Show THE HUSBANDS OF EDITH by bu GEORGE BARR CoDur ight bu dodd mead co XIII then what has become of my cro crowns wils you en cn search me constance Con 10 murmured freddie 1 I 1 don dona know what youre bout consance cons ance said mr air rodney in n arv very hurt tone we htwe we put up security vr fr five dollars w want bat wo we lid this Is all the thanks w we gensh for it had been thinking very hard paying no heed to his bis maudlin defense it rapidly was dawning upon tier her that dint these men had secured her lovers release rele sise on hall ball at halt half pas 10 tin nil hour and a half before she had given het her bribe of crowns to the jailer that being the cape cage it was bev becoming oming clear to tier her that the wretch deliberately hod taken the money knowing that broel brock was not in the prison and with the plain design to ra rob b her of the amount it was a transaction in which lie he could be perfectly se vure bribing of public clala Is a soletie offense tit ln austria and germany site she could have no recourse could matic make ce no complaint her money was gone where la Is mr air rr br mr hir Med hiede croft she demanded lier her voice full of anxiety if he were out ont of jail why had he balled to come in the meeting place lies locked in persisted freddie just it elna fowler explained exit odell C carney it anti v glibly you shee set see it this way we got him mt mit on hall ball ou on condition hed pear tomorrow morning fore the magist magistrate atter after wed sot got him film out he insisted on coming round here sols so he could run away with yon that wassen a geu gen nel manly thing to do affer wed put up tip mr mir money we vougn afford have him away with you on so we wd had him locked in a room on top floor of the lie hotel where he cant get out W n leave ivare us to hold the bag dont you nee he almos alboy cried tin an said be wait in nt at the church or or something like that bally song dont you know an as a lash short re to keep him quiet like a good ferrer feller we said wed voine come an get you an everything MI fals a hem olivin 1 I she looked at them with burning eyes slow rage was coming to the fla flanning ining point and for this she had sat tind and suffered for hours in a street restaurant for foi this her eyes fell upon the limp horses honses and tle the dejected stable boy two hours you yon will release him at once she stormed do you yon hear it la Is outrageous without another word to the dazed trio tilo she ahe mailed to the curb and commanded the boy to assist her into the middle he did so in stupid amazement then site she instructed him to mount comit and follow her to the tirol as lat its as lie he could ride the horses were tearing off lit in the daric ness a moment later CHAPTER XIV the prodigal husband fanie unlucky brock wild with THE rape rage tind and chagrin had paced its hla temporary prison in the top story of the tirol from 11 0 cloel till 2 bitterly cursing the fools who w ui wre were kt keeping him in durance du ranee diore vile than that from which they had g onerously released him hajal hojal he 1 aal 1 l it izod laed that it would be unwise to create a disturbance in the house by clamoring for freedom because in the first place there already had been scandal enough and in the second place his distrustful bondsmen had promised faithfully to seek out the devoted connie and apprise her of his release he had no thought of course that in the meantime she might be duped into paying a the guardi guard not only was ho he direfully cursing the trio but also the Med croft and his own self lt it Is to be feared that he be had bad harsh thoughts tb of all the Med crofts as far down is as Ra haggles ggles his dream of love and happiness pin ess had turned into a nightmare the comedy had become a tragic snarl of all the effects known to melodrama It occurred to him at 2 that pacing the floor in the agony of sus was a very useless occupation ile he would go to bed morning would bring relief and surcease to his troubled mind constance was doubtless sound asleep in her room everything would have been explained to her long before this hour she would understand so with the return of his old sophistry he undressed and crawled into the strange bed somehow he did not like it as well as the cot irk in the bakony below lust just as lie he wits wis dropping off into the long delayed slum slumber Ver he heard a light tapping nt at his door he sat up in bed like a flabb thoroughly wide awake the rapping was repeated he called out in tones asking who was there at the same name time tima slipping from bed to fumble in the darkness for his clothes sh crimp came front from the lin hollway liway he rushed over oret and put his ear to the door it la Is 1 are you awake I 1 pant cant stay here its wrong listen heres a note under the door good night darling im heartbroken tannic god its you yon lie he ried cried softly how I 1 love you vou constance sh edith Is with me oh I 1 wish it were morning and I 1 could see ee you I 1 have so much to say any another querulous voice broke in n si for heavens sake connie dont stand here any longer our reputations are bad enough an ah it is good night rox bury he distinctly heard the heartless ralth giggle pl fiRle then came the theoff boft oft quick swish of garments and the nocturnal visitors were pone gone he picked up tip the envelope and waiting until they were safely down the hall ball turned on the light dearest he read it was not dot my fault and I 1 know it was not yours but oh you dont know bow I 1 suffered nil all through those hours of waiting at the cafe they did not find me until after 2 they were drunk they tried to explain what do you think the authorities will do to me if they find that I 1 gave that horrid man bribe money really im terribly nervous but lie he wont dare say anything will lie ho ile he Is as guilty as 1 I for he took it he took it knowing that you were free at the tita time but we will talk it 11 over tomorrow ive just got back to the hotel I 1 go to bed until edith ed ith brought me up to hear bear your dear voice I 1 am so glod glad you are not dead it Is impossible to release you tonight those wretches have the key now how I 1 loathe them edith says the hotel Is wild with gossip about everything ond and everybody its just awful re be of good heart my beloved I 1 will be your faithful slave until death with love and adoration and kisses your own constance 4 P S roxbury has not mado made a sign edith Is frantic several floors below the relieved and ecstatic brock mrs Med Alede croft was soon urging her sister to go to bed and lot let the story go until daylight she persisted in telling all that she had done and till that she bad endured we must never let him know that we actually gave that wretch nearly 2500 edith lie ho would never forgive U ua 14 1 I admit that I 1 was a tool fool and a ninny so dont tell me I 1 am I 1 can see by the way you are looking that youre just crazy to its all Rox burys fault anyway why should he got get up and make a speech in london without letting us Is know lust just see how I 1 it t has placed us I 1 think air ir brock Is st tin an angel to do what he has done for 1 you and yes my dear you will have to confess that roxbury la Is a brute a perfect brute im sure if you have a spark of fairness in you you must hate linto him no no dont say anything E edith you know im right tm im not going to say anything declared edith angrily im going to bed edith if you dont mind dear I 1 I 1 think ill sloop sleep with you after a moment of deep reflection she added plaintively there is so much that I 1 just have to tell you von deary it it wont keep till daylight bright and early in the morning the tired harassed night farers were routed from their rooms by a demand from the management of the hotel that they appear forthwith lit in the private office this order included every member of mr air party excepting the Med Mede croft baby considerably distressed and very much concerned over the probable outcome of the conference the rodney forces made their way to the offices not altogether in an open fashion but by humiliatingly unusual avenues the rodney family camo came down the anek stairs brock was solemnly ushered through the public office by mr odell carney and freddie Ulster velt it la Is not stretching the truth to say that they were sour and sullen but as ad may be suspected from peculiarly different causes at last all were congregated in tho the stuffy office lice very much subdued and very much at odds with each other mr air githens was there likewise the gentleman from the bank and a prominent person from the department of police miss fowler glanced about uneasily and was relieved to discover that her treacherous jailer was not there to confront her ber with charges it had occur reato her that lie he might after all have tricked her into committing a crime against the government it was quite noticeable that mrs rodney and katherine Kather lne did not speak to the Med croft contingent in fact they ignored them quito quite completely imars imars rodney was waa very paia pai and very deeply distressed she cast many glances at the red eyed and sheepish mr rod rodney n ey glances that meant much to the further torture of his soul 1 I am sorry to inform yov you herr rodney that the rooms which you now occupy and those of your friends are no longer nt at your disposal they have been engaged for from some time this day by all a look here bore interrupted odell oar cai ney bluntly if you mean that wo we are not wanted here any longer why not say so dont lie about it we are leaving today in any event so the odos odds now come down to facts why are summoned we here like a crowd of school children the manager looked at mr githens and then at the police officer ahem it seems that herr grab hetz of the police department desires to ask some questions of your party in my presence you will understand sir that the hotel has been imposed upon by by those people it seems also that tho the bank insists upon having some light thrown upon the methody method 4 by which mrs Med croft secures money on her letter of cre credit dILIP you are arc welcome to all that sir declared mr odell carney but I 1 am interested to know just why my wife and I 1 are brought into this affair because you are guests of mr rodney sir I 1 regret to state stale we have no complaint against you sir you aro are well known here the the others are not they are are what you call it humbugs humburgs Hum bugs it may be that they also have swindled you vr mr rodney at this point leaped to his feet and rushed over to shake his cistin the face of the insulting hotel man but edith Med Mede croft arose suddenly like a tragedy queen and spoke tier her clear determined voice stilling the turbulent spirit of her outraged host one moment please she said this all can bo be satisfactorily explained no wrong has been done it will I 1 n all ll 11 be cleared tip in time wel we in time r interrupted the manager ct Alad madam tim tills this Is the time you gro m hero with it man who Is not your liua bund band yet who purports to be such it may throw some light on the matter if I 1 announce that the gentleman mah in question Is my hua hits band it was miss fowler who spoke every one stared tit at her as she bhe moved over to brocks side if you will look in the office you will find a telegram there for me went on mrs Med Mcd croft pate hut bui absolutely confident the manager called out through the door absolute silence reigned while the reply was awaited no telegram for mrs airs Med Mcd croft last night or today announced the manager sternly as he glanced through the slim butchkof bunc hof blue envelopes there are four here for a mr brock who hits has not yet arrived ln in 1113 brock rock shouted three voices in one A tall man forgetting his english and his eyeglass sprang forward and grabbed the telegrams front from the managers hand holy mackerel give lem cm here he shouted two eager beautiful young women were hanging to his elbows as aa he be ruthlessly broke one of the seals the chump its from rox till all from rox ros and they are two or three days old just then the unexpected happened the office door opened with a bung bang and the real roxbury Med croft stepped into the room he halted baited just inside the door and looked about in momentary bewilderment this Is at private began the manager stepping forward A flying figr SV ya the real roxbury Med croft stepped into the room u re sped past him a delighted little shriek rang in his ears cars lie he saw haw E editha alth Mcd croft t hurt hurl herself into the arms of her own husband at the same moment brock bounded across the room and pounced eagerly upon the welcome intruder this Is my husband cried edith triumph in her voice tears in tier her eyes as slip she faced the astonished observers now what have you to say CHAPTER XV what another husband T was waa a perfectly natural but not IT an especially obvious om tho the little manager throw threw up his hands and cried out in a sada sad mixture of french english and what another husband madam how many more do you yon propose to inflict us with we ve cannot allow it the management will not permit you to change husbands the I 1 instant it a now new guest arrives in the house it is not to be heard of no no to le be continued 1 f jv |