Show RAND ca catharine newlin burt 4 4 A 1 COPTI LIGHT UY UK CHAPTER vill VIII continued 21 yes prosper gael I 1 was waa there with him fa for r months at first I 1 strong enough to go away aud and then after h while lille I 1 tried hut but I 1 was too lonely und and sorrowful in the spring I 1 loved loed him hilll I 1 thought I 1 loved him ile he wanted me I 1 aps nil all alone in the world I 1 ddn know that eliat lie loved another woman I 1 t thought silo she was dead like ilke alerre prosper had clothes for tier her there I 1 suppose ive 1 e thought it out since that she was to leave as it if for a short journey and then secretly go on aba that long one and she take many things with her sn po he had beautiful stuffs for her and ana a little suit to wear in the snow how flow I 1 come came to call her th the e tall still child 1 seeing that little suit long and narrow this letter came calne one rooming morning one awfully bright morning lie ile rend read it and went out and the next day clay lie it went away afterward I 1 found the letter torn in two beside his desk on the floor I 1 took it and ive always kept it 11 all the tall child 1 ile he looked so BO terrible when I 1 called her that and site she was your betty all tl tho t taniel inie 1 yes said morena slowly y she was my hetty betty all the time ile gave lier her 11 it twisted smile and put the two papers carefully ci are fully into nit an in inside side pocket 1 I am alit going to keep this flits letter jane truly the llie ways of the lord are past finding out joau looked bookil at him in growing un easI easiness her mind never quick to take in all the bearings consequences dofher of lier nets acts was beginning to work what are you going to do with it mr morena I 1 dont want you to rio do betty baty a hurt burt site she must have loved Irol per ga gael 1 el perhaps she still loves ailin ih I 1 ili j i this odd appeal drew another difficult j smile from bettys batys husband hubar td quite obviously she still loves him jan chels divorcing me so so that she caw marry bilm 11 hut ant mr 11 clorena 0 rena ido I do dont nt believe he will vill marry her now ire Is tir tired e d of lier t ile he Is 14 that kindol lover ile he gets d now lie would like to marry me ile he told me so perhaps it if betty knew that she might came back bac k jo to aou without b brandling brandl r a ng lier 1 jasper was startled out of his vengeful stillness prosper gael wants lit ile his told old you so Ys yes ll 11 sho she wits was sad gad and humbled vow now he wants to marry me and once lie he marrying ll 11 he said joan baji quoted plowdy tier her eyes half closed in prospers manner manner her voice a musical e echo of his bli thin vibrant tone its mans most studied stud led insult to woman 1 yes prosper jasper 1 I 1 marry him mr morena even it if I 1 could pot not if I 1 were to be burnt ier for refusing g mm jasper looked book p ro bingly at her a new speculation in ills his eyes dyes she had begun to io nt fit definitely into his plans it seemed there might be a way to frustrate betty and to keep a hold upon ills his valuable are you so iio sure of that jane all ali I 1 slie answer answered gd you doubt it lie lice cause I 1 once aj ce thought allo aught I 1 loved him but you jou dont know fill all about me ile he stood tallent til allent lent busy with his beav ing lat at last lie he looked at tier her rather bla blankly ukly Impersonally joan was con f clous of ft frightened ned lonely chill sit she put out I 1 her ter hand uncertainty uncertainly a wrinkle appearing sharp find and deep bei L twedell tier 1 6 ees is 1 mr I tirena please I 1 ia a anyone ny hut but you understand very well what nhut this divorcing rightly enns nor what they will do t me will you bp be thinking of me a little I 1 ask it for I 1 know you are un lally ln lly and an bothered enough but you lie did dd hot notice the hand it nil idil come out right jane dont laury he said with absent gentleness keep your our mind on your work ill luok out for your best befit interests ile do sure of 01 eliut ile he came near to her lier his lifs tint lint lii iii ahls hand ready to 0 o go try to forget pit nil about it will you alil 0 ll 11 1 cant tal t d do 0 that iveel I 1 feel sort sart of burnt betty thinking that thail I 1 dut but ill do my work just the same of course she fully and sat sa the unnoticed 11 and clasped ln in its fellow when lieh lie and itil gone one she called nervously fr for tier h cr she had ft a hither to fi drena dread oi of being alone but when lan chosen by hetty betty came with tier lier furtive step and treacherous eyes jonn joan invented some come duty for her it occurred to her that af Matt thilde illde might lie ile one af pf of be bettys witnesses vIt ness for some time the girls girlis watchfulness and intrusions tru had become irritatingly noticeable ti and was joans only frequent and informal visitor mathalde thinks I 1 am that I 1 joan said to herself anol and afterward with a bust bu st of weeping and of course that to Is what I 1 am iler her past sin pressed upon hir and a sl ilie ie trembled bled remembering a vv wistful face face if fand her now new lie he would find her glicr branded indeed now inow lie could never believe that hat sli she e had indeed been innocent of guilt in the matter of liol hoi atwell iler her father had first put it a mark upon tier her since then the lie world had only deepened ills revenge there followed a sleepless dry and aching night CHAPTER IX the spider Il nullo lullo Is this mrs morena morenas Mo renal betty held the receiver languidly iler her face had blid grown verb ery thin and tier her eyes were viere patient they were staring now absently through the front win aln flow dow of woodward kanes sitting room fit at a day of driving april rain yes this Is mrs morena the next speech changed her into n hushed and palpitating tating girl mr gael wishes to know madam the man roan manservant servant recited ills his lesson autom allf it you have seen the exhibition of fosters watercolors water colors forty eighth street and fifth avenue ile he wants to know if you will be there this afternoon at five no 88 in the inner room Is the picture lie he would especially like you to notice madam bettys hand and voice were trembling no I 1 seen it she Sh eliest hesitated looking at the downpour tell him please that I 1 will ft be there iler her voice trailed off doubtfully the man at the other end clipped out a very well madam and hung up betty was puzzled why had prosper sent her tills this message made this appointment by ills his servant perhaps because he was afraid that in tier her exaggerated agg ag caution she refuse to meet him if she elie could explain to him the reason for tier her refusal or gauge 1 4 01 both prosper and betty know knew he was master of some intense agitation the importance of his request with a servant she could do neither and the very uncertainty would force tier lier to accept it was a dreadful day nobody would be out certainly not at the ten tea hour bour to look at fosters pictures P to an insignificant exhibition n detty betty felt triumphant at last this far too acquiescent lovci had rebelled against her decree of silence and separation at she stepped out of her taxicab niada made a rtin run for shelter and found herself in the empty exhibition rooms she checked her wrap and tier her umbrella took a catalogue from the little table chatted tor for a moment with the man in charge then moved about looking cire carelessly lessly nt at the pictures no 88 in the inner room iler her heart was beating violently the hand in her was cold she went slowly toward the inner room and saw at once that under a small convay at its far end prosper stood waiting for 11 her ile he waited evetie even after lie he had seen her smile and quickening step and when he did come forward it was with obvious reluctance anc e lic bettys smile faded ills face was haggard and grim unlike itself his eyes lack lus ter as she had never seen them this was not the face of an impatient lover over it was she would not name it but she was wag conscious of a feeling of angry sickness ile he took her hand and forced a smile betty I 1 thought you disapproved of this kindol kind of tiling thing I 1 think myself its rather imprudent to arrange a meeting through your mald maid I 1 betty batty jerked away her hand drew it a sharp breath what do you tou mean I 1 arrange this meeting itkis it was you yon your man they became simultaneously aware of a trap it had sprung upon then them with the look of trapped things they stared lit at each other ether and betty instinctively looked back over her shoulder there stood jasper in the doorway of the room oom lie he looked like the most casual of visitors to an art gallery he carried a catalogue in tits his land hand alien lie he saw that ho he was seen he be smiled easily and came over to then them you will am love c to lo forgive me ine lie he murmured pleasantly tyoa ou see it was necessary to see you iou both together and betty ls Is not willing hilling to allow me an interview I 1 am deorr lorry to have chosen a public place lilace and to have used a trick to get you ou here but I 1 could no not t think of tiny any other oilier plan this ibis Is really private enough I 1 have arranged his exhibition hibi tion for roster foster and it Is ili closed to the public today rodn we got in by bj special permit a filet fact you ou probably missed and after all civilized people ought to be able to talk about anything an tiling without excited excitement le nt I 1 bettys eyes glared at mm him 1 I will not stay I 1 this Is insufferable I 1 but he put out tits his hand and some thin tiling in ili tits his gesture compelled tier her she he sat pat down on oil the round plush seat scat in the middle of the room and looked up at the lie two men helplessly jonn had once leaned in a doorway doom ay silent and cd while two men tier her father and alene settled their property rights in tier her hetty betty was after nil all in no better case slie she listened whiter and whiter till at the lie last she slowly raised tier her muff and pressed it against her twisted mouth morena Alo renix stood with ills his hand resting on oil the high back of the circular seat almost direct above bettys head it seemed to leold hot tier there like a bar but it was ans at prosper lie he looked to prosper lie spoke my arlend lie he began and the accentuation of the Ile brate quality of ills his voice had an all instantaneous effect upon ills his two listeners both prosper and hetty betty knew lie he was master of some intense agitation they were con conscious selous of an increasing rapidity of their pulses my illy friend I 1 thought that I 1 knew you vou fairly well as one roan man knows another but I 1 find that there have been certain limits to roy my knowledge ilow how extraordinary it isa Is I 1 this inner world of our own lives which we keep closely to ourselves I 1 I 1 have a friend yes a very good friend a very dear friend the ironic insistence upon this word gave prosper the shock of a repeated blow and I 1 fancy fane in the ignorance of my con conceit celt that this friends life Is 18 clentry open to my understanding I 1 see him leave college I 1 see him go out on various adventures I 1 share with him by letters and confidences the excitement cit ement of these adventures I 1 know with regret that lie he suffers from ill health and goes west mid ciul there with a great deal of sympathy I 1 imagine him living drearily enough la in some small health giving western town writing tits his book und and later its ills play which he has so generously allowed me to produce what the ol davil all are you after japer but I 1 do my friend an injustice went nt on the manager ills ilia career Is infinitely more romantic ile he has built himself it a little log house nolise amongst the mountains and lie he lins hns decorated tt it anil and laid in a supply of dainty and exquisite stuffs I 1 believe that chere here Is even eien tin an outing opting suit small and narrow I 1 my G d dl 1 said prosper very low there was a silence jasper moved slightly and prosper Ir osper started but the jew stayed in fit his ats former place only that lie he bent tits his head a little halt half closed his eyes and marked time with the hand that was not burled buried in the above bettys head lie ile recited in fit it a heavy voice and it was here that betty raised her muff I 1 jasper Is dying by the time yu vu get this letter tie be will be lead dead if you can forgive me for having failed in courage last year come back what I 1 have been to you before I 1 will be to td you again only ats time we can love openly come back 1 I am going mad said prosper harshly bars lly and indeed his face had a pinched half crazy look the jew bavett his land hand oil oh no no no tt it Is only that you are making a discovery letters should be burnt my friend not torn and thrown away but burnt I 1 lie ile stood up to his state liest height and he made a curious and rather terrible gesture of breaking son something between his lils two hands 1 I have this letter and I 1 it hold old you and betty sol he be said softly soll sol betty 1 I might have told you that I 1 loved him that I 1 have loved him for years jasper if you use this till evidence if you bring this counter suit it will hilll bring brine about the same the very same bame result prosper an end d I 1 she broke off choking of course betty and I 1 will be married at once as soon goon as she gets her divorce or on you ket get yours but prospers voice was hollow and strained ayou you will be marr married lea betty went on jasper as calmly no eg before you branded in the eyes of the world as an unfaithful wife will be married to a man who has ceased to love you that Is not true said betty look at hl his face my dear look at it carefully now wat watch watchie chIt it closely prosper gael if I 1 should tell that with a little patience a little skill a little unselfishness you could win a certain woman who onie once loved adu ch eha a B certain jane west could you bring yourself to marry this discarded wife of mine betty sprang up and caught proa pr pers perg arm am icher in her small bind TO BE CONTINUED there tire more than twice any motorcars and trues la in hawell as la in all chims |