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Show bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbI I THE MEOJQE' Bj, DAVID GRAHAM PJHUURS, Author of "TTZFCQSZWc KK CHAPTER XII Continued. KB Kllorsly aat opposite mo, und 1 wns KKj Irritated, and thrown into confusion, BP- too, overy tlmo I lifted my eyes, by KB the crushed, criminal expression q his KB face. Ho tito and drank hugely und BB -vxtrumcly had Planners It would li.'ivo B been regarded in mo had I made as BB much nolso as ho, or lifted such qitiui- BB titles nt n tlmo Into my mouth, ltut BB through this noisy gluttony ho man- BB uged somehow to maintain that hang- BE dog air llko n thief who Iia3 gone BB through tho house and, on his way BB out, has paused at tho puntry, with tho BB Back of plunder beside him, to gorgo KB himself. BB I looked at Anita several times, each BB tlmo with a carefully-framed remark KB ready, each (Inio I found her gaze on BE me and I could Bay nothing, could BE only look away In a sort of panic. Her BE eyes were strangely vnrlnblo. I havo BE a seen them of a gray, so palo that It B-' wub almost sliver llko tho steely light Bk of tho snow-lino at tho edgo of tho BB horizon; again, and they wero so that BS evening, they shone with tho deepest, KKj softest blue, and mado one think, ns BE ono looked at -her, of a fresh violet BB frozen In a block of clear Ico. B I sat behind her in tho box at tho BBj theater. During tho first and second ft intermissions sovcral men dropped In BB to speak to her mother and her fol- BE lows who didn't over como down town, BE but I could tell thoy know who I was K by tho way they ignored mo. It oxas- Am peratcd me to a pitch of fury, that BE coldly insolent air of theirs a Jerky BE nod at mo without so much as a BE glanco, and no notlco of mo whon they HE wero leaving my box boyond a faint, BB supercilious smllo as they passed with t eyes straight ahead. I know what It BE meant, what they were thinking that BE tho "Ducket-shop King," as tho nowB- BE papers had dubbed me, was trying to BJ use old Kllersly's necessities as a S "Jimmy" and "break into socloty." BB When tho curtain went down for tho BE last intermission, two young men np- BE pearcd; I did not get up as I had be- Bp fore, but stuck to my scat I had BR reached that point nt which courtesy BJ L lias become cowardice. BL They crnncd nnd strained at her Bt round mo and ovor mo, presently gave Bj up and retired, dlsgulRlng their anger BE as contempt for tho bad manners of a ft bounder. Hut that disturbed mo not a BE rlpplo, tho more, aa I was delighting in 1KJ a consoling discovery. Listening nnd By watching aa alio talked with theso Eft young men, whom sho ovldontly know BE well, I noted that sho was distant nnd BV only politely friendly In manner habit- BE ually, that while tho lco might thicken BE for mo, it wns thoro always. I know BE enough about women to know that, If BE tbo woman who can thaw only for ono BE man is tho most dlfllcult, sho is nl3o BE tho roost constnnt. "Onco aho thaws Hi toward mo!" I said to myself. BE Whon tho young mon hnd gono, I BB loaned forward until my head was BE closo to hers, to her hair lino, soft, BEE abundant, electric hair. Llko tho In- BB fntuatcd fool that I waH, I toro out all BB tho pigeon-holes of my brnln In search BB of somothing to say to her, something BB that would start her to thinking well BE of mo. Sho must havo felt my breath S upon her neck, for sho moved away 19 slightly, and It seemed to mo a shiver fm visibly passed over that wonderful Iw whlto skin of hers. J?m t I drew back nnd Involuntnrlly said, IB ' "Beg pardon." I glanced at hor mothcS BB and It was my turn to shudder. I can't BK' liopo to give an nccurato impression BE of that stony, morccnary, mean face. BK Thoro arc lookR that paint upon the BE human countennnco tho wholo of a BK llfo, as a (lush of lightning paints upon BK tho blackness of tho night mllea on BRr mllos of landscape. Tho look of Mrs. BB Kllersly's stern disapproval at her KB daughter, atom command that sho ho It inoro civil, that sho unbond showed I mo tho old woman's soul. I "If you wish It," I said, on Impulse, I to Miss Klleruly In a low volco, "I shall never try to seo you uguln." I I could feel rather than seo the I blood suddenly beating in her skin, and thoro wub in her volco u nervous-I nervous-I iioss very llko flight us sho nnsworud: I' "I'm sure matnmu and I shall ho glad to seo you whenever you cotno." "You?" I persisted. K "Yes," alio said, after a brief hesl- tatlon. I "Clad?" I porslstod. Sho smiled tho faintest chango In tho perfoct curve of hor lips. "You S nro very persistent nron't you?" "Very," I answered. "That Is why I I liavo alwny.8 got whntovor I wuntod.'' X "I ndmlro It," said sho. L J "No, yoit don't;" I replied. "You think It Is vulgar, and you think I am i vulvar bocauso I havo that quality I that and some others," I Sho did not contradict inc. I "Woll, I nm vulgar from your standpoint," I wont on. "1 havo purls pur-ls jiosen nnd passions. And I pursue E thorn.' For Inslanco, you." I "I?" sho suld tranquilly. I "You," I repented, "1 mudo up my mind tho ilrst day I saw you that I'd 6 mako you llko mo. And you will." f "That la very llnttorlng," said alio, j "And a llttlo terrifying. For" Bho I (altered, then went hrnvoiy aa "I suppose there Isn't anything you'd stop ut In order to guln your end." "Nothing," .said 1, und I compelled hor to meet my gaze. Sho drew u long breath, and I thought there was a itob In It like a frightened child. "Durl repeat," 1 wont cn, "that If you wish it, 1 ahull never try to see you'nfcnin. Do you wish It?" "I don't know," she answered slowly, "i think not." As she wpuko the last word, she lifted lift-ed her eyes to mine with a look of forced friendliness In them that I'd rather not havo seen there. 1 wished to bo blind to her defects, to tho stains and smutches with which her sur-rpundlngs sur-rpundlngs must havo sullied her. And that friendly look seemed to mo nn unmistakable hypocrisy in obedience to her mother. Howover, It hnd tho effect of bringing her nearor to my own earthly level, of putting mo at daae with hor and for tho fow remaining remain-ing minutes wo tnlked freely, I Indifferent Indif-ferent whether my manners nnd conversation con-versation were correct. As I helped her into their carriage, I pressed her arm slightly, and said in a volco for hor only, "Until to-morrow." XIII. FRE8H AIR IN A GREENHOUSE. At flvo tho noxt day I rang tho El-loraly's El-loraly's boll, was taken through tho drawing-room Into that samo library. "I CAUOIIT IIEK IN MY AK.M3 AND KISSF.D IIEIl-NOT ONCIC, I1UT MANY T1MK8." Tho curtains over tho doublo doorway between tho two rooms wero almost drawn. She presently entered from tho hall. I admired the picture sho mado In tho doorwny her big hat, her ombroldered dress of whlto'cloth, and that small, sweet, cold faco of hers. And us I looked, I know that nothing, nothing no, not oven hor wish, hor command could stop mo frpnt trying to muko hor my owit. That resolve must havo shown. In my fuco It or the passion that inspired, it for tho paused and paled. "Whut is It?" I uaktd. "Aro you afraid of mo?" Sho enmo forward proudly, a line scorn In her eyes. "No," she said, "Hut If you know, you might bo afraid of mo." "I am," I confessed, "I nm afraid of you bocuuso you Inspire in mo a feeling feel-ing that Is boyond my control. I've committed tunny follies In my llfo I hnvo moods In which It nniuaes mo to defy fate. Hut thoso follloa havo always al-ways been of my own willing. You" I laughed "you nro a folly for mo. Hut ono that compels me." Sho mulled not dlscournglngly nnd seated herself ou n tiny sofa In tho corner, u curiously impregnable Intronchtnent, as I noted for my Impulse Im-pulse was to carry hor by Btorin. I was natonlshod nt my own nudaclty; I was wondorlng whero my fear of hor had liomi, my awu of her auporfar tlno- neas n... brooding. "Mamma will bo ,)wn in a fow minutes," sho oald. "I didn't como to bco your mother," replied I. "I came to seo you." Sho Hushed, then froze nnd I thought I had once more "got upon" her norves with my rudo directness. How eagerly sensitive our nerves aro to bad impressions of ono we don't like, and how coarsely Inscnslblo to bad Impressions or one we do llko! "I seo I've offended lualn. as usual," said I. "You attach so much Importance Impor-tance to petty little dancing-master tricks and caterings. You llvo always al-ways have lived In an artlllclal at-1 at-1 tnusphere. Keul things act ou you llko fresh air on u hothouse (lower." "You are fresh air?" sho Inquired, witli lauj;hliiK sarcasm. "1 am that." retorted I. "And good for you as you'll find when you get used to me." I heard voices In the next room her- mother's and some man's. Wo waited until It was evident wo wero not to be disturbed. As 1 realized that tact and surmised Its meaning, I looked triumphantly nt hnr. "I see you are nerving yourself," suld I with a lnttgh. "You are perfectly perfect-ly certain 1 nm solng to propose to you." She llumed scarlet und half-started up. "Your mother In the next room oxpects It, too," I went on, laughing ovon moro disagreeably. "Your par-ents par-ents need money they havo decided to sell you, their only large Income-producing Income-producing asset. And 1 um willing to buy. What do you say?" Iwas blocking her way out of tho room. Sho was standing, her breath coming fast, her eyes blazing. "You nro frightful!" aho exclaimed in a low volco. "Ilocnuso I am frank, becauso I am honest? Hecauso I want to put things on a sound basis? I uupposo, if I camo lying and pretending and let you Ho and pretend, nnd let your parents and Sam Ho and pretond, you would find me almost tolcrablo. W411, I'm not that kind. Whon thofo's no apo-clnl apo-clnl reason ono way or thn other, I'm willing to smirk and grimnco and dodder dod-der and drivel, llko tho rest of your friends, thoso ladles and gentlemon. Hut when thorn's business to bo transuded, trans-uded, 1 am business-like. Let's not begin with your thinking you aro deceiving de-ceiving mo, und so hating mo and da-Bpislug da-Bpislug mo nnd trying to keep up tho decoptlon. Lot's begin right." Sho was listening; Bho was' no longer longing to fly from tho room; nha was curious. I know I hud acorod. "In any ovont," I continued, "you would huvo married for money. You'vo been .brought up to it, llko all theso girls of your Bot. You'd bo miscrablo without luxury. If you had your'cholco between lovo without luxury and luxury lux-ury without lovo, It'd bo ns easy to forotoll which you'd do na to foretell how a starving poet would chooso between be-tween n loaf of broad und a volumo of poems, You may lovo lovo; but you love llfo your kind or llfo bettor!" S'i" lowered her head. "It Is truo," sho said, "It Is low und vile, but it Is truo." "Your parents need monoy " I began. be-gan. Sho stopped rao with a gesture. "Don't blame them," sho pleaded, "I am more guilty thuti they." I was proud of hor as uho mado that confession. "You huvo 'tho making mak-ing of u real woman In you," said I. "1 should hnvo wanted you ovon If you hadn't. Hut what I now seo makes what I thought a folly of mluo look more like wisdom " i m 1 must warn you," she laid, ana now sho was looking di'cctly at m, "i shall never love you ' "Never Is a long tlmo," replied I. "I'm old enough to bo cynical about prophecy." "I shull never lovo you," sho ro-poated. ro-poated. "For many reasons you wouldn't understand. For ono you will understand." "I understand tho 'many reasons' you any nro beyond me," said I. "For, dear young lady, undor this conrso exterior ex-terior I ussuro you there's hidden n lather sharp outlook on human nature na-ture and well, nerves that respond to tho faintest chnngca In you as do mine can't bo nltogethor without sensitiveness. sen-sitiveness. What's tho other reason tho reason? That you think you lovo Bonto ono elso?" "Thnnk you for saying It for me," 'sho replied. You can't Imagine how pleased I wns at having earned her gratltudo, oven In so llttlo n matter. "I havo thought of that," said I. "It Is of no consequence." "Hut you don't understand," aho pleaded earnestly. "On tho contrary, I understand perfectly," per-fectly," 1 assured her. "And tho ron son I nm not disturbed Is you ara here, you nro not, with him." She lowered hor head so that I hnd no vluw of her face. "You and ho do not mnrry," I wont on, "becauso you aro both poor?" "No," sho replied. "Hecauso ho does not caro for you?" "No not thnt," sho said. "Hecauso you thought ho hadn't enough for two?" A long pauso, thou very faintly; "No not that" "Thon it must bo becauso ho hadn't as much monoy as ho'd llko, and must find a girl who'll bring him what ho most wants." Sho wns silent, "That Is, whllo ho loves you dearly, ho loves money moro. And ho's willing will-ing to boo you go to another man, bo tho wlfo of another man, bo everything every-thing to another man." I laughed. "I'll tako my chancca against lovo of thnt port." "You don't understand," sho murmured. mur-mured. "You don't realize thoro aro many thlnga that mean nothing to you and thnt mean oh, so much to peoplo brought up as wo nro." "NonBonso!" said I. "What do you mean by 'wo'? Naturo has been bringing bring-ing us up for a thousand thousnnd years. A few years of silly falso training train-ing doesn't undo hor work. If you and ho hnd cared for each othor, you wouldn' bo hero, apologizing for his Bolflsh vanity," "No matter about him," Bho cried Impatiently, lifting her head '.haughtily. '.haught-ily. "Tho point is, I lovo him and, always ahnll. I warn you." "And I tako you nt my own rlBk V Hor look anaworcd "Yea!" "Well," I took her hand "thon, wo aro engaged." Her wholo body grow tonso, and hor hand chilled ns It lay in mlno. "Don't please don't," I snld gently. "I'm not so bad as nil that It you will bo as gonorous with mo as I shall bo with, you, nolthor of us will over ro-grot ro-grot this." Thoro woro tears on hor cheeks aa I slowly released hor hand. "I shall dsk nothing of you that you aro not ready freoly to glvo," I said. Impulsively sho stood and put out her hand, and tho eyes sho lifted to mlno wero Bhlnlng and friendly. I caught her In my arms and kissed her not onco but many tlmcB. And It wns not until tho chill of hor ico-llko faco had cooled mo .that I released her, drow back rod and nshnmcd and stnmmorlng apologies. Hut hor Impulse Im-pulse of frlondllnoss had been killed; sho onco moro, ns I saw only too plain ly, felt for mo that sonso of ropulslon, felt for horsolt that sonso of solf-dcg-radatlon. "I cannot mnrry you!" 8ho muttered. mut-tered. "You can and will nnd must," I cried, 'Infuriated by her look. Thoro was a long sllenco. I could easily guess what was being fought out in hor mind. At Inst sho slowly drow heraolf up. "I can not rcfuao," sho said, and hor oyos sparkled with dollanco that had hato In It. "Yoi havo tho powor to compel mo. Uso It, llko tho hruto you rofuso to lot mo forgot that you nro." Sho looked so young, ao beautiful, so angry nnd so tempting. "So I shall !" I answored. "Chlldron hnvo to bo tnught what la good for them. Cnll In your mother, nnd we'll tell hor tho nowa." IiiBtend, Bho wont into tho noxt room. I followed, saw Mrs. Kllorsly seated nt tho tea-tablo In tho cornor farthest from tho library whoro hor daughter and 1 had boon negotiating. "Won't you glvo us toa, mothor?" said Anita, on hor surfaco not a traco of tho cyclqno thnt must still havo boon raging In hor. "Congrutulato me, Mra. Ellorsly," said I. "Your daughter has conaentod to marry mo." Instead of speaking, Mrs. Kllorsly begun to cry real tears. And for a moment I thought thoro was u real heart inside of hor somowhnra Hut when sho spoke, that delusion vanished. van-ished. "You must forglvo mo, Mr. Muck-lock," Muck-lock," aho suld In hor hard, smooth, pollto volco. "It la tho shock of realizing real-izing I'm about to lose my daughter," And I know thut her tenrs wero from Joy nnd relief Anltu had "como up to tho scratch;" tho hideous mennco of ''genteol poverty" had been nverted. "Do glvo us ten, ninmma," said Anita. Her cold, sarcastic tono cut my nervcB und her mother's llko u razor blade. I looked nharply at hor, nnd wondered whether l was not making a bargain vnfeily dlfforent front thnt my passion wns picturing. 1 ITo bo Continued.) |