Show J h J j BY Copyright 1912 1912 21 TF iE I REX BEACH N I REX By B BEACH CHAPTER Continued In of ot tb tho words her eyes filmed over o with tears team a look of abject miery misery mia mis ery bared it itself lt upon her face Where is the countess II Above resting Come She too ill rejoice Let mo take her tho netT news You ou and and ind- 1 J think the air were ere going out will do ilO you good Bo Be brave c Oliveta you TOU have dono done your Jour share haie and aid theres there's nothing mo more to fear She acquiesced duly her olive oll fea features t tures turu were w-cre ghastly as RS sho felt hor her wa way way pAst him Jini she sho walked like liko a fick sick woman toman He watched her har pityingly h. h for a a moS mo mo- S ment merit then mounted cd the stairs stair An As Af he hel ten t l laid his hand upon th the tho door it gave zave ave to his bit touch tonch and he stood tood upon the threshold of th the parlor s 's f name was upon his hia hi ups lips when by the thet t t dim evening light which l came came through the drawn curtin curtains and by the faint illumination from tho the solitary by shrine candle cande he ha saw paw her re recumbent form lorm upon the couch Much 1 She was lying in in an aU n attitude of com com- I relaxation her hr sun ann gilded JIe har hair straying in long thi thick k braids below t her het waist want hoo tawny ropes rope w were rc L of a length and thickness to bind a aman f man about the tho body H Her Ier r lips were 1 her J lashes hes Is lay like slightly slightly- l parted che cheeks ka dark s shadows a against her ber ivory Ho was swept by bJ a sudden awed abashment The impulse to retreat Il I came over over him hm but lie be le lacked the tho to will wil i The Tho lonin longing which had ha remained so 80 soP P strong To in him bim through h years of denial i governing the whole course of f his life blazed tip lip in him bim now and increased increase ed with every hI heart beat He Ho fo found nd that willing it it bo ho had bad como come close Jose mint slim hand la lay to the tho couch The girls girl's too the cushions t limply upturned to t. t upon half and there him bun it was wa Wa haI open through h him an ungovernable prang desiro desire to bur bury his hs lips Hs in its it r rosy J. J palm Tie IW knelt then quailed and ad re recovered f ft 1 himself At Atthe the same fame instant sue she It incredulous d delight jk stirred tired and to his whispered his n name me V A wild exultation shot not through trob b him bim ft Why not yield to this madness madness' ho be Wy himself dizzily Tbt lon long 1 gb was wa ov over r now For this woman's womans s 's L sake Jle ke be ho hail had repeatedly played the part f of bravery in a 8 fever of fear He HC had 5 done b what what- ho b lid had d done to make bim mm- mmE E self worthy t of oL of her and aud aa now at at the thelast last he be was was o to have nothing i nothing except a a. a memory Jutel 2 A Against these thou thoughts thought his hs notions of honorable conduct hastily atily hat and con con- coni 1 I But he i f arrayed them themselves el was in no state to reason The Tho Te same sare wa enchantment stat half balf psychic half hal physical phy- phy ethereal vet ret stron strongly ly human that h had d mastered him in tho the old Sicilian days w was s at at work upon him him now Dimly tay ho hn felt that no so mi mighty and nati natural nat nat- i ural ual a a. a thin thing elt ought not Dot to be bo resisted 1 He Hn stood stiffly like a man 8 spellbound It Tt I may have hae been Oliveta s a accusation accusation tion Hon that affected the tile course coms of the sleeping woman womans woman's s thou thoughts it may may have been she sho f felt lt the tho man man mans man's s p nearness or that some influence passed ft rom his his- mind to hers it i rom if was aB sho ibe iba spoke his bis nae name nanc again her closed over ofer his Lis sho drew him bim toward her ber He lie iel yielded cd her warm heat boat POn his his' face Then hen the last atoms of V pelf restraint fled fed away from him like liko t parks sparks cf restant before a a i. i fierce fiere night wind vind A fiery manes madness coursed through his veins veins as fery s he caught her to him Her Rr were fevered fE with sleep For or a moment the c caress ress sleep real it was the climax of or his hopes hope the attainment of ot his longin longings s. s He lie her d her iu in his arms her hair bau blinded him he be buried burica his bis face facein facein in it kissing kisin her brow her ber cheek the curve where neck and shoulder met and all the time he be was speaking her name al with hoarse tenderness So strangely had bad the fanciful merged ad into the real rea that the girl was wa-s wa Pcr slow Blow in in int waking Her eyelids gI fluttered her breast rose rOe and fell fel tumultuously and even whilo hiJo her wits its were struggling back to reality hor her arms clung to him But ut the transition was brief Her eyes opened and she stiffened as with the shock 8 ock of an electric current A cry a swift writhing movement and she was upon her feet bis his incoherent wor words s V boating beating upon her ears cars but makin making no rio f- f 4 impression n upon her brain i you Youl God above she we cried him white terror stricken y She faced i yet vet splendid in her hor anger l er She was WM sti still t dared but horror and dismay leaped S quickly into into her eyes eves f- f Margherita You called me You Y t drew mo Ino to too you o It I was was' your rca real self i that spoke spoke spoke-I pok 1 I know yas' yas it L You You kissed kissed me while I while I slept slept r r. He lie Te p paled lcd at the look with ith which she sho f q scorched he him hi then broke out do doggedly eay You You wanted mc me you ou drew me close clos You cant can't undo that moment moment- you n cant can't My fV God I Dont Don't tell tel me met it t was a va all an a mistake That Tat would make tit It unendurable I could coul never forgive c She hid her face with mt a chokin choking cry hd of shame came No No no nol I didn't know know know- know i He approached and touched her arm armI I J timidly hn u Margherita Marghita be said iM if thought ht you really did not call caU mo inc inc-if e- e if t J z were made to believe that I had ha com corn an unpardonable offense a against your your womanhood aD and our friendship T would ouM go 0 and ana kill myself But some some- how hiow I cannot believe kJ that T I was benido be- be DW nido ulo myself myself but but but I was wa never more ex ox- t n alted ed Something greater reater than inv own will made me nie do as I did I 1 th think it it was as your our lovo love answering u w rin to mine Tf TI I J that is 18 not so If so-if if it Jt is all al a d delusion delusion- lusion- lusion f t there cre is is 15 nothing loft for me T I have havo playe my Y part out to the end My Mv f I A work j is done and T I do not see how bow ho I I 1 ICan acan Can caD go o on living There was a an odd mingling of nain pain nl 1 tro in the gaze she raised to toI toI L I his I i rJ It t gave sar ave him nim coura courage e. e I Why i hy struggle tru l longer he hc urged ea gently nty Why Why turn from from love lovo ovo when ivhon c ven wills you ou to receive it and learn carn yo t to bo be e a woman I was wa in your thoughts jand tO an you longed for me me as asT T have havo never ceased all al these thes years ars to hunger for forr rou Please Please Mn r hu Wh- Wh f fight it longer beriat gk Wat have o you OU done What bacr have bac dC tr she whispered por d over and oer r A looked toward tho open 8 If ff with thought thou bt of escape or orb b 51 heel and lepit bi his growing ko was nl miserable at sight of bet f I re a How o h came Jon you 01 here alono alno with ii c at len length th 11 was l h he r om only a moment ago ao Caine le with y good news for or both bothe an and ben Imet Teh Oliveta 11 as 5 S she wont out outto out out- to fo e t had a told her hor sh Bhe Iba B sent nt inc you D' D Do t Tt it wa Tu 1 you u understand dear c I nur eur ork tl flows wl Our quest i is over ver oDe and God has bas fit to deliver ft E She deler Ou Our r enemy enemy- hil th the flung 1 ut 3 a hand hid It itself in t the silk a and What lae lae at r breast e lik is Am Wat IS yo t toll J met me ioU o PT 1 still d r m ni 1 ha bai haf been j In Is it jt po possible This Thi long Ion nightmare night night- h- h hBO n mare BO ended at last laRt like this Maruffi is IS arrested You Yon are ale safe No one h has as been killed It is ONeil O'Neil I all al right telephoned telephoned me mo and and I came cam hero nere at once to t tell trl you rou and Wen When did they teJ find him Where t Not Not half an an hour hou ago at ago at his hou house W Wi h have ve been beon watching watching the place ever since ince since ho disappeared feeling sure hed he'd hn to return s sooner oner or or later lator if only onlY for e a e moment He lIe is under r lock an ankey and ana le key kov at this thi instant Blake lake attributed a in the ball outside to the tho presence presen n of the tb maid maid- servant Mar Margherita herla ho whose e eyes were Ted fi-Ted upon him failed to dete detect detect a t la a figure figuro ro stood tood in iii il tho shadow just beyond the tho open door 1001 D Does e he know of our OUT part in in it it Oliveta's part i she he asked part ONeil didn't say Hell He'll learn lern earn of of it shortly in any Rny event Do you yon YOl ro- ro aliza what wb-at his bis capture means means means' I hardly alze do myself For one thing hardly there theres there's no further farther need or of concealment once j I-I I i want people to know who you yon ae are It I seem seeing hardly conceivable that Bell Bell- Bel- Bel Bellaro sane sario Cardi Culi has hM gone to to meet his bis punishment pun pun- laro but it i is true Lucrezia has ha been revenged at last Jast It I has hM been beon a terrible task for all of us but it has haa al 18 t tr brou brought ht you and io mo me to together eter at last last r I dont don't intend ever eer to let you go t n again nn Margherita I 1 loved lo you yon there in in Sicily Ivo Ive ocd loved you every ever moment every hour hour hour- f Blake Blako turned at the sound lond of a a. a door closing behind him bim He Ho saw naw tW Margherita Mar- Mar berita 8 start art tr t then theu lean I n forward staring star ing int past put him bim with wih a a look of amazement amaze amaze- ment merit of fri frightened honed incredulity upon her fare Someone a man ma had ha stepped into h the dim dm lit lt room and nd was font font- bling with the lock loch his his eyes fixed fec n upon n thorn thom meanwhile over o cr his bis houlder Theli Tho The li light ht from the windows had ha faded tho the faint illumination illuminati n from tho the taper before before be be- fore the hrino was fully to pierce tie the gloom But on tho the instant in in- stant tant of hi his interruption all al triumph and nd thrilling hope hopf a all thou thoughts ht of love lo e fled fed from front Norvin's Nor mind bursting like iridescent ont bubbles at a touch The Te fesh flesh along his his back writhed the hair hairat hairat hair hairat at Ills aon neck lifted isol for there in inthe i the tho shadow huge C. C blick black and nd silent stood Caesar M Maruffi I CHAPTER cn X Under Tinder Fire Fe Blake heard Mar Margherita's breath release release re lease itself i l. l Sho She was staring as if at atan ata atan an a apparition His Hi mind mid ork working with feverish speed sed sought vainly to grasp tho the situation Maruffi Marf had broken away and come for his hi vengeance but how bow or wh why this m had had been made possible possible pos pos- sible he be could not conce conceive c It sufficed suf that the tho man was WR here in tho the flesh sinister terrible malignant ant as hell hel Blake Blae Know KnoW that the ultimate test of his courage had como come He felt the be beginnings s of that I shuddering te sickening weakness with I which he was vas only too familiar felt leI the strength th running out from front his body as 88 water water sten escapes from a broken V vessel He Ho froze with wih the Bense sense of his physical impotency And Ad yet d despite spite this chaos of ot conflicting emotions his bi inner mind minel was vas clear it lt was wa bitter biter too to-o with s ferocious wolf self disgust There here was a breathless pause before Mar Maruffi fi spoke zia Ferara he ho said hoarsely hoarse hoarse- ly lv as if za wishing wi to test the tho sound of oftie tie the tho name So Oliveta is the dau daughter of the tho overseer and you are arc Savigno's sweetheart niB Ills words were directed at Margherita who answered in in a n athin athin thin shrill shri broken voice I What What arc aro you doin doing hero I came for that wanto wantons wanton's a blood Give her to me ne Oliveta She Sho is gone The fhe Sicilian cursed Gone Gone Where I Away Into tho the street You You You-you you cannot find her J Christ Maruffi reached upward and tore open the collar olar of his bis shirt Blake Bake spoke for the first time but his bis voice was dead and lifeless Yes She's Ses Se's gone one Youre You're ure wanted VOI vou must go o with me nie Maruffi gave ave a a. a snarling growling rowIng cry and hi his hil gesture showed that he ho was armed amel Involuntarily Blako Blake shrank His HiB hand groped for his hip but half halfway halfway hal way encountered the pile of silken cushions upon which Margherita had ha be been u lying His fn fingers sank into them nervously his bin other othor hand gripped the tho carven crven footboard of oL of the couch He Ho had no no weapon He lie had bad not dreamed of such euch a necessity In this imminent peril a a. a new fear swept over him hm greater than he had ever known It I was WM not the fear of death It I was something far worse wore For the moment it seemed to him inevitable in In- evitable that Mal Margherita Ginini should at last learn lern tho truth concerning him bim should see him hii himas as a ho he was wa that night at Terranova Swift upon the thc heels of his hisong lon long ong deferred declaration of love would woud come the tho proof that h ho he was wal a craven Then ho he thou thought ht of of her dau danger er re realizing realizing re- re that this thiu man way was wat quite ca en pablo pahlo in his bin f fury ry of killing her too and he stiffened in every fibre Hi Hia Hs cowardice fell fen aa away from him liko Jko a rotten garment ant and h ho he stood erect Maruffi it seemed had not heard his hil last ast words or or else his his' mind miDd was waa still sti set upon Oliveta Gone Gonel bo ho ex x- x claimed Then I shall not not see ace her face aco grow row black within my fn fingers fingers- ers ers- not yet et God How HoV T I ran ran He cursed cured a again al But I shall l not not fare faro so badly after all al Ho lie stirred and with his hUI movement mo Blake Blak flew few to action Swiftly Swift Swift- Swift Swift- ly y with one swee sweep of his ri right ht hand baud he be je brought the tho silken cushions up before be- be ore fore his breast and JUD lunged cd at at his en en- emy At the same instant Maruffi fired irod In the tho closed room the detonation detonation was deafening it rattled tho the windows it I seemed to hul bulge bulgo e the ver very en walls Blake felt a a. a heavy blow Thi which h drove the floss foss filled pi pillows a against his body with ith the thc force of a giant hammer bammer It I tore them from front his hb grip it crushed the tho bre breath th from his bis lungs and spun him halt aroun around Seeing that he did not fall all fal Maruffi cocked and aud fired firel frel a second time without aimi aiming but hut his js victim was upon him him like a a a tiger and together together to to- gether the they crashed back against the wall locked in each others ethers arm arms arnis Blake will propelled him wl rop lcd splendid splendid- |