Show The Great Thrill 0 J By William Francis Dugan and Gladys Shaw Erskine Co Copyright 1925 Thompson Feature Futuro w Service Inc Continued from yesterday I I IlIe lIe He rose abruptly still without looking at her hel where she he knelt an and strode across the room Oh that's It it is it You think Im I'm going to hell and it bothers your our conscience Ills His voice grated across the words Well Yell dont don't worry norry about that Ill I'll pull up when I want to he boasted bitterlY You can ca'n cut out all this emotion as far Car as Im I'm concerned It doesn't mean a n thing He tIe turned ned upon her the matter with you he asked then finished with witha a Wave ta of his hand t to indicate Ar- Ar mand Have Hae you au tired of the the the- Mozella rose from front her knees and followed Horace in his stride Horace Horace Horace Hor ace she repeated insistently trying trying trying try try- ing to make him listen Im telling you ou the truth I love you you just Just you ou I always have and have and always alwa's will Youre lying he rasped Benson you ou fool Armand rapped the wor words s out in disgusted anger at the blindness of the other manI manI man I 1 tell you ou she's lying Iring Hora Horace e snarled at him and all the time she's talking I can see her locked In your arms aims and hear her telling I you the same thing I wish to God she ha had or ever would Armand told him with all ache of his unrequited love throbbIng throbbing throbbing throb throb- bing in his voice Its the only onh picture of h her hr her r Ill I'll ever see again Horace rode r rough roughshod roughshod uh shod over the other mansh ansh prayerful prayer prayer- ful answer Locked in your apartment and now she wants to flatter Clatter herself that she sho has sent me to the dogs dog he went on sarcastically and now she's going to make a great sacrIfice sacrifice cacti cacti- fice flee to rescue me to me-to to reform me He turned to Mozella and for the first time his eyes looked directly at her e eYou You ha have e made a fool of me meonce meonce meonce once he told h her r. r Just once once but but you'll never never get the chance to do Ita it a again aln Without another gl glance nc at Arhe Armand Armand Ar- Ar mand he strode into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him UNDERSTANDING Mozella stood there for a a. full minute after Horace slammed d the thedoor thedoor door with such finality her finality her arms stretched out out pitifully upon pitifully upon her trembling lips one word wor-d. Horace The whispered word vord died away like a broken note Inthe Inthe in inthe the throat of a wounded bird Her lIeI lids fluttered down clown over her eyes remained eyes remained closed From Fram under each white lid crept a slow tear teal hung suspended for a moment against the fringe of or dark lashes then crawled Its patch down her white cheek dropping upon her breast where it lay like lIe a liquid symbol of grief The first translucent translucent translucent trans trans- lucent pearl in a rosar rosary of tears Slowly painfully she turned and dragging one foot after arter another u unsteadily t made mad ii r w f to the outer door Armand spoke to her She neither neith neith- er saw him nor heard him As one bemused she went out of the room and antl down the stairs Armand followed her closely Helped her her c car r and placed himself beside her She stared straight ahead spoke ahead spoke no word Home Home Scott said Armand Again he spoke softly to Mozella l At her continued silence he became frightened lIe He took her hand in h his IKS s patted it gently It lay inert lifeless within with with- in his grasp tc Mozella he said You must try dear and get control of your your- self You are driving yourself Into an illness sweetheart Still sh she made no answer stared with that fixed gaze into the distance distance distance dis dis- tance at nothing He paced placed one arm about her rigid body drew her over aver against his shoulder She remained passive quiescent in the circle of his arm He spoke again comfortingly Horace didn't mean everything v ry hing he lie said dear I think my presence angered him so t that at he didn't know what he was was' sa saying ing He looked into her face anxiously but could find no change chang there The same same blank dazed lazed expression met methIs methis methis his loving eyes The thought came to him that he lie must break breal this silent dazed staring staring staring star star- ing condition It would be better for her if she would cry Tears real tears would relieve the strain and might save her Come now lOW he shook her gently gently gentl gent gent- l ly this wont won't do Still no 1 response from her Tomorrow everything will 1 be alright all l allright alright right he promised Til Ill I'll go down and have a talk wit J Ill I'll make him listen make male ma him understand under under- C CHis stand His voice broke i iId Id give m my my life liCe he said sald huskily huskily husk husk- n ily If I could save save- you OU an hour of this suffering suffering suffering-sufferIng suffering that 1 I have brought upon you She never stirred within his arm Never uttered one word vord Never broke that staring empty gaze g At last the car drew up in front of the Benson door Armand helped Mozella out ou She was submissive passive a figure of wax lie He led her across the pavement Assisted her up the steps The butler opened the door and Armand led her In ln At the foot of ot the great stairs she lifted he her het head A light of ot c cal canie ie Into her blank looked eyes as she looked up the stairway stair stair- wa way She took one wavering wa step forward forward for for- ward stretched stretched out her hand as though she were blind and crumpled cr a heap on the floor at athis athis athis his feet teet Mozella he cried and stoopIng stoopIng stooping stoop- stoop Ing gathered her up into his arms Her head fell back against her arm like the head of a broken doll Her leer face had the pallor of death Her Herskin Herskin Herskin skin was cold clammy to his touch His Ills startled cry brought the butler butler butler but but- ler who had not left the room to his side After Aftel one glance at the tho burden den Armand held beld in his arms alms he loudly Y called for tor Emille Emme She appeared at the top of the stairway Looked down saw th the e tableau at the foot and screamed Mon lon Dieu she kept repeating as she ran down n the stairs Mon 1 on Dieu Ma Ia Petite Be quiet Armand commanded sternly Lead the way way- to her boudoir Emille Emme obe obeyed ed him him as as she preceded preceded preceded pre pre- ceded him him- up the stairs constantly looking back at her hel beloved mistress mistress mistress mis mis- tress and uttering little big irig cries Armand carried Mozella l Into her boudoir glanced about it and wen went straight on into her bedroom where he laid her gently upon her bed Emilie he commanded disrobe Mrs 1 Benson at once and get into bed Then turning he looked about and said saW Where is the telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone here Emily pointed to the room through which he had just passed and he went directly to It and telephoned to his own physician ph n. n After Arter telling him the address and impressing upon him the urgency of oJ the call he called Elizabeth To be continued |