somehow. willing It
with all the proud strength OF mind
she possessed. she walked steadily
out OF the room.
The instant the door closed be-
hind her In tho bedroom Berthe
Lou let 90. Her world had turned
suddenly topsy turyy with . ghastly
unreality that left her giddy and
gasping. She rushed over to the
bed and dung herself upon It Just
40 Z great. wrenching sob tore II.
self loose from her throat. The
pillow smothered It and received
the food Of tears that followed.
Berthe Lou raised her head and
surveyed her charming bedroom
with bitter loathing. This was the
price Of Lila's victory. The sop
thrown to allay . credulous wife's
suspicionA