The Colonel
denied it, mighty strong, sayin' he had never heard from Mrs. Braddock
until her lawyers and old man Portman came down on him, just after his
own wife had got a divorce from him."
"I have heard," ventured David, "that Mrs. Grand based her complaint
on the fact that her husband was mixed up in some way with an
actress."
"She had to have _something_, Davy," said the other. "They faked up an
imitation--that ain't the word--an imaginary actress for the occasion.
Joey Noakes told me all about that. She first tried to get some of the
old crowd to swear that Mrs. Braddock was the one, but she got a
terrible throw-down there. They was all for Mary Braddock, strong. Then
what do you think her lawyers up and does? They actually went to Joey
and offered him ten thousand if he'd let 'em use Ruby's name."
A spasm of rage transfigured the face of the imperturbable rascal. His
hands were clenched and the veins stood out in his temples.
"What a cowardly, outrageous thing to do!" cried David.
Dick did not speak for several minutes, but sat staring at his hands,
his thoughts five hundred miles away.
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