The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-06-26

down the room, muttering to himself.
Then he sat down and wrote me that
check for 1000. You may imagine
my surprise. He asked me for my ad-
dress and showed me out"
Where is your husband now?" I
went on.
lat our home in Los Angeles"
us he able to get about?"
yes"
Mrs Lundy, have you ever heard
of a poker game played for a mans
life?"
She frowncd. yes, I have. My
husband has talked about such a
game in dclirium several times"
Has 1t ever occurred to you that
the shooting of your husband and
that poker game he talked Of in de-
lirium were c~onnected?"
Yes she admitted. 1T has &C.
CURED to me. But I don't know. And
I don't care-now.'
MRS. Lundy. YOU did not recognize
Andrew Ogden2"
Recognize him! I never saw him
before Her face became thoughtful.
mo, I am not sure, now you speak Of
1t. There was something familiar
about him. His face, his voice, his
manner-I don't know which,"
You haven't guessed why he gave
you that check?"
Her nostrils quivered a little, but
her face was calm.
He gave it to you." I said slowly,
gripping tcnscly the edge of my desk,
.because-30 years ago-he was Alex
Peterson"
She stared at me. becoming ashcn
of face.
80 that was it," she cried. "a
thousand dollars to pay for 80 years Of
misery! The best Of my life given to
looking after a broken hulk while
Alex Peterson grew rich! Well, I am
glad he is dead! I wish my hand had
driven that dagger into his neck!"
But as I stared at the woman,
shocked by her venomous words
which. in the intensity of their bitter
ness. I had never heard equaled on
human lips, her face was slowly trans
formed.
mo-" she said, in a rapt voice. lift
ing up her spiritualized face, Il didn't
mean that I should thank him, for
through him I came to the Truth"
And as I marveled at the trans
forming power Of these mystic beliefs
she dropped her eyes to mine.
You self-complacent people with
your traditional crecdS think u faith
absurd. You call us reurotics. You
say that we r afraid Of reality. that
we are trying to escape from life. We
arc. And cal you blame us, when
reality has made life unbearable? My
faith has anchored me to sanity"
She stood up. rs there anything
elsc?"
"Only this" I muttered, subdued Of
spirit. Go down to police headquar-
tiers and tell them what you have told
me. If you don't, the first policeman
you meet will take you up"
I let her out through the front door
and gave her the lilies Mrs. Moffit
had left on the porch. When she had
gone I stood in the hot sunlight
thinking yer what she had told me,
Andrew. in his Alex Peterson days,
had shot the rcsort-keeper. Joe Lun-
dy. Was this why Dillon had black
mailed him? If it were-and surely II
waS-no wonder Andrew had given
the woman a check for $1,000! The
irony of being blackmailed Is years
for a crime onc hadn't committed
staggered me. Poor Andrew! Had
he become blind with fury and revert
ing to his former reckless character,
attacked Dillon and been killed by the
man? Perhaps. But why had he
shot Lundy? And what about the
man, Jerry?
On the threshold Of my den ]
stopped with a shout of JOY. Jerry
dressed in .khaki-and Lucy were
standing at the French window. hand
in hand! And Deacon was behind
them.
Copyright. 1929, VIM. Morrow Co..
Jerry and Lucy are back! Jerry
makes q startling revelation In