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Show THE WOMAN HATER 1 There was a tragic alienee, then Tranter en id almost brutally: "You won't love him when yoa hear what I've got to tell you. You won't love him when you know that ho made you the subject of a common bet in a club Ah: 1 thought that would hurt," he aaid with swift exultation, as aha shrank away from htm. "it hurt me, loo, when I heard. But It's the truth. Ho made a bet with l arry you don't know I'arry, aa 1 ou. He's one of those idlers who hang about clubs and ltatn to any infernal acandu. a man cares to repeat of a woniau. Kaversham bet him a hundred dollars that within a month he would make you throw me J "He la your friend," spe said brokenly. bro-kenly. Tranter flushed. "He waa my friend," he said tn a harsh voire; "but If ever we meet again " He broke off drawing a hard breath. ' "If ever you rr.rt again, he will tell you to your face that they are all lies, what you have aaid," she broke In passionately. pas-sionately. "I don't believe you" "It's the truth." Hhe began to walk on rapidly, hardly knowing what she did. Her limbs were fhaktng and there was a terrible fear at her heart. Whs it the trurh? Would she. Indeed, nevr eee f'aversham again? No. no. she would not believe it! It would kill her if she were forced to be- over for him." "I rionl believe you!" The words were almost a cry, "I don't believe you! I've known Mile a! my life," Her voice caught on a Bob. "Oh, I've knowa him all my life, and he wouldn't he couldn't do such a thing'" "All your 111:" Tranter stared at her increduously. "'You don't know what you're saying? You never met him till that riiirht at Marino's." "1 ve known him a my life," she said again, a throbbing note in her voice. "He I ktvt-d me years aro. and 1 was such a I poor little tool I could not aee how well wort. i having he was. 1 threw him over and broke hia heart, out now " her brown eyea ahone through their tears aa she looked at Tranter white fat?e "now I'd lie down gladly and die to aava him a moment a pain." Tranter causrht hr by the arm; hia lieve It. Her ateps were leading her away from tke village and towards the sea. The toft sound of the wavea reached them through the chill evening, and she broke out again tn despair. "Ob. 1 will kill myself if what you aay is true! ' Hhe turned on Tranter fiercely. "Why have you come? How did you know where I waa?" "lister wrote to me ' "Leater?" Her voice was broken, Incredulous. In-credulous. After a moment she aaid Hft-ain. sobbing: "Hhe never liked Miles. He tllwaya said so. Oh, how could .she bave done such a thing!" "She knew that Miles was footing you. Bhe Is fond of you. is ha wanted you to ho happy, and she knows that 1 worship wor-ship the very ground you tread" "I never want to net; you again. Tallle cried. "Kven if what you say ia true and I don't admit that It ia there will never be another man in the world for me never!" "But listen. Lsflllie." Tranter urged, "Faversham told my mother, years ago, that if ever he had a chance he would be revenged on the woman w ho had spoilt his life. I aaw her yesterday, and she admitted that she had begged Faversham Fa-versham to try and break off my engagement en-gagement with you." "f was never engaged to you." "You would have been but for Miles. We ahould have been married now if he had never come to Mamio's that night." It wai the truth and she knew it. She tried desperately to think, to look back over the past happy days, to find corroboration of thla man e stery. It was she who b:ul been the lover never Kaverham! Ttie thought was like a knife turned in her heart, but she went on ruthlessly. It was she who had. oent for him to eome to her that night, not he who had asked to come. It waa she who had pleaded with him. not he who hud been on hia knee to her fingers bruised her noft flesh through the little woolly jacket, but she hardly felt it. He peered down Into her exultant ex-ultant face uncertainly,-and there was a poignant silence; then he aaid in a stiff, hoarse voice: "Then it waa you you? the woman he told me about years ago! The woman who made him hate all othera Lttllie!" Her head sank. "Oh. 1 know, 1 know." she mid In a shamed whisper. "I ought to have told you. I wish now that 1 had, but that night when he came to dinner I never thouKht he cared, and I didn't know how much he waa guing to make me care. lon't be hard, f'hillp. Try and forgive me. I can't help loving him try and forgive me." Tranter laughed. "Forgive you for letting him fool you aa he ha? 1 tell you be carea nothing for you. You think he means to marrv you. I tell you that he never will: that he's Just playing his own gnme and that when he baa made sure that you II never come back to me he'll turn and walk awa. Where Is he now? I was told he was down here with you. Where ts he now? Tell me that." "Home day some man will break your I heart as you have broken mine." I The words stole unbidden into her brsin. The prophecy had eome true. She was being punished for what she had done in the past. Faverhain nad won her ! love In ordr to fling it away aa, years ago. she had flung away his. I "Forget hi m, Lallle and come back to "He had to go back to town on business,, busi-ness,, he said. He had1 a . telegram" She stammered and broke off. , "Bum neis ! Have you ever known Faversham to bave any buinea' that ma t tered more t han his own pletxure '.' He's gone, I telj you. You'll never see him again. It's the end of the Mory a far as he's concerned. l,aJtie, for Heaven'a aake " IShe waa sinking at biin with imiiotent hands. "Oh. oti liar! ' You cruel bar'" ahe ga.ip-d, sobbing In. Iter pain. There was a very real terror growing in her heart or had it alwas been there and only-been only-been brought to life bv this man's words" "Oh, 1 hate you, 1 hate you'" she said I frantically. "let me go oh. )( me i go" Hhe broke away from him and fled down the road In the darknes. Tranter stood looking after her stupidly stupid-ly for a moment. Then he followed and caught her by the arm. holding her in spite of her Mrugglea. "Lallie. lesten to me listen to me just a moment: Oh, my darling. Jon t rrv like f hut '' Khm Wna uilthinv savil.t- me. 1 love you I adore you. I'll make you forget him. I'll take you a wa y . " The mau beside her began his broken pleading all over again, but she was not listening. The presentiment that had racked her when they parted had been r:ght. after all. Ho had gone out of her life for ever. And she had to go on living Oh. but she need not do that. There was no power oq earth that could force her to , live, now all hope of happiness had been taken from her for ever. In one month, he bad said, he would make her love him! One month one; day hnd been long enough. "I will not live, I will not live without I him. She iKke the words aloud un-I un-I consciously, and before he could stop her she broke away from Tranter's de-(talnlng de-(talnlng hand and ran from him Into the i darknefa. . . To be continued 1 f ly. "He's not worth a tear not worth a thought. I swear to you on my word of honor that all I have told you is true. He cares nothing for you. It's the truth about that bet. Parrv let It out In front of me one night. He was frightened afterwards; he did his best to recall It but it was tho truth, and 1 made him admit It." Hhe rriled him fiercely. "I don't believe you. It's cruel, wicked to break mv heart' "It'a tho truth r ewesr it! Forget him- he e not worth a thoug h t r j |