Show M of FIFTh I. I I I I II MARTYN COPYRIGHT j the UNITED In I STATES STATE SEvi SERVICE I CHAPTER XII Continued XII Continued 22 22 J But I am It Is Impossible to avoid ovoid I knowing owIng It When R on gets those hose letters nothing can con save teave Mr rr McKim- McKim j ber from constant humiliation on If It you had heard the tone used you ou K understand better lie He will rom compel pel Mr Mt to do all ii the little and big disgraceful things that might hurt the new noxon's I Lion The record Mr has built up P will be trailed In I the mud Hobin ha has has' told me so much about bol t I his ls I 1 father I 1 e have heard so much of ot th the nets lct of kindness which li h he hides from the world He lie has educated Hundreds of poor children for example and people PCP peo pIe dont don't know Inow It because o of ot that rather ler bl bluff ff overbearing m manner rU can I 1 den deny having helped to send the tie father of ct my roy Robin lo Io o disgrace ilie lic hc was silent for a a. a moment I can cnn see te ee him losing his self-respect self anti and E sinking lower and lower Ills IUs wife wIre UDd son Eon wont won't understand It will be horrible for tor them I have hav sent away away the man I j love believing that I i am heartless v faIth or honor And AndI I can enn never open m my lips to Justify myself There Is nothing that can eve FE either of ot us Dont say that Malet Mulct cried lie He was deeply moved There Is always a 8 way ray out when It It right that there should be And If ever a thing wa was was rl right ht It Is that you rou and he should belong be- be Ion long to one another Something shall be done one There Is nothing any ony one can do the fhe he said one exaggerate after atter dinner din din- ner nerl he Jle laughed My niece go to bl bil bd and md sleep The least of all aU your unes s is on the Job U It was as to Peter Milman that he tiN fir rt nd addressed himself Ulman Milman be Ie began Im very much Interested Interest d III In th 1 the the- outcome of a romance that be- be 4 gao under tinder my eyes at Great Rock flock Malet flung himself down In a chair und lighted a cigarette You know y that to men of middle age who have hate of f necessity passed by the time of ot love lore end and roses there Is something ver very fascinating In seeing splendid youth In Its great moments moment Peter Pter Milman did not show his vis Is visitor vis- vis tier 1101 that this Interruption was come Onie Milman was engaged In plan plan- nine how ow to get Paul to to this house LOLs eager and yet et unsuspecting And Floyd d Malet was beginning to t talk taik lI of ot lo love and youth I I 1 l suppose so he assented courIm courI cour- cour 4 t sly I Im talking about Nita Malett Malet Maiet t went on I suppose hundreds of men r j e have fallen under her fascinations t lIe He Inu laughed hed a little ruefully I am J- J one lie of the oldsters who admit It it So do I said the other To me r f ht fht- ib iSone one of the most lovely c creatures r I 1 e 1 ever er met 14 I The The man she fell in love with with with- I. I l Malet continued f She fell felt in love iove love with Milman I demanded neall Really 1 that's interesting Her lIer father did not tell me Who t I- w was as It 1 I Young l r Robin b by name lIe He will be very rich said sald Milman f sad and Barnes' Barnes objections can cn be over over- ruled I have ha never met the lm l I ItTs ler but he Is said to be a n man nina of oft t i rood good character 1 I They l hey cant can't possibly possibly marry marry Malet Maiet r declared She has broken It off with 1 him Win him and she wont won't change her mind OW IV Poor child it was a wound that ma may l never lever heal hoal 1 Why if she loves him and he loves I fc be her should she do t that aO 1 i Because she knows that she Is actIng act- act HL Ing for tor r the enemies of ot his father m M We We are not M XI- XI en- en 1 4 B emles crates Milman II retorted OTe We are goIng to Put In ln finds what wIll I make for 01 J- J ever cr r his slave That's That's not too strong t r be Ii t terra rm w We are 8 to sell l lm- lm i 1 ber body and soul to Paul Do Dof I You Suppose knowing that Nita can cao J f K f marry 7 sun son l 1 J Milman frowned frowned- Dear be Said ald de dear r he be j I for or a almost mn St testily went Nita went there definite purpose which had a aW as l I much t to do with her J f as W It IM had bd for father r Personally These you Bradney or m myself I rnO complicatIons are annoying ln now inot t n I our plans annoying Sl but they cannot affect f My dear Milman Malet Mulet sail said It If You rou love Ote are blaming i NIta ita a for fa falling u iu In I n ou aC are mal making the first absurd i f SS rem V mt 1 hare ha ever heard to d from rom yon out lips ilp Love drop P j J i tD i comes COInes unsought e t. t Cuti ofte f In IU Its US beginnings beginnings' T nn t I d thIng Ing She V held liela tell y I saw the whole hole j 1 r told Oid him but back she Bhe ti tried led i to Ut tile the circumstances such ih that were ces If she f could Ula nut not lucre were anI an w ur t tennis panics rIding ex ex- TU n und US golf golt NIt could not nott t Sway away She t tre rc to for j Was as you ou remarked a t lel n a j definite In PurPose Robin Is Isk t J k he hT s 8 way as aa b she bhe Js- Js 1 J I 1 ta You Ton Is a broken up a as 1 it It see fee he cannot understand ten Il site she cn cannot carot not give him hint If 11 I Im Immeasurably sorry you had to tell me this said Peter Wily Why 1 Malet demanded I Because It Infuses an element of ot bitterness In what was wI wholly olly a mood of victory I 1 am sorry for tor them both but is It not possible that you with your our artists artist's sensitiveness veness la have ve put this in t too o 1 vIII a 11 light light- I II If It an anything lv tl li Iye g Ive I've understated d it itI Malet could see that Peter M map was ge genuinely disturbed y u t r f Let L t me put m It another way way Is It not possible that with you IOU your ready sympathy sympathy- lia ilU have Imagined i Jh the tb tem teal Infatuation 1 that l t Is 50 so o ep seen In ho house parties to bo bea a d passion something ig ng epic as as was ih love of Dante for Beatrice Ullman sald said r rIi Malet Ii ef i If 1 I could believe you were right I should be he perfectly happy But I sa saw sal them together I 1 spoke to each of them when they had said good No it was the real thing They will m never completely recover RIta has slain her own happiness because of ot the loy alty l s she thinks she owes to us Thinks Milman repeated Is fils there any doubt a about out that Was It lightly do you suppose that I 1 stooped to what we have ha done I have never ne deluded m myself self about It We have ha done what men of ot honor do donot donot donot not attempt What hat punishment deserves es Is bot not ours to o administer T Peter Milman Paced up up and Down Dow the Room I After Arter I have forced him to pay I Ishall shall shalle never ne be quite the clean man I was I I shall be something a a. a little less I knew this ver very well before I II I Invited you ou to Join me You must must not expect me to be swerved by anything any allY thing now Do j ou think I am trying to swerve youns ou as you rou call It For what other purpose have you YI you U told me this You have said In o 0 many words that If It we do as we have hav planned we nJ are aie breaking Nita's heart Y You ou will be Malet asserted but but you'll never know It f from oom her That's how she defines defines lo loyalty alt Have you yon forgotten what your life lite has been of Int late and to whom you owe all your our unhappiness s I I am past arty Malet answered and what Is left of ot my life seems very ver-r small and unimportant when I compare It with the happiness that thatIs Is la owed ved I Nita By nr comparison I see myself in a 0 avery avery very ery poor Ioor light Milman 1 answered But Hut there is Barnes to think of ot and Bradney Malet sighed It was too big a athing athing a athing thing to expect I had to tell you ou what your victory vIctor meant to Nita I Iwas Iwas was wars going to appeal to the 0 others butas but butas as you ou ha have refused It will not be beof of much u use e. e Peter paced up and mid down doun Y T T Y Y X X the room What Molet Malet ha bad Bald aM maea maae i hIm unhappy Chivalrous by nature J Just t. t and not embittered by what life lIte laid had brought him he lie was confronted with a situation unparalleled In his career He remembered noticing that Nita was depressed unlIke unlike un un- like her vivid hId jo Joyful self She had drooped like Ule a tall lily Now Jle knew Vh why And knowing knOWing- It the task of disciplining lost Us Its savor sa I ur have not reu refused definitely he said Bald I must think it over el In all Its Us bearings in the end there Is little doubt but I hail have to decide against you ou I wish It had lind not Imp hap I am unsettled Suddenly he lie held out his hand baud to the man who was willing to do the magnificent thing and make e the sacrifice gladly I 1 must add to my ray strong personal liking for you an Increased ased respect Notman Not Nut man many would do 10 as you OU have done Come and see me about this before tomorrow Fleming Bradney was smoking a 0 last pipe when Malet Maiet entered his room The rime ph physicist t was relaxed an and happy huppy Ills domestic duties i ad been leeI beena a strain uric and he lie was WIlS now concern concerned d with the growing of ot his benr beard Fleming Malet alet began do you like 1 Like her Bradney said warmly She Is the most delightful girl I 1 have hove ever met or hope to meet She is the only woman who o has ever er made me me wish I was as as a's young joung UI an and 1 good od lo look look- ook k Ink as Ho Robin In McI If It she were m my d daughter I should hould think fortune ha had bad made up f for r ev-er ev everything thIng else You must have noticed she was looking rather unhappy I 1 taxed her Imet with Ith It Its It's the time strain she's been living under She will soon pick up imp Shell Sieli Sl en never be really happy again Fleming if It her father wins she loses Our victory ry is won v on at the cost of partIng partIng parting part part- ing her from the man she l loves ves theman the theman theman man who tho loves loves' her well enough to risk losing his fortune Malet told Bradney In almost the same words what he had Just told Peter Milman l The first rush of ot sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy path which Bradney felt for the lovora lovers lov lov- ore ers was tempered on reflection when he considered what the effect of ot yielding yieldIng yield yield- ing lug to It would mean The work he believed he had to accomplish in the world would not be done Again he would be compelled to seek some uncongenial un uncongenial un an- congenial position He said sold as much t lo to his fr friend end But If you ou admit Im I'm putting you In an nn unfavorable light It Is evident you ou think you ou are arc choosing the lime wrong thing Male Malet retorted Im rm choosing to enjoy the rewards of an adventure which might have landed me in Jail jail and and may yet Im I'm v very ry sorry about NUn Nita but she Is young Life Is before her whereas Im I'm past middle age Flo Floyd d you ou are Intoxicating yourself not with sentiment sentiment senti senti- ment inept but with sentimentality Its It's a as s symptom of a generous nature but it yields before a logical examination I am amii not going to throw throwaway away what W we have hn gained You must not ask It of or me mc My God Godl 1 Floyd do you ou t suppose suppose sup up- sup sup- pose I am nfl content to go back to to m my Job at the refinery refiner again when theres there's theresa a chance to escape I suppose not Mulct Malet said wearily The Time way of ot sacrifice is too tto hard Dru Bradney ne frowned He- He dId not rest easily under the imputation that he be was choosing the selfish wa way 1 least At leas l I have ha Peter with me he said Im not so sure Will you OU line up upI I with him whichever way vay he decides 7 I shall be with him In un tiny case but I dont don't think that will help you rou much r L nu Jennies VL at length on a chaise chulse lougue longue In lu his rs room He lie looked bake up UI with a smile What brings you jou OU here here- Viscount 7 I II thought Id I'd drop in Iu and have a cigarette lette What are you ou doing Barnes hud hind a 11 note book and pencil in his bbs hand Planning my ranch In California I shall hahl k keep ep hordes hures Til ru il get one fox for you with a nice easy gait guIt I II 1 had hind a curious t ad adventure with a it horse once Malet said It must have been leen almost thirty years ago I 1 went with some friends into M to do some sketching Naturally there was a revolution re on and we got into the middle of It U. We Ve were all mount mounted d. d I rem remember wh when n my horse hoise was sas allotted to t me mie I felt fel t distinctly dis disappointed He lacked the graceful curves CUlves of the smaller horses He was tall long thin eld elderly riy and anda uncIa a pessimist It was only wh when n we ve were being chased b. b by gl guerillas that I saw he lie was different Whereas my friends were captured I my Hg aged h raced clear away and I was the only one who hadn't to pay a considerable ransom ransom IL Ah Alt cried Barnes his eyes light light- lightIng Ing lag up that tall long bong beast you ou were on was thoroughbred or Ill I'll t take kc to water di drinking Inking TO B BE BI CONTINUED f. f Z X X X X X X X X |