Show EA AR A R T or OF ajr THE TH W cm i by rex beach C cyriald r sk Bro brother thors CHAPTER continued 20 no nol no 1 ile he inn made a a gesture of denial how ridiculous I 1 I 1 merely keep you from certain destruction yu you cannot go by train because the railroad ling has suspended public service nor can you ride or drive I 1 tell you senora the lie people are aroused for tile tho moment you must accept my protection whether you wish to or not cot tomorrow longorio Lon Lou gorlo smiled warmly 11 perhaps you will not be in such taste haste to refuse it or to leave lu la perin walt until you understand me bettor better then But enough of this you are unstrung you wish to be alone with your thoughts and what I 1 have to say can watt wait for a few hours in the meantime may I 1 beg the hospitality of your ranch for myself and my men alagre acquiesced acquiesce mechanically longorio saluted her ter fingers lit in his cu customary S manner and then with a lo 10 look ok eloquent of things unsaid lie he went out to see to the comfort of ills his command aduire sank into the nearest chair her nerves quivering her mind in a turmoil tills this mexican ans detestable and lie he was far from being the mere maker of audaciously gallant speeches the poetically fervent wooer of every pretty woman she had bad blindly supposed him ills was no sham the man mail was hotly horribly lit in earnest there hod had been a glint of madness in ill ills his eyes and lie actually seemed to think that tant she shared his infatuation it was intolerable yet longorio Lon gorlo she was suro sure had an abundance ot diacre tion lie would not dare to offer her violence lie ile had pride too and in ills his way lie was something of a gentleman so far she had avoided giving him offense but if once sho she made plain to him how low utterly loathsome to her was tits his pursuit she wits sure that lie would cease to annoy her alaire was self confident strong willed she took courage iler her thoughts turned f from rom her fears to tho amazing reality of her widowhood wado W eyen yet she could not wholly credit tile the filet fact that eds wasted life had come to an end and that slie she wits was free to make mahe tile the most of her own alagre remembered her ter husband now with more tenderness more charlt charity Y than sho slie would have bell believed eVed possible andrt and it seemed to her that ono one so blessed with opportunity should have worked such havoc with himself an and it with those near to him doubtless it ars was all n part of some scheme too blind tor for her ter to solve perhaps indeed tits his own trials lind had been designed to the cw on 1 I that her greater truer love when I 1 it did como come would find her ripe responsive rendy ready As for tills this mexican general she would put him in his place alagre was still walking the floor of her chamber when dolores entered at lusk dusk to say that supper was ready rea a and abat general longorio Lon Lou gorlo was wo waiting it ask him to excuse me she told lice her servant but longorio Lon gorlo himself spoke from the next room saying senora I 1 beg of 0 f bouto lionor honor me I 1 have much of importance to say and time presses control your grief and give me the pleasure of your company compan y after an instants consideration alabre yielded it was waa best to have the matter over with once for or all CHAPTER the doors of paradise alagre began the mockery of playing hostess with extreme distaste and as the meat meal progressed she experienced a n growing uneasiness Long Longor loa bearing had changed since hla his arrival lie ile was still extravagantly courteous beautifully attentive lie ha maintained ft a flow of conversation that relieved her of any effort and yet lie he displayed it depre repressed ged excitement that was disturbing in ills his eyes there was a gloating look 1001 of possession hard to endure despite her icy fornin formality lity lie he appear appeared eill to be holding himself within tile alio bounds of propriety only by tin an effort of the ho will and she was not surprised when at the conclusion kf af the men meal lie he cast restraint aside I 1 she did not let him RO go far with his wooing before warning him 1 I wont listen to you you are a man of taste you roust must regitze how offensive tills this Is let us not deceive each other he insisted we ve are alone let us be honest do not ask me to put falth faith in your grief I 1 find my excuse in tile extraordinary nature of 0 this situation Not nothing bIng can excuse indelicacy site answered evenly you transgress the commonest rules of decency but lie he was impatient what tit you did not lov your husband tits you wore were for years ills hla pals prisoner through the bars of your prison I 1 saw and loved lored you dios blosl I 1 tito first sight of your face altered the current of my life I 1 saw heaven in your eyes and X r have dreamed of nothing else bevc since will well providence opened the doors door and set you free god gave heed to my prayers and delivered you to me now you pretend to grieve at your deliverance you jask ask roe me to re tho the memory of you jailer I 1 decency rellna Peli cao ja what tire they ther except which vanish in aimel of stress alexander the great napoleon Por porfillo firlo adlaz they were strong purposeful men they lived as I 1 livo senora you dally with loved love face was white with anger no JIB site blie replied you cause me to forget that you are my guest are you the ainu I 1 considered you or the ninn you are reported to be ell eh va are douthe you the gentleman the friend you oil pretended to be or the vandal whom can trust you yon trout treat ule me fis as if layou you were my jailer what do you yon mean what kind of man anre you to take advantage of my bereavement after honsl consideration on lon gorlo began linI tIngly T I dont know what mail kind of a man I 1 nin for you have changed me so there was a time I 1 I 1 have done things I 1 have scorned nil all restraint ull nil laws except those of my desires and so perhaps I 1 hill am it cundal make blake sure of this however I 1 shall not injure you mexico Is no more sacred to tile 1110 than you my hearts treasure trens you accuse mo ilia of indelicacy Indell eticY because I 1 lack the strength to smother my admiration I 1 adore you my being dissolves my veins tire are afire with longing for you I 1 am mad anad with tit lie a knowledge that you are mine mad bind caramba I 1 I 1 am insane my mind totters I 1 grope my way like a mail man blinded by a dazzling light I 1 suffer agonies but seel ecel I 1 refuse to touch you I 1 am a giant in my restraint the strength of I 1 Is mine and I 1 strangle my impulses ng as they anro born although tile the effort kills me sonora I 1 the moment of your voluntary surrender I 1 wait for you lie ile extended ills his arins and alaire saw that ills his olive features were distorted with emotion that ills his hands blinds ills whole thin high strung body were slinking shaking uncontrollably she could summon no coherent words you believed I 1 wits was it a hawk howk ani and would seize you oh lie he quer queried led Is you continue to shrink well lot let me tell you yon something it if my tongue will triune frame the thoughts in my mind sly bly passion Is so deep end and so sacred that I 1 would not be content with less than all of you I 1 must have you nil and so BO I 1 wait trembling I 1 say bay tills this so badly that I 1 doubt if you understand listen then to possess you by force would be well fig as if I 1 sacked a cathedral of its golden images and expected to gain heaven by clutching tho the cross in my arms senora in you I 1 see sea tile prIe priceless pless lewel of my love which I 1 filially wear to dazzle the world and without which I 1 shall destroy myself now let me tell you whitt what I 1 can offer you what setting I 1 can build for tills treasure marr marriage lingo with luls luis longorio Lon gorlo alabre could not control a n start As it if quickened by ills his intensity tho the man read her thought you did not Int imagine agine that I 1 offered you anything I 1 less ess 7 what was I 1 to think your reputation P blood of my heart 1 brent breathed lied the tha general so I 1 that la Is what you meant a moment ago that Is why you refuse my embraces no not nol other women havo have feared me and I 1 have whit what kind of man are arc you to tako take advantage of my bereavement laughed in their hair ns as they tore at my arras but you you will PC be my wife anil and all mexico bow at your feet lie ile chocked checked lier denial with it a gesture walt until I 1 tell you tile the ivisson vision I 1 have leave been during these days lot of despair I 1 seo see mexico made whole by my hands I 1 a land of pence peace and ni d plenty 1 a people with one name upon their lips tho name of longorio Lon gorlo the deliverer and you as the first arst lady of theu oil all you know mo me tor for a man of tremendous ability in every line well I 1 know myself too I 1 have measured myself carefully and I 1 have no weakness tharo alipra Is no other like roe me pancho gomez bait bahl I 1 lie Is a red handed bandit of no culture can de delella lerla his chief tile the idol of the ig fg borant and a dreamer of no torce force ile he is president today but what of tomorrow those who surround him are ara weaklings wea klings and he be stumbles mumbles toward oblivion who will succeed him who will issue from tile coming coining struggle us its the dominant figure of mexico who but will mill tary enry getting genius who checks tile yankee hordes and saves tho the ta fatherland therland I 1 iain lie he fato fate points tile the path of glory and I 1 am ani her ter of de destiny delany linY you yon we see then what I 1 bring you yon power position riches Ill riches ebes Ca carambat rambal walt wait until my iny hands are in ill the tretis trens ury I 1 will load you with gold and jewels and I 1 will nake tile tho richest woman in the world I 1 offer you I 1 olter offer you tile the preside tits and and with nil all that lint I 1 offer you such passionate lovo ns as no woman of history lil story ever possessed lie ile paused spent hy by the force of ills his own intensity it was plain thit hit lie he e expected tilt nn immediate surrender alcires lips parted lit in the faintest of mocking su smiles illes you have great confidence in ill abbe said yes I 1 L anuw auw myself as no lio one knows me why to do you yon think I 1 anre for you Long eyes opened ills expression pr ossion plainly showed allowed tant lie ho could not imagine any ally woman in her senses fulling falling to adoro him dont you take inks much for granted alnore lii insisted Isted tito tho Alex lenn shook ills his head then tits his fabe lightened alit ahl now I 1 see bee your modesty forbids you tn edge your loveis love Is that it well I 1 know that you admire mo ine for I 1 call see 80 it all women admire ino ine and they nil end by loving nie me ills clust chest arched imperceptibly with n slender finger lie delicately smoothed ills banck eyebrows alabre felt a wild lin to laugh inurn but wits glad lad site lind had subdued it when lie continued 1 I hiu hill impetuous but impetuosity tills hns made tile me what I 1 rill niu I 1 net act and then mold fate to suit stilt my own ends opportunity lias tits de livered to me ine my hearts desire nna and i will not lot be cheated out of it among tho the men I 1 brought with me ine to la perin Is a priest lie ile Is dirty for I 1 caught him ns as lie was fleeing toward thu the border but lie ho la IS n priest and be will marry us tonight alaire managed to gasp surely you ore not in earnest 11 indeed I 1 nm am I 1 that Is why I 1 insisted that you dine with me md this evening I 1 cannot waste nore more time hero here for necessity calls me ino away you shall go fco as 1118 my wife do you think I 1 would ioni remarry arry on tho the very day I 1 find myself a widow tile the world will never know you dare to say that thail I 1 ilor her tone was one of disgust of finality 1 I wonder how bow I 1 have listened to so BO much it la Is horrible 11 you tire are still a little hysterical and you exaggerate if I 1 had more time lime I 1 could afford to walt wait 11 ile he ogled her with ills luil luminous linous gaze 1 I would let you on play with rue to your li hearts darts content and exercise your power until you tired and were ready to surrender alaire raised her ber head bond proudly her nostrils dilated her eyes ablaze with hostility til tills Is very humiliating but you force roe me to tell you that I 1 late hate you longorio Lon gorlo was incredulous rather than offended lie ire drew himself up to ills his full height and fomil 1 saying that Is impossible then ignoring her Impat impatience lence cornel come I 1 you cannot deceive mp me the priest Is walting waiting when alaire spoke next it was with nn an expression and with a tone of such buell loathing hint flint his yellow face paled your conceit Is 1 insufferable sho breathed alter after it a brief struggle gl with lillus himself elf ilia mexican cried hoarsely 1 I will not be refused you wish sue me to tome you eh ch goedl you have found your ma master ster make your choice then which shall it be surrender or compulsion pul slon sol so I 1 you have been I 1 lying ing as I 1 chotu thought lit compulsion I 1 now the real longorio Lon gorlo speaks ire he nung flung up his hands as if to waid nvard 67 07 her fury no nol I 1 alave ilave I 1 not made c clear I 1 shall embrace you ou only with the arms of a husband for tills this Is not the alip passion of it moment but of a lifetime oud and I 1 have myself to consider the wife of medicos cos next net president must be above reproach there must be no scandal no secrets hidden away for enemies to unearth she roust must stand before the people am a perfect woman she must lend pres bilge to his name when I 1 spink of f compulsion then I 1 mean uio the of a husband adnire uttered an exclamation of disgust unit and turned away but lio lie litter r cepter her saying baying you cannot told me nt at bay it Is destiny you elmal lie ito mine tonight think a moment I 1 wo we are alone in the heart of n country lacking in every law jaw but mine your friends do not know where you ou ar are C ond and even if they knew they could not help you your nations protest would avail nothing outside of these v valla alls tire are enemies who will not let you leave this house except under the protection of my mv norie 11 then I 1 shall never leave it site she told him for the first time Lon longorio gorlo spoke roughly 1 I loso lose patience in gods name havel have I 1 not waited long elou enough ii sly strength Is rone eone impulsively ho be halt half encircled her with ilia his thin arms hut but sho she seemed armoul with tee ace anit lie he dropped them sho she could hear him grind tits his teeth 1 I dare not lay hands upon you tie he chattered angel ot of ray MY dreams I 1 am ain faint with longing to love you and yet to be dented denied to feel myself allame und and yet to see you oil cold to be halted at the very doors ot of what want tor torture 1 the fellows self control in the midst of lils big frenzy frightened alaire more than did ills his wildest avowals avo wals it was in something of a panic that she eho said one moment you tell tile me I 1 tim nm safe the next you threaten throat ek me you say I 1 am free and yet you coerced tile ino prove your love let me file go wol no I 1 no I 1 I 1 shall call tho the Ir priest let Lon longorio goilo turned toward this the door but halfway half way across tho the floor lie ho wits was halted by n womans comans shriek which issued from froin somewhere inside the house it was repented repeated there avas ans tilt an outburst in a masculine voice then tile tho patter of footsteps approaching down tile tiled filed hallway dolores burst into her mistress |