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Show Second Thoughts By JUSTIN WENTWOOD (, 1921, WMtara Ntwipaptr Union.) ITX7 HERE d'ya say tills here king " lives?" demanded the dusty, footsore tramp of big companion, as they limped Into the little town. "Somewberes around here " answered the other. "Say, suppose you wait under un-der this tree for me, and I'll have a look around." "Oh, I'll wait," grinned the other. "But I guess you been hlttin the pipe when you dreamed that drani, Scotty." Beotty set off alone without replying. reply-ing. He knew very well where Isaac Krammeler lived. For he had often visited at his house before. But that was In the days of his respectability, re-spectability, before Krammeler and he, fellow clerks In the bank, took the first step on the downward road. It was Krammeler who had urged hlra to take the money and Invest It In those stocks that were kiting high. It was Krammeler who had arranged to leave the package where be could get it It was he who had been caught. Krammeler had covered his tracks well, and Scotty then Mr. Fergus Hume had received his sentence of seven years without flinching. Now he was coming back. He was coming back to get what was coming to hhn, and Krammeler was going to get what was coming to him, too, for he had married the girl Hume had been engaged to. BIch and prosperous! Oh, but he'd pay through the nose for It I Now Scotty saw Krammeler's house In front of him. It stood at the corner, cor-ner, as snug and sedate as ever, only the privet hedge was higher. The garden was ablaze with roses and hydrangeas hy-drangeas and other brilliant flowers. And In It two children were merrily chasing each other around and around an umbrella tree. Scotty stopped outside and looked wistfully over the hedge. It made his heart ache Intolerably to see that picture pic-ture of happiness and beauty. It made his anger rise to a point where It was merged In madness, to think that this smooth rascal should b enjoying the fruits of his crime, while he had languished lan-guished six years In a filthy pen. Then he saw a woman coming along a path of the garden. She was dressed In black, her fair hair colled about the nape of her neck, and despite the years that had passed he recognized Dorothy. His heart leaped at the sight of her. He remembered their kisses. He clenched his fists. "Hello, man I" The boy was standing staring at him on the other side of the hedge, the little girl beside him. "Does your tummy ache, man?" "No," growled Scotty. "I thought It did, because you mad such a dreadful face, man." "No, It's worse than stomach-ache bothers me," said Scotty. "How old are you?" "I'm five," said the boy. "And Susan's Su-san's free." "Like It here, do your The children stared at him, not understanding. un-derstanding. "Where's your Pop. At the bank?" The words came from bis lips In snarl. , The boy's -lips trembledl "Pop'i dead," he said, whimpering; "What's that? When did he die?" "I dunno. A l-long t-tlme ago," the child faltered. "It was typhoid fever, the doctor said." "Feathered his nest pretty well before be-fore he died," muttered Hume. But he stood staring at the children In perplexity. per-plexity. Dimly he realized that Krammeler Kram-meler had In some manner escaped his vengeance. But there was Dorothy. Doro-thy. She should feel the weight of his vengeance. "Children I" The mother was calling call-ing them. She was coming along the path toward them. And In unother moment she would see and probably recognize him. And the beauty and happiness of the place came home' to him once more, but differently now. In a way he felt as If the problem of retribution retribu-tion had been raised to a higher plane. But he never knew what It was made him turn away. Perhaps simply because he still loved her. "Come away from the hedge, children." chil-dren." "Come away from that man, you mean," mumbled Scotty, enjoying the exquisite thought of how he could confound con-found her. But he turned and made his way back to where he had left his companion. "Welir grinned the other. "Couldn't find the place," growled Scotty. "Told ya It was a pipe dream. Scotty. Scot-ty. Let's beat It and see what we can bum further along this road." |