Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-04-23
By Lillian Gill

soon as I found out 1t was you. What
else could 1 think?"
"Oh, you mean TO get back my emer-
alds!" Brad laughed. Il didn't want
them as badly as all that. Only when
I saw you wearing them l saw red
or green"
mo, l don't mean to get back your
emeraldS. l mean-to get back your
husband"
But 1 haven't lost my husband"
Pardon me-" offended, but I think
you have. This is no party, as you
seem to think. This is for life. Will
you divorce him?"
Divorce who? Tom? I divorced
him four years ago."
The OK eyed Juno stared at her and
stared. Aren't you Claribel, his wife?"
After a short silence Brad spoke only
two words: Poor Claribel."
What do you mean, Poor Claribel'?
Aren't you his wife?"
I'm his first wife-Sarah Bradley
van Hoke Maitland"
He neve told me he'd been mar
ried twice"
THE first time hardly seemed worth
mentioning, / suppose"
well, he told me he was married
now. He was open and aboveboard."
"Oh, yes; he has all the manly vir-
tues"
But you think he's fickle?"
why ask me? Ask Claribel."
Maybe she just couldn't hold him"
Evidently" commented Brad again.
The OK eyed Juno always arrived at
the point eventually. Il suppose you
thought I was Claribel?" She had
worked this out for herself.
Eyes, I did. 1t was funny how I
took it SO completely for granted,
without question. But for one thing,
l had been told she had red hair
beautiful red hair, and, besides, Tom
never did anything quite like this
nothing so open and aboveboard,' as
you call it,"
Tom never was in love like this be-
fore. Oh, you may smile, but it's all
true, all the same"
Where is Claribel?"
shes gone to America for the sum-
mer to see her little boy"
Poor Claribel."
Il thought you'd heard about us and
had us followed here. And 1 thought,
OF course, you had come to try to get
Tom to go back to you'll mean to her.
You won't tell her, will you?"
II don't know her. Never saw her
in my life"
But you could write"
mo, I shan't do that. It's no affair
of mine. But of course somebody1l
tell her. The Riviera is full of eyes"
Tom said there wouldn't be so many
people he knew in summer as there
would be in winter"
Brad laughed. I'm going now.
There's no way out of here except
through the other bedroom, is there?'
NO
How long are you and Tom staying
at Beaumont"
We're leaving tomorrow morning
for Monte Carlo"
Its this morning now" said Brad,
opening a window and looking at the
sea, which was beginning to turn pale
ly blue. She swung herself up on the
sill and jumped out. AS she stood on
the grass below and looked in a mo-
ment to say good-by, the other could
see just a head and some green stones
around the throat.
The earth had caught but little light;
as yet the water held more prescience
Of day. The coincerge wa still asleep
in his Office and she got back to her
room without being seen. Billy was in
bed, but not asleep. "Oh, Brad" in
a voice of misery; where have you
been?"
1--we been to Tom van Hoke's room,'
said she, sitting down on the edge
Of the bed. "Oh, Billy darling, don't
look like that"
"Damn!" he said in her strong en-
brace; something's cutting my neck
ITS my emeraldS," she explained,
loosening her hold on Billy. Look,
aren't they gorgeous? You've never
seen me in them" and she turned
on the lamp.
did Tom van Hoke give them to
you?"
Eyes"
Brad"
"Oh, not just now. He gave thNl
to mt seven years ago. I didn't speak
to him tonight or go anywhere near
him. / was all the while talking to
Claribel in the next room-only it isn't
Claribel at all, but another red-headed
woman who thinks she can hold him.
Oh, Billy, 1 va never so glad I'm not
married to him and I never was SO
u~nbearably, excruciatingly glad l am
married to you"
1t was quite a while after this before
Billy took any interest either in the
Claribel who wasn't Claribel, or in the
emeralds. which Brad had taken OF.
When he finally heard what had hap
pened he said: "Unscrupulous woman!
I shall have to buy you a mask and
a dark lantern. I'm sorry I can't af-
ford to buy you great ropes Of emeralds
like Tom van HOke."
Nov, Billy, you're not going to be
nasty about my emeralds. Can't you
see why I want to wear them?"
mo, I confess I cannot"
tits because they're so becoming to
me. I'm not really good looking, but
when 1 had these on I used to fool
people and they thought I was good
1ooLipuD