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Show The TEMPTRESS BY H. M. EGBERT (Copyright, 1915, by W. G. Chapman.) The little Welshman and Van Trevor looked at each other in the rich, man's library. The little Welshman was obviously ob-viously in need of a job. Van Trevor thought. A sense of compassion rose up in him as he inspected the shabby figure. "Well, Mr. Evans?" he inquired blandly. "I have come with reference to that advertisement for a man to catalogue your books," said Evans. His heart was thumping madly; he was desperately desper-ately afraid Van Trevor would see his need and cut down the salary. "You are acquainted with the classics, class-ics, 1 believe?" inquired Van Trevor. "Yes, sir. I studied Greek and Latin at Cardiff university. I know French and German, a little Hebrew, some Spanish " Van Trevor extended his hand cordially. cor-dially. "My dear fellow, that is satisfactory," sat-isfactory," he said. "The work should last about three months. You understand under-stand it is not permanent, of course?" he added. "I only need it for tle summer, sir," replied the little Welshman. "I am studying at the Theological seminary. 1 have a means of working off our board after the term begins."" He hesitated. The use of the plural form had betrayed what he had not been anxious to reveal. "My wife and myself," he -explained, hesitating. Van Trevor nodded. "Well, my dear fellow, about the salary," he said. "Would er forty dollars a week be satisfactory?" The little Welshman could not restrain re-strain a gasp. He had expected twenty, twen-ty, he had hoped daringly for twenty-five. twenty-five. "That's settled, then," said Van Trevor. "And now, Mr. Evans, you "She's Too Good for That Little Shrimp." . must lunch with me and meet Mrs Van Trevor." Mrs. Van' Trevor proved to be a little, lit-tle, vivacious brunette. Sne shook hands with Evans cordially, and they sat down to lunch in a magnificently furnished room, while a butler served them. Evans was conscious of a painful diffidence. A gentleman by birth a long period of hardship had made him self-conscious. He wondered 'whether he was using his knife and fork correctly. cor-rectly. The Van Trevors seemed sticklers for etiquette. In Wales one met all classes upon a free and easy basis; here there seemed to be a conventionalized con-ventionalized ritual, a little different and puzzling. The Van Trevors drew him out about his wife. "You must bring her to see us," said the rich man's wife, as they parted. II. Elsie Van Trevor and her husband sat together in their drawing-room after the guests had gone. "What do you think of them?" asked Van Trevor. "She's clear," said Elsie. "She's too good for that little shrimp. Too good altogether." "lJoor little devil!" said VanTrevor "He told me he's saving up for an operation op-eration on his ear. fie says it's likely like-ly to prove serious some day if he doppn'i have it done." "s"'s lo cot"! for him," his wife repeated, following her train o! thought. "I don't see how she came to marry him. If 1 have any chance I'm going to open her eyes. Why, he isn't even a gentleman, dear." III. Elsie Van Trevor had gone to their bungalow at the seashore and taken her secretary with her. The little Welshman was cataloguing the books in the library alone. He missed his wife greatly It was their first separation. Somehow he felt that Mrs. Van Trevor's sudden friendship for Leila boded ill for them both. But Leila had been crazy to go; there were to be house parties and all I sorts of gayety. and later Evans was to be invited for a day or two. Somewhere a bell had been ringing furiously all the morning. The little Welshman wondered where it could be. He threw up the window and looked out. Suddenly a violent pain shot through his head, as if a knife had pierced him. The bell was In his own head. And the pain was stabbing stab-bing without cessation. He screamed with the agony of it. He tried to stagger across the room, collapsed, and moaned upon the floor. He saw Van Trevor standing over him, a look of fear in his eyes. Then through a period of unconsciousness he grew to a dim realization of the jolting ambulance, the hospital, the white-capped nurses, and the sickening sicken-ing stench of the ether cone. He opened his eyes to find himself in a bed in the hospital. His head was swathed in bandages. "You'll do finely now," the nurse said, and he opened his eyes a second time to see Van Trevor at his side. "How are you, my dear chap?" he asked. "By George, that was touch and go, but the surgeon says you're all right now." "You haven't told my wife?" asked Evans weakly. "No. 1 thought It best not to alarm her," answered the other. Van Trevor never came again through the slow days of convalescence. conva-lescence. Evans" letters to Leila were unanswered. Gradually a sick, ening fear began to come over the little lit-tle Welshman, a sense of some un-definable un-definable tragedy. At last, when two weeks had passed, he was permitted to leave the hospital. He hurried to the Van Trevor house. The butler, who opened the door, stood in bis way. "Mr. Van Trevor left a letter for you, sir," he said, handing him a missive. mis-sive. The little Welshmen opened it. It stated briefly that the work had come to an end. and included a check for five hundred dollars. Evans tore the check to pieces and turned away from the house in blind agony and rage. IV. The bungalows stood side by side in their trim plots at the edge of the shore. Near by. at the huge hotel, were music and dancing, and the mirth of holiday-makers. Many couples, strolling along the road, looked askance at the seedy little man, with the bandage about his head, who walked hurriedly toward the bungalow at the end of the row. In the shadow of a pine tree Evans halted. The bungalow was ablaze with lights. He heard the voices of van irevor and his friends, and the tittering laughter of his wife. Then came a laugh that made him clutch at his heart Leila's. Then suddenly the little Welshman seemed to become inspired with a strong personality that had never been his. He strode through the cpen door into the living-room, and stood them at "the door. He saw a look of fear in Van Trevor's Trev-or's eyes, astonishment In the guests', wonder in Leila's. The little, shabby man suddenly dominated the situation "Hugh!" exclaimed Leila, leaping to her feet. "You are ill! What is the matter?" "I have come to take you home, dear," said Evans. Mrs. Van Trevor advanced with mincing steps. "This is Leila's husband," hus-band," she explained to the group. "He has been unwell, you know. Mr Evans, it would really have been more seemly to have written." "Come, dear," said Evans, taking his wife's arm in his. In that moment he saw all the struggle In the girl's soul; the old love and the new pleasures. It was a hard test for her, beaten by the storms of uncertainty. "Leila is certainly not going away with you," exclaimed Elsie Van Trevor Trev-or angrily. "This is an outrage! Leila, dear, we will protect vou " With a swift, passionate gesture Evans tore the bracelets from Leila's arms, the pendant from her neck and cast them down. And, while they still stared at them, they were gone, and Leila clung to her husband's neck in the darkness. "Hugh, dearest!" she wept. "What was it? Why didn't you write' 1 didn't know you had been ill. They wanted me to get a divorce O Hugh if you hadn't come they would have made me do anything anything Keep me! Guard me! Never leave mi-again!" |