Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-09-26
By
Wallace Irwin

had said nothing of his success with
the banker.
She had an uneasy feeling that Igor
had come. that he was lurking some
where outside; and, driven by this un-
reasoning theory, she walked among
the twisted paths Of the hotel grounds,
thinking every minute to see him COM
ing out from behind the shrubbery.
Then. foolishly, she went down to the
village. visited the station, and came
at last upon a little square facing the
Lady Lake National bank. She saw
him there, seated on a bench, a leather
bag at his feet, his head on his hands.
igor, my dear"
He came to his feet. and she marked
the change in him, his drawn, tired
look. "Jawn, it was all wrong" he said,
and slumped back. Il could not come
to you with bad luck"
"You mean your Russian friend"
II have no friend, Jawn. unless"
"You know you have me, Igor" His
eyes we're moist. She could have
gathered him up like a little boy as
he explained: "Jawn, this banker was
right in refusing me money. At New
York l found everything-all in my
stOrehouSe-gOne.'
"They've robbed you?"
"A brother officer said he would
watch my valuables when I was away.
He was a gentleman, you see." He
laughed, his teeth Shone. We'll, now
my Castle Glen is in the air. That
real estate mar gave me until five
today. 1t is now nearly loon. Shall
we go for a ride and talk about some
thing else?"
"Who is your real estate man?"
Shed never asked before.
"Mr. Tilton at Bernardsville."
igor. listen to me-" Now she was
riding him down in her haste. There's
the bank right across the street. You
can deposit my check and draw on it"
-clumsily she tried to work out the
business of it-"so that the money
will be coming from you"
"Jawn! You mean your money? I
have told you-"
igor" she resumed, desperately,
hastily, I'D hate to lose Castle Glen
as much as you would. You can have
the money as a loan, If you want to.
Tor you can make me your partner"
And can we be married, Jawn?"
Eyes, dear" But there was no time
to lose. She had taken him by the
arm, was leading him across the street.
Nov, listen. Bernardsville is a long
drive, even by ear. Well have an early
lunch and go together, right up to Mr..
Tilton's office. On the way home we
can dine at Castle Glen. It'll be yours,
Igor
He was murmuring something in
Russian-endearing words. she knew.
So together they entered the bank and
found Mr.. Moody, the vice president,
sitting in his glass room. At sight OF
the very important Mrs. Whitman he
was more than pleased to favor Baron
Petrovski in every possible way. Joan
found a desk and scratched off a
check, and when she handed it to Igor
she could hear his breath catch.
"Jawn, dear" he whispered. this is
too much. Thirty thousand"
She put her finger to her lips. You'll
need the balance to get things started
Then, because he stood there stupidity
studying the Bankers Trust company's
blue check, Nov there1l be some fuss
about pass books and s%ignitures."
Yes he agreed, stumblingly, land
we must hurry things. Shall you go
to the hotel and order lunch?"
I'll meet you on the veranda-"
Her last impression Of him was OF
a man stunned, his eyes fixed upon
scraWled numbers which meant magic
to him.
She ordered lunch for two, then
waited for Igor. Looking over the lawn
and shrubs she could see the yellow
IPullman's of the twelve-siX pulling out
Of the sheds. 1t filled her with dreams
of adventure. Possibly it would be
better not to wait for Johnnie's COM
ing, but to get married tomarrow, break
the news to her son when it was too
late for him to interfere.
In a quarter of an hour she aban-
doned that plan as ~treacherOuS to
Johnnie, who had always played SO
fair. Then, at last, she came out OF
her dream to realize that a half hour
had gone by and Igor still delayed.
She began to think of the distance
to Bernardsville, and decided to get
Mr.. Tilton's house by long distance and
tell him they were on their way with
the money. I'm Tilton;" said a rough
voice at last. I'm speaking for Baron
"Petrovski." II guess you got the wrong
number, lady" But aren't you MIR.
Tilton, the real estate dealer?" No
answer. He had hung up in her face.
At half-past one she tired of sitting
on the veranda and started out to
lunch. She remembered the ~tWelve-six,
drawing out of the station. And what
possible connection could that have
with her case?
v.
On Saturday afternoon Johnnie
Whitman missed her at the station,
therefore he burst into her room to
find his mother lying o. a couch. She
! looked languid and haggard. He knew,
he said, that this fool place wouldn't
agree with her. Then he permitted
himself to be kissed in generalization.
Bee was wonderful, he admitted, and
dismissed her as finished business. He
sat down, crossed his hands in the
George manner, and mentioned a lot
of things to talk about. In the first
place, he had found forty thousand
dollars of her lying idle in the Bank
ers' Trust.
"That's a loose way of doing bust
ness" he persisted, "having a lot OF
surplus kicking around" And because
she said nothing: "Haggerty and J
have about agreed on how to place 1t
Motors are due for another rise, ane
we ought to take advantage Of it. What
say, Mom?" Not that it mattered. Shit
knew nothing about it.
IT don't think / want to invest now,
she said weakly. .
"Oh, don't be a sill. The money:
living around. Forty thousand"
johnnie, there isn't any forty thou