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SYNOPSIS.
mil Cannon, the bonanza klnK. nnd hli
nitURhlfr llo, wlio hud passed up Mrs.
Corn. II im Ttvan's ball nt Snn Francisco to
nriumpany her father, arrive nt Antelopo
Domini' k Ittnn -alls on lili mother to
bi'K n halt invitation for lilt wife. Hnl In
refined 'flic determined old lady refuses
lo r. .Kitlx- h r dnujrhter-ln-lnw Dnm
lnb u l ii'l hern trapped Into n marrlane
with linlr( Ivirson. ft Htonoffnpher,
iphiii w ars hid m nlor She squanders IiIh
rnoti" thev !nvn frequenL quarrels, and
h slips away 'ainipn nnd his daughter
?rr mi mcil In at Antelope. Domlnlek
tvnn Ik rei ueil from storm In uncon
scious eomlltlon and hrouuht to ,nieiopa
liolel Antelope In rut off bv Storm. Hose,
Pint.on nurpes Domlnlek bnrlt to life.
Two weeks later Hernleo discovers In a
paper where hushanl Ih and write letter
trying to Minnofii over dlflleullles botween
Ihem Domini' k at Iniit In nblo to loin
fellow snowlmi.nd prisoners In hotel pnr
(or lie lone temp'r over talk of Unford.
n netor Affer three weeks, end of Im
prisonment I reen Teleiirnni and tnall
arrive Domlnlek i;Ms letter from wife.
THH Hose re !osn't love wife, and never
lid Stormb'timd people Im-rIii to depart
Rom and tnlnlk t mbrnee. father seea
them and demand an oNpluuallon. Hose's
brother Oene In made miimicer of ranoh.
and In to Ret It If he stays sobor a yenr.
'nntion xprcsrg svmpiith for Dornl
nlek'c position in talk with Hose. Doml
hlrl; returns heme. Jlemy exerts herself
lo please him. 1ml -he Ih Indifferent Can
pot. rnlls on Mrs Ilviin. They dlseuss
pomlnlek's marriage dlfltcultles, and C'nn
pon ?Mi!WtB bnvinfc off Horn) Domlnlek
foes to park on 8undav with ilertiv and
tainIK neen MIbk Cannon bows to her
Ind ulnrts unenrlnes In Dernv. In. Mrs
jlynn'R name Cannon orfera llernv iV).(m
p leave her huHband and permit dlvoite
Blm refuneH. OornlnleU een Hone. Cor
nelia Ilvnn enr'Ked to Jack Duffy Cnn
9on offers Hornv tlM.000 and In turned
iown. IJeinv telln sllerH of offer Uil
rord, the nftnr. makes a hit In vaudeville,
(lose tells Iinmlnlek Hint he must Htlck
in wife, and llrst time acknowledges that
ihe loves him. Cannon offers Hernv $.100.
KW wlii''h she refiiKes, saylni; Cannon
jvnnts Dr.mlnlcl: Tor rtos Oeno wins the
innrh Hernv nceuseH Hose of trylnB to
teal her husband and tells hor of tlto of
ored bribe, r.ose teJIs father what sho
earned about the attempt to bribe Horny
nd declares thnt sho would nover mnrry
)omlnh'k. should ho ever he divorced V,x
ets promise from father to let Ilerny
lone
CHAPTER XVIII. Continued.
Sho hnnotl down to tnlto Ills hand.
He rolliiciulHhed It to hor with nn lm
mou an llplitenlnp of IiIb heart, nnd
pence foil on him nn ho felt hor rub
lor chook n pi In Ft his knuckloH.
"So you're not mini nt tho old man,
tftor all?" ho said nlmoHt(ahyly.
"No," bIia murmurod, "not nt him.
, wan nngry nt whnt ho was doing."
It wan a oubtly fomlnlno way ot cot-
lnK round tho dollcato polntn of tho
uuation umt incoiiBiBtoiitiy icmlulno
ny which Hoparntcs Jijilgincnt of tho
dlvldunl from Judgment of hln nets.
ut It relieved tho Honnnza KIiik of
io heavlcot tvolnht thnt had lain upon
lin for many years, i.nd, for oncv. lin
tavo thnnks for tho IrratlonnlnosB of
Ivomon.
"Well, good nlnht, honey," he Bald,
too mnttor what crazy notions you'vo
Vot, you're tho old rran's girl nil
Kht."
Sho ldeeed him.
"And ou won't forget your prom
bo?" Hho murmured.
"Of course not," he aaid stoutly, not
luro Just what sho was nllutllng to.
Any promlso I mnfco to you Btnnds
)ut till tho Day of Judgment. Good
light."
Whtm she lelt him, ho lit another
tear, sunk lower In his chnlr nnd
itared at the fire.
It wns a deadlock. In his helploss.
osn, the enrnBed holplossnosB of tho
tonn who had ridden trlumnhantlv
ivor nil obBtncles that fate had set In
ds path, his prevailing thought wns
iow much ho w,ould lllto to kill Horny,
(ho had dono nil this. This viper of
: woman, the kind to tread on if sho
alsed her head, had budlcd nnd bout
n them nil. Ho could not murder
icr, but ho thought with grim lips ot
iow ho could crush and grind hor
town and let her f'.el how heavy Dill
Junnon's hand could bo.
It soomed for the momont as If
vorytblng were over. Thoy had
oachetl n place whoio a blank wnll
trotched ncrosB tho rond. llorny'a rc
using the money nnd been n sorlous
ibBtaclo. but not nn unconquerable
me. Roso tonight hod given tho whole
dot its death blow. With lowering
irows bo puffed nt hta cigar, groping
n his mind for some way that might
ot bo tried. Ho could not brook tho
bought ot Uofcnt. And yet tho more
io meditated the moro imprognnblo
ind unscalable appeared tho wall that
Itrotchcd across tho way.
CHAPTER XIX.
Friend or Foe.
For some time nftor Hoeo hud left
Aer. Horny remained on tho bench, not
tnovlng, hor glnnce resting on that
art of the path whence tho young
iirl's figure had fadod from view.
' Tho night slowly deepened, Improg
lallngthogrnyntmosphero with a vol
'oty depth of shadow that oozed
hrough It llko nn InfuBlon of u darker,
lonser cloment. Lights en me out!
rirst sporadically, here and thoro
looming through tho opaque dusk,
lot suddenly, but with nn effect of
:radunlnoEB, us I hough tho nfr wns bo
hick It took Borne tlmo to break
hrough it. Then enmo moro. Rows
if windows npponred In long, mugnl
lod sputters. All round tho plaza
boro was a suggestion of effaced
rlghtneas, uu of a painting which
ind once been sharply outlined nnd
trllllant, but wus now rubbod Into n
ormlcss, Impressionist study ot shad
ws and undefined, yellow blura. Tho
ufl
InrGERAIJMNEDONNOl,
ffiffiJGW
' s' '
Copyright LOCSTlieDODDS.MECniLL CO.
golden hnloB of lamps blotted tho dark
ut Intervals, and now and then tho fig
ures, which had occupied tho bench,
passed Into tho circles of vaporous Il
lumination, and pasccd out of iliem,
as tf they had been crossing the stngo
of u theater.
Herny did not move and did not no
lice tho Increasing chill of the hour or
l ho molBturo beading on her clothes
like wintry rime. Sho was sunk In an
abyss of thought, a suspended trance
of contemplation, of receptivity to new
IdeaB. In ono hour her basic ciitlmate
of human nature, her accepted meas
urement of motives and alandards, had
boen suddenly upset. Her point of
vlow was like a kaleidoscope, which
Is unexpectedly turned. Sitting mo
tionless on tho bptich sho saw the fa
miliar u.spect of llfo fallen Into now
shapes, taking on alien forms.
Sho iculhed thnt Domlnlek had nov
er been happy with her. nnd, for the
first time, she understood tho gulf be
tween them. She saw what the life
wns Hint he had wanted to lend, and
thnt bo could have lrd with tho other
woman. II would hao been thnt very
form of oxlBtcnco which Ilerny had nl
wnys derided, and thought an outwnrd
expression of tho Inward dullness of
people who had children, looked shab
by,, and did not care for money. Now
Bho felt unniirc as to whether her
scorn of It wns not foolish and unen
lightened As In it sudden forwnrd
Bhoot of a search-light, she saw them
Domlnlek and Hose happy In n wny
sho had never dreamed of being happy.
In a world bo far from hois that sho
had nover beforo had a clear look at
It, n man nnd women concentrated up
on tho pleco of llfo thnt belonged to
I hem, living passionately for each oth
or, indifferent to all (hat scorned to
her of value.
Sho brought hor mental vision back
from this uponberBelf nnd felt shaken
and slightly Blck. Seeing beyond tho
circle of her own experienco and sen
sation for tho llrst time, bIio would
hnvo said to nny companion who
might have shnrod hor thoughts: "No
wonder Domlnlek didn't get on with
mo!" I-'or n dispassionately-contemplative
momont bIio saw hor3clf In
Domlnlck's eyes; sho saw their mar
ried llfo as It had boen to him. She
folt sorry for both of thorn for him
In his forced acqulcscenco wltb tho
conditions around him, for herself bo
cause of her Ignorance of all ho had
wanted nnd expected.
"I couldn't bo any dlffeient," alio
whlsperod to herself, "that's tho wny
I am."
Sho novor could bo nny different.
Sho was ono kind of woman nnd Hose
Cnnnon wns another, and Domlnlek
belonged to Hoao Gannon's kind. She
did not know that It was bo much bet
tor than her kind but It wns different.
They made hor feel like an outsider In
n distant world, nnd tho feeling gave
her a sensation of doadly depression.
Tho burning boat of rcBontmont thnt
had inndo her speak to Rose was gono.
All the burning heats nnd nngers of
tho last two months seemed to belong
to tho past. An Icy, nostalgic ncho of
loneliness had hold of hor. Tho accus
tomed senBo of Intimacy and warm, en
joying Intorost In tho world what wo
menu when wo tnllc of "living" had
been eomplotely drawn out of her.
Tho cold, biting In to her marrow,
at last woke hor to a realization of hor
surroundings, and sho snt upright,
looking bllnklngly to tho right nnd left.
Tho half-lit plaza lay like a lnko of
shadow surrounded by u circlet of
light nnd girdled by noiso. It was llko
tho brightness nnd animation of tho
She Hurried by tho Market Stalls.
vwild (lowing louud hor but not touch
ing hor. iiB she oat nlono In tho dark.
nosH.
Sho roso suddenly, dotormlned to
oacnpc, If such were possible, from
her gloomy thoughts, und walked
toward tho upiwr end of tlto Btjunre,
directing her atopa to tho Spanish and
Italian section of the city which 1b
called tho Latin Quarter. Sho walked
slowly, not knowing whoro to go, only
dotormlned that alio would not go
homo. Sho thought for a moment' of
hor sisters, whoro alio could have dlu-
tier nnd find tho cheer of congenial bo
rloty. Hut on consideration she fol
that this, too, was more Ihnn bIio
could Just now boar. They would tor
ment hor with questions and she felt
In no mood to put them off or to bo
confidential. Finally oho remem
bered a Mexican restaurant, to vlalt
which had at ono time been a fafchlon.
Sho had boen thcro with Hazel and
Josh, and once in a party with some
of the bank people. Sho knew where
tho place was and felt that she could
dine thoro with no fear of encounter
ing any one she knew.
With an objective point in vlow,
her step gained decision, and she
moved forward briskly, leaving tho
plaza nnd plunging Into tho congeries
of picturesque streets which harbor a
swarming foreign population. Tho
lights of shops and open stalls fell out
Into tho fog, transforming It Into thick,
churning currents of smoky pallor.
Wet walls and sldownlks showed a
gold veneer, and lingering drops,
trembling on cornices, hung like tiny
globes of thin yellow glass.
I'ooplo and things looked magnified
and sometimes horrible seen through
this mysterious, obscuring medium.
Onco behind n pane of glass sho saw
lines of detached, staring eyes, fas
tened glnrlngly on hor ns she ad
vanctu. It was tho display In an op
tician's Hhow-wlndow, where glass eyes
wcro disposed in fanciful lines, llko a
decoration. Sho looked at them ask
ance, feeling that there was something
sinister In their wldo, unwinking scrut
iny. She hurried by the market stalls,
where tho shawled figures of women
stood huddled round tho butcher's
block. They looked as If they might
bo grouped round a point of Interest,
bending to staro at something lying
there, something dreadful, llko a
corpse, Herny thought.
When she saw the Mexican restau.
rant sho felt relieved. The strange nt
moapherlc conditions Bcemed to have
played upon her nerves and sho was
glad to get somowhoro where sho
could find warmth and light and peo
ple. Tho place, n little shabby house
dating from tho era of the projecting
shinglo roof nnd encircling balcony,
stood on a corner with windows on
two streets. It wns built upon a 3lopo
so sharp that the balcony, which In
front skirted the second story, lu tho
back was on a level with the sidewalk.
Tho bright light of gas-jets, undor
Blind cs of lluted white china, foil over
tho contents of tho show-window.
Thoy were not attractive. A dish ot
old and shriveled oranges stood bo
tween a pinto of tamales and another
of red and green peppers. There were
many flics In tho window, and. chilled
by tbe cold, they stood nlong tho In
sldo of the glass In a state of torpor.
Herny pushed open tho door and en
tered. Tho front part of the placo wns
used as n grocery storo and hud a short
counter at ono sldo, behind which
stood sliolvos piled high with tho
wares demanded by tho Mexican and
Spanish population. Hack of this wcro
tho tables of tho restaurant. Tho pow
erful, aromatic odors of tho groceries
blended with tho ovon moro powerful
ones of tho Mexican menu. Tho room
was close and hot. In n corner, his
bnck braced against tho wnll, a Span
lard, with Inky dark hair and a largo
oxpnnBO of white shirt bosom, was
languidly picking nt a guitar.
Horny know that theto was an Inner
sanctum for tho guests that preferred
moro Bocluded quarters, nnd walked
past tho counter nnd between tho
tnbles. An arched oponlng connected
with this room. CoarBe, dirty, laco
curtains hung in tho nrohway and,
looped back against gilt hooks, loft a
spneo through which a glimpse of the
Interior wns vouchsafed to tho diners
without. It waB smaller than tho res
tnurnnt proper, nnd wns fitted up with
nn attempt at elegance. Laco curtains
also coarse and dirty veiled tho
windows, nnd two large mirrors, with
tarnished and fly-spotted gilt frames,
hung on tho wnll opposite the en
trance. Just now it was sparsely patronized.
In ono corner two women in mourning
nnd a child wcro sitting. Thoy glanced
at Horny with languid curiosity nnd
then resumed a loudaand volublo con
versation in Spanish. " A party of three
Jews, an over-dressed woman and two
young men evidently visitors from
another part of town Bat near them
On the opposite sldo thoro waa no ono
Demy slipped noiselessly Into a chair
nt tho corner table, her back against
tho partition that shut off tho rest of
the dining-room. Sho felt sheltered
In this unoccupied nugle, dcsplto the
fjtct that tho mirror hanging opposite
gave u reflection of her to nny on
Btnndlng In tho archway,
Tho cloth waa dirty and here and
thoro Bhowcd a hole. Hor Incrndlcablo
fastidiousness was strong In hor even
at this hour, when everything thnt was
a mnnlfcstntlon of hor own personality
fioemed wenk nnd dcltallzcd. Sbo was
disgustedly clearing nway tho crumbs
of tho ln3t occupant with daintily
brualting movements of her finger-tips,
when tho waiter drow up beside hor
and demanded her order. It was part
of tblB weird evening, wiion natural
surroundings seemed to combine with
hor own overwrought condition to ere
ato an effort of BtrnngencBs and terror,
that tho waiter ehould havo been an
old. lihrlvolcd man of shabby and de
jected mien, with a dofect in one eyo,
which rondcrcd It abnormally largo
nnd prominent under a drooping, red
dened lid. In order to seo well It was
nucessary tor blm to bold his head nt
n certain nnglo and bring tho eye, star
ing with nlarmlng wlldness, upon tho
objoct ot his attention. His aspect
added Btlll further to llorny'a dlssntls
fnctlon. Sho rcBOlved to eat llttlo and
leavo tho placo as soon as possible.
When her soup came, a thin yellow
liquid In which dark bits of leaves and
herbs floated, alio tasted it hesitating
ly, and, nfter n mouthful or two, put
down her buoou and loaned back
against tho wall Sho felt very tired
and incapable of any moro concentra
tion of mind. Her thoughts seemed to
float, disconnectedly nnd indifferently,
this way nnd that, llko a cobweb
stirred by air currents and half held
by a restraining thread. To her dulled
observation the laughter of tho Jewish
party camo mingled with the tinkling
of tho guitar outside, and tho loud
contlnuoua talk from the Spanish
women in tha corner.
The waiter brought fish a fried
smelt and sho roused herself nnd
picked up her fork. She did not no
tice that a man was standlntr near
hor In the archway, tho edge of tho
laco curtain in his hand, Ipoklng
about tho room. Ho threw a side
glance nt her which swept hor shoul
ders, her hat, and hor down-bent pro
file, and looked away. Then, as If
something In this gllmpso had sud
denly touched a spring of curiosity,
be looked back again. His second
survey wus longer. Tho glance ho
bent upon her was sharp and grow In
Intensity. Ho made no attempt to
enter or to move nearer her, but any
ono watching him would havo seen
that his Interest Increased with the
prolongation of his scrutiny.
As If afraid cf being observed ho
cast a quick surreptitious look over
the room, which in its circuit crossed
tho mirror.-' Here, roflected from a dif
ferent point of view, Herny was shown
In full face, her eyes lowered, hor
hands moving over her plate. This
mun scanned tho reflection with Im
movable intentness. Berny laid down
her fork and pushed tho fish nway
with a petulant movement, and the
watcher drew back behind tho laco
curtain. Through lis meshes ho con
tinued to atnro at the mirror, his HpB
tightly shut, his faco becoming rigid
In the fixity of IiIb observation.
The waiter entered, his arms piled
with dishes, and sho mado a beckon
ing gesture to him. Ho answered with
a jerk of his head, and, going to tho
1.AVIM
Tho Glance Ho Bent Upon Her
tablo whoro tho Spanish women sat,
unloaded his cargo there, as ho sot
It out exchanging remarks with the
women lu their own language and
showing no hasto to Berny's summons.
Sho moved In her chnlr nnd muttered
angrily. Tho man behind the laco cur
tain advanced his head nnd through
the interstices of tho drapery tried
to look directly nt her. In this posi
tion ho could only catch a glimpse of
her, but ho saw her hnnd stretched
forward to take one of the red benns
from tho glass saucer hi tho middle
of tho tnble. It wns an elegant hnnd,
the akin smooth nnd white, the fingers
covorcd with rings. Sbo again beck
oned, thlB tlmo peremptorily, nnd tho
waltqr camo. ,Tho listener could hear
her volco distinctly bb ho watched her
reflection in the glass.
"Why didn't you como when I beck
onofl?" sho said sharply.
"Because I had other ixoplo to wait
on," said tho Vnltor with equal asper
ity. "Thoy was here beforo you."
"What's tho mnl tor with tho dinner
tonight? It's nil bnd."
"I nln't cookod It," retorted tho
man, growing red with Indignation,
his swollen eyo glaring fiercely at her.
"And no else's complained. I guess
It's whnt's tho matter with you?"
Dorny mado nn angry movement
sometimes alluded to ns "flouncing"
nnd turned her head awny from blm.
"Got mo an enchilada," sho said per
emptorily, "and after that somo fri
jolcs. I don't want anything else."
Tho waiter moved awny nnd tho
mnn behind tho curtain, as if satisfied
by his long survoy, also turned bnck
Into tho gonornl loom. Closo to tho
o'poning thoro wns nn unoccupied
tabic, nnd nt this ho snt down, laid
tits hat on tho chair besldo him, and
unfastened his coat. To tho servant
who camo for his order, ho asked for
a cup of black coffee and a liqueur
glass of brandy, He also requested an
evening paper. With tho shetf open
beforo him ho sat sipping tho coffee,
tho slightest nolso from tho inner
room causing him to start and lift
tho papor boforo his faco.
Ho sat thus for some fifteen min
utes. The Spanish women and the
child emerged from tho archway and
left the restaurant, and a few moments
later ho heard tho Bcraping of chair
legs and Berny's voice as she asked
for her bill. Ho lifted the paper und
nppeared burled in Its contents, not
moving an Horny brushed back tho
laco curtnln and passed him. Her
oyes absently fell on him nnd sho had
a vnguo lmprossion of tho dark dome
of a bond omorglng from above tho
opened sheets of tho Journal. As sho
ruBtled by he lowered tho paper and
followed hor with n keen, watchful
glance. Ho did not movo till tho
street door closed behind her, when
ho threw tho paper aside, snatched up
IiIb lint and flicked a sllvor dollar on
to the cloth.
"No change," he sold to tho waiter,
who camo forward.
The surprised servant, unaccus
tomed to such tips, stared astonished
after him as he hurried down the pas
sage between the tables, quickly
opened tho door and disappeared into
the darkness of tho street.
Horny was only a few rods away,
moving forward with a alow, loitering
step. It was an easy night to follow
without being observed. Walking at
a prudent distance behind her, he kept
hor in sight as she pnssed from the
smaller streets of the Latin Quarter
into the glare and discord of tho more
populous highways, nlong Kearney
Street, past the lower boundary of
Portsmouth Square. Ho noticed that
sho walked without haste, now and
then glancing at a window or a passer
by. Sho w'bb like a person who has
i
Was Sharp and Grew in Intensity.
no objective point in vlow, or at least
Ib in no hurry to reach it.
But this did not seem to be the
case, for when she reached the square
sho took her stand on tho corner
where the Sacramento street cars
stop. The man drew back into a door
way opposite. They wero tho only
passengers who boarded tho enr at
that corner, Berny entering the closed
Interior, the man taking a seat on the
outside. Ho had it to himself horo,
and chgsq tho end seat by the win
dow. MutterTng" Imprecations at tho
cold, ho turned up his overcoat collar
and drew his soft felt hat down over
his ears. By turning his ' head ho
could see between tho bars that cross
tho end windows, tho interior of tho
car shining with light, Its polished
yellow woodwork throwing bnck the
whlto glare of tho electricity. Thoro
wero only three passengers, two depressed-looking
women in dingy black,
and Horny on n line with himself In
tho corner by tho door. Ho could see
her evon better horo than In tho res
taurant. Sho sat, a smnll, dnrk figure,
pressed Into tho nngle of the seat,
her hands clasped lu her lap, her eyes
down. Her hot enst a shadow over
tho upper part ot her face, and below
this the end of hor nose, her mouth
and chin wero revealed ns palo nnd
Bhnrply-cut ns nn Ivory curving. Sho
scorned to bo sunk in thought and sat
motionless; tho hnlf of hor fnco ho
could see, looking very whlto against
her bind: fur collar.
Ho wns furtively surveying her,
whon Bho startod, glanced out of tho
window nnd signed to the conductor
to stop. Tho mnn on the front dropped
to tho ground nnd stole lightly round
tho car, bo thnt Its moving body hid
him from her. Emptiness and Btlenco
held tho street, nnd ho could easily
follow hor as Bho walked upward
along the damp nnd deserted side
walk. Half-way up tho block a build
ing larger that thoso surrounding It
roso Into tho night. A mounting fll?
of bay-windows broke Its facade, nnd,
n few stops above tho level of the
pavement, a lino of doors with num
bers showing black on illuminated
transoms rpvoalcd it to tho man oppo
site as a flat building. Here Berny
stopped and without hesitation, evi
dently as one who was familiar with
the place, mounted the Bteps and
walked to tho last of the doors.
Tho man, with soft nnd careful foot
steps, crossed tho street. As he drew
nearer ho saw that sho was not using
a latch-key, but was waiting to be ad
mitted, leaning ns if tired ngalnst the
wall. He had reached the sidewalk
when the door opened, vouchsafing
him n bright, unimpeded view of o
long flight of stnirs carpeted In green.
Berny entered and for a moment, be
fore tho door closed, ho Baw hei
mounting the stairs. Sho had not
asked for any one, or Indeed mado a
sound of greeting or inquiry. Sh
was therefore either expected or an
habitue of tho place. When tho dooi
was shut ho, too, mounted tho porch
steps and read tho number on the
transom. Ho whlsnereri It over sev
eral times, the light falling out on hl
tnin, nquuino face with a Bweep ot
dark hair drooping downward towart
his collar.
Satisfied with his Investigation, he
left the porch and walked rapidlj
down the street to the corner. Here
there was a lamp, and halting undet
its light he drow from his pocket s
leather wallet and took therefrom
Domlnlek Ryan's card with an address
written on it. The penciled numbers
wero the same as those on tho doot
he had just left, and he stood looking
fixedly at the card, an expression ol
excitement and exultation growing or
his face.
CHAPTER XX.
Tho Actor's Story.
The afternoon of the next day Dom
inlck came home earlier than usunl
His New York friend, who wa3 en
route to Japan, had but a couple ol
days in Snn Francisco, and ngain
claimed his company for dinner. The
theater was to follow and Domlnlcb
had come home to chango his clothes
nnd incidentally either to Bee Bernj
and explain his absence or to leavo s
message for her with tho Chinaman
He felt rather guilty where showai
concerned. He had seen nothing of
her for two days. The only time thej
met was in tho evening nfter business
hours,- the only meal they took to
gether was dinner. With every spnrh
of affection dead between them, theli
married life tho hollowest sham, sh
had so long and so sternly trained
him to be considerate of her and keer
her on his mind, thnt he still in
sttnctlvely followed tho acquired hnbll
of thinking of her comfort and ar
ranging for It. He knew she would
be annoyed at the two lonely dinners,
and Hoped to seo her before he lefl
and suggest to her that sho telephone
for on of her sisters to join her.
The flat was very quiet when lie en
tered, and after looking Into one oi
two rooms for her he called the Chl
naman, who said Mrs. Rypn had gons
out early In tho afternoon, leaving
no message except that sho would be
homo to dinner. Domlnlek nodded a
dismissal and wnlked into the den.
Ho carried the evening papers in hU
hand, and looking nt the clock he saw
thnt ho had an hour before it would
be necessary for him to dress and
leave the house. Berny would un
doubtedly bo homo before then; she
was rarely out after six. Meantime,
the thought that she waa not in ind
that ho could read the papers In un
molested,, uninterrupted silence
caused a slight senso ot relief tc
lighten the weight thnt was now al
ways with him.
Ho had hardly opened tho first sheet
when a ring nt the bell dispelled his
hopes. It was one of his wife's hnb
Its never to carry a latch-key, which
sho looked upon as a symbol of that
bourgeois, middle-class helpfulness
that sho had shaken off with her other
worklng-glrl manners and customs
Domlnlek dropped the papor, waiting
for her entrance, and framing the
words with which he would acqualnr
her' with the fact that he was to be
absent again. Instead, however, of
the rustle of feminine skirts, he heard
the Chinaman's padding steps, and the
servant entered and presented him
with a card. Traced on it in a Bprawl
ing handwriting was tho nnrao "Jnmes
Dcfny Buford." Dominick remembered
his Invitation to tho man to call, and
realized that this probably was the
only tlmo that tho actor could conven
iently do so. There was an hour yet
before dinner would bo served, and
turning to tho servant Domlnlek told
him to show the gentleman up.
(TO BR CONTINUED.)
Billiards In the Country.
Willi Hoppe. tho billiard player,
was-discussing In New York tho ques
tion of summer vacations.
"I llko summer vacations," ho said,
"in tho heart of tho country. Tho
only trouble with tho heart of tho
country la thnt you can't get a good
gnme of billiards there.
"Maybo you'vo heard about tho two
chaps, summering nt Sunapeo, who
complained that they couldn't tell tho
two whlto balls apart, as neither of
them had a spot. But the proprietor
explained to them that It would bo
easy, after a llttlo practice, to dis
tinguish the bnlls by their shapo.
"Another chap up at Sunapoo nsked
for n gomo of billiards, and when the
balls, wore brought, gave a loud, bit
tor laugh ot disgust.
'"Look hero,' ho said, 'it's balls
asked for not dice.'" Now York
Tribune.