Nogales international., 1929-07-23
Thirteenth Instalment
WHAT HAPpENED BEFORE

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
The Sheridan Dramatic Club, of which
rom Bilbeck, the narrator, Maryella, the
TirI he cares for, and Jim Cooper, his
rival, are members, start performance OF
Pygmalion and Galatea at the Old Sol
iiers' Home, but are interrupted by hre.
During the rehearsalS Tom Bilbeck 10 ac-
eused by the husband Of one OF the actors,
Mr.. Hemingway, of being in love with his
wife. -.
Riding away from the scene of the Ill
fated play in their costumes and overcoats,
the group of players is held up by two
escaped convicts, one of whom il captured
by Bilbeck after a struggle.
The captured thief is tied to chair at
the Old Soldiers Home. Unable to leave
the home as the car refuses to bulge, the
players must stay there, and MIR. Heming-
way, hearing this over the phone, says he Is
coming right to the home--as ne is suspicious
Hemmingway arrives Just when Bilbeck
is assisting Mrs. Hemingway, who has
tainted, and of course, thinks the worst.
Meanwhile. disturbance is heard IN the
cellar, and all in the house rush down
to it.
The Sheriff's horse has broken loose.
Meanwhile Hemingway suspects Blbeck
more and more, and Jim Cooper mixes IN
to tell Bilbeck he has arranged that the
Hernmingways be divorced and that Bilbeck
is to marry Mrs. Hemingway
\ To get back home, Hemmingway must
travel by foot, and Bilbeck offers to 60
with him In violent disagreement, they
nevertheless start out together on snowshoes
and skis and soon Bilbeck tumbles over
Hemingway, the going being difficult.
They lose their sense of direction.
They separate Bilbeck finds himself
back at the Old Soldiers Home after go
ing in circle, sees an intruder and jumps
E..I L. NAa~NY all a q
room. The Sheriff comes in, holding out
a gun and saying he saw someone come
in and Bilbeck has to come out from uri-
der the bed, where he had been hiding.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY.
In the room stood an army COM
prising almost all of the male popula-
ton. The sheriff was taking no
chances of being outnumbered.
'7You didn't know l was awake,
did you7" the sheriff exulted. "Well,
| was. I heard you break in and !
followed yon to this room and locked
you in" He peered nearsightedly at
nv face. "Well I'm blessed, durn me
if I amt. Amt you one of the men
that started for town."
81 am" / admitted.
"Tom Bilbeck," exclaimed Jim
Cooper, coming forward. "I'm glad
you came back. It's all for the best.
| want you to be the first to con-
graduate me on my engagement to
Miss Waite"
Nv stunned mind refused to assiin-
;la+A his statement. In the midst Of
battle suppose soldier would
not pay much attention to the news
that his sweetheart had married
another man. q
The mention of Maryella's name,
however, made me think with sink
ing sensation of the predicament !
had unwittingly placed her in. l
looked around to see how she was
taking it.
She was nowhere in sight.
At first / was puzzled. Then /
noticed the door across the room.
She must have gone in there, Prob
ably it was a closet.
! | made no mention, however, of
my suspicion. Possibly the incident
could be ended without her taking
part in 1t.
What were you doing herer de-
:manded the sheriff. There's some
thing peculiar about this"
'Yes, there is," ! admitted. "Comc
down stairs to the main room where
fit is warmer and I'll explain what
happened.
My plan was obvious. By leading
the crowd off I would give Maryells
an opportunity of getting out.
The men started to go when we
were stopped at the door by the hur-
fried arrival of Mr.. Hernfningway,
who forced his way past tho others
into the room and stood, a figure ot
vengeance, shaking his fist under my
nose.
"I've caught you," he said, glAriuG
at me.
Caught msl repeated wonder
Ingly.
J. Eyes! thought there was some
thing funny about It when you agreed
to separate from me out there. ]
suspected that you wanted to throw
mo off the track and come back tQ
my wife. You didn't deceive me.
came back and followed your tracks
In the moonlight. And now I've
caught you, you viper"
All at once his eyes fell upon the
dresser. There in plain view lay the
strand Of pearls which Maryella had
worn at GolGteG
my wife's pearlsl" he eHclaimed
savagely, $50 you came right to her
rooml My God, I can't conceive OF
such inquity. Where Is she nowi
What have you done with herr p
| I preserved a dignihed silence
What use to argue with ravinG
maniac like that1
"Have you killed herr" he de-
manded hoarsely. Where is the
body7"
He ran around the room, looked
under the bed and in bureau drawers
as if he expected to find rnangled por-
tons of his spouse cut up into con-
venient sizes and stored away.
At last he saw the other door and
approached it.
"Don't 90 in there" / warned.
why not? Hal So thGTs where
you have her concealedp
] barred his way, but he ran at me
like an enraged bull and hurled me
aside with insane violence
He yanked the door open and then