Show I 1 he MV ste r U CA C ool i by E PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM by little brown A co W CHAPTER IX continued 27 nut but what made tier her want to lenver leav ernI of persisted christopher did not hesitate f for or it Ino inocent ment lie he meant to take every toils poa sible bible advantage of tills this tile the fit alist 4 1 sign of any real interest in life which oer sid d lind find shown for months neca Becat lEpe she Is very finely bluing lie he said and the was vas becoming impossible for her slie site was vins very ery much in love with you and you OU were mere crazy nhouy some one else I 1 was very mud much in love with ner as n 4 I 1 always had been anti and I 1 was ass enough to try mid per persuade sunde her to marry me of course lie went ent on 1 I ought to he have realized reali sed the alie unconquerable qu erable fidelity of a nature like if hers ers an ordinary wo woman nIn lie he went 0 on n leaving leaning buck back in ills corner tin and discussing bussing cussing the matter very much us its lie he would j lime have done a legal point presented for ills opinion might inight select aind a prefer one niall to nil all others olli ois balt if f for tome some reason or other lie old did not lint return tier her affection affect lon slie site would be able tile in course of time little to feel pric tic tilly tire same thing for another man could never do that she tins fins flint lint saint like fl delity which la Is tilt the joy nil and the curse of tile best women you me a very erv deur fellow gerald find I 1 nm am very fond of you ou but I 1 some limes pet get fed up with your nerves dour blindness your grand du chees still and your hiir stark idiocy Cler cleotild tild silt ant lip up in ills his place and stared at lila ills friend in amazement how long lime you ou been keeping that bottled up chris lie asked ever since my Aly i tile turned me down don was the prompt reply site she was uis ns as kind ns is site she could be about it lint but she file dill did tier jot job like a t surgeon site she hurt but I 1 knew it was no use ilse ever eur thinking about tier her dignin that way I 1 am a dispassionate now tin and I 1 can see the truth 1 I suppose I 1 llave been rather un an tits bertild acknowledged but y ou must remember chris I 1 ot quite know I 1 MIS lit in for when I 1 took hok on thit that visit to Ittis sla mid I 1 ant think any nn une tine could go through want I 1 hall to go through without getting howled bowled 0 ocr er fancy being anken cre of like n baby by that nina amazing zing won rion lisa having to owe her your tour life linof a dozen times over oell I 1 ste ing that lint great course coarse cren arenture ture with liri her hank of yellow hilr haira tind her bronah smelling of drink inq put chmill up tip one inocent and defying benth ile etli and it liang ing the lexi without a tremor to guards who could enve set us up till against the wall nail and shot us lis on slat if they had find known the lie truth trual I 1 she ans ns nn an epic figure carl chilto sto viler dechal ed 1 I wonder what has bor hor of lier her heaven gerald answered we e may nil meet tier lier it tit at M monte we carlo or slie she may amny have married marred to german tradesman a Ilir led the past she Is wealthy slie site got that fellow K cross fare of the money I 1 tool took out i all it its as her own how these pine tius smell chrusl I 1 and what sun lidnel I 1 one could sleep hero here leaned benned buck back in it his I 1 a place with ti lii closed eyes ees and christopher was ana ell content to leave hin liliie alone tills this atiq the lie first bitne lie he had spoken rut flat til ti lill alla of ills his journey to ittis zin unit and the terrible experience through lich lif lie lind Pass passed vl all through flit summer months lie he had find lain about hie file bordens at aleys accepting life lis HI in an inevitable burden gaining no strength streng ill sleeping ittle fill all the lie time thile in a morbid struggle with tit flip tyranny of ills hla ner nerves ves nothing lind arned ed or interested him blin alite e lust tv few sentences of his were the ehst of ills bis return to it nati ul al olit outlook look I 1 lip load bad loSt to a didow hi dow billere was ns very left of the gay und and debonair voting oung xiii lio hild ati passed liis ills arin rufind M ralles hillst and drawn tier lier into tile cn r lit at hinds Hi ances and with it 11 few careless ft 01 ds built up lip in mt ralles hoart tile the at tile end of the lie rond road yet vet s fit iliev drew near the where li lind found liar lie to orf off some of ills his torpor ile he sat gil and d looker looked about him with S ent eyes ces mine liend hend and ui d flit eltiy y sep ee tile alie gatcu would you like to ti top for a ino i 0 tnt christopher asked 1 myrtl le is s st certain to to ile be liere here 1 illis I ills was avils assuredly it chail ged arald ald ile he djs almost diffident I 1 if f vol ou think slie mie would like to ice cc s I 1 I 1 lie he I 1 I 1 P at epright now leaning a little Il J lily were erg round the cor ci in of f the little grove of ansis IrS In sis 1 8 and there at the life gate 3 artl lei gerald rii gilve gave a little ela tion which sounded almost alue a tl hla 1113 incredulous stare awre hud had sone so ne lila in I 1 it ilke of pain und fatir 1 vip iier her days and sald said that we lie i he be passing christopher ili lie ale oit ait into tile oal road to 1 iven ien tu to christopher tier hr i was almost like n vision aslon the 1 cs of clothing and mr clr scarcely to exist 1 artile Mir Ir tile who welcomed then them y inn bill joyful joyfully ily tier hr eyes cea were WM tl lerald erald and thre there wa a touch of sublime pity in them as site she tile lie change hut from tier her face shove shone the spivie vili tirs you vol will all come in ili and see my lily home slie site begged tile the car can call turn tn in here tile the road loud to IB better than it used to bo be 1 I flat tired ilsoo of tile the gerald said 1 I would mould rather wilh all they moed slowly salol lown down through tile cypress cp rp aven benning a little on oil mil lip tiles arm arin christopher loitering behind it Is the lie most restful imil the most beautiful nitice I 1 lime have ever been in bernid tell rell i tile up myrte MM tle lie added to do vou ion know nil lilt that lifts has to willell me acri I 1 tiling I 1 christopher tins written tin and I 1 find if long inn letter too from your our father dither please to do not lint speak of thorp things chilli nic are IIII lii Shed you w are here heie to forget involuntarily lie he looked away na toward tile road and turned biuk back lilt n tiler whatever Wt inteer his thoughts might inight evve been lie A little french maid in spotless white call ci find apron cattle out olit on oil the veranda lit in reply to marthes Mr tHes call A bottle of our own on wine nine and gills glosses ses ordered derod oi some sollie fruit and the sandwiches annd lelies I 1 told you ou to ilove he rondy ready binelo come collie we have an other holt hour of sunshine allne gerald you iou rnest take lake the lie soto cliner G erald sunk into it 11 son sell or af ni bending over oer arrain ed them boore her eyes ee were mere soft with alth tile of tenis fears more moie weary than lie till confes confessed qed seemed for a moment to doze lie ile Is very ery weak pak ahls looking anxiously across towards christopher christopher notified nodded it Is lie journey lie rin 1 I wish flint alint it were over oer the llie mine was brought lii but bill ceralie was now nu tn lit a deep liveli christopher and sat at the other oilier end of tin tilt ver erni anda ln tin and talked lit in till nn undertone ag L X C n T qa I 1 T 4 L iia P J NO leave mm him to me christopher she begged he needs rest presently tile lie sun began to sink behind the forest romiee lilla west est A tool cool breeze bellille steal lL derosis the milley myrtile ilir rose sti suddenly 1 to tier feet lit fit must not steel sleep anny nn longer rhe nad ili liim till lt v ile he nol it to ile be out lit hit all ill 11 line late althis s this they tried to rouse louse win TI three i re e units christopher hild ills his igind upon tipon ills ilia sho shoulder alder ind aind culled hill liv there wits no response gerald was ais sl seeping hen benvil vil ills ili was reg illar the llis seel led to lite fil aided jell frisini ills fic illis mity lie ile ills christopher declared hopel tilly there were are wars lois in frilles Mr MY illes rIlles eyes ees all ail tile flina fill he to lie listening lenive fill bilm 14 to me carl kropi ier slie site begged he needs rest let le t nodded bollik it ill ri spud solid t to 4 of it eilf hog bik don from tile the vir t al lie he pr find some nnie of it wil 11 come coille anti line have 11 tool liok lit 11 will in a few dis ills servant ser nl tin in staily liere if you ou like so ehilt you ou liue help if 1 I want it alle lic smiled gli iier teries I 1 elial need ceeil no nn help slie she prom wi ism I 1 will cure gerald tell indy abarr and lord that alint I 1 promise it only lenie leave alone with ine po do not come nn A ny or of you until I 1 send ir if it lie wishes to in I 1 enn litre bire a cat car front aiom sin lie he con can ile be alth you vou in a I 1 fw few houri lioi ir I 1 think lic hac will wl ll 11 lie be content intent I 1 think he will get gel better here chapter X and now chr christopher copher arild sald nix nf car crawled up fill tile last ascent to see it if motile tins hns luor lr l r word I orl lie le dared 1 I 1 nm am confident conn dent tant v oung women lifts ims powers leond beyond the ordinary human beings being a Bp besides gIlles our tele garins every eory day have assured its us chilt all Is I 1 ell 1 it icema to tn me that er aid should lime dine bien been so content mn mary remarked ill la this the chice christopher achl her nodded the llie cr car wits slowing sloping up tit on oil their right atis tile lie little grove of dpn trees aca und the lie gate alere they the mory why vh just look tit nt Spin ld tin tilt two MO young purple canie town don tile hie gum grove form in ili arm gerald walking milking with etli knowlt of hia old once due mori linn P ills head thrown tl inin back once more there lure its ia nil tile joy jo of nf will ald spirits in tile the abandon of ills ent Illis hlo to MM livi tile on oil flit lie other hand seemed quieter than linn lis lial feinle fein ld what ant have you bien been up tit to ills 1114 miller belll adad listen to that dad and 11 lip hp sald and MC if boti bennt guess nie hell ieli front the lie little white church wits ns thil tinkling ding anny crazily gerald parsed pi sid ills his arin ni in around myrdle ashes terrified aci lined to lenth he do de oil conred red I lenso lense every ei one tell her hei that lint rind wits mia vasily aul her in ln law alio 9 ell G v ra d na its they tilt led to conid nid tile lie hollye liou o walked on tile lie other side you have now nott arrived in time imp for tile tie gerald continued the fe foist astIna lne tenantry ten intro are in fit view lp on tile fur far sido side of if the lie house you will W pie sent linc tile lip of hearing tile me make it little speech lit in lay most perfect french which I 1 just learnt by heart so you tire really mary exclaimed gerald Gern ld maithe avi tile how wonderful it nil soe sec insl Aniaz agreed intal in trl mony nion ans ns evidently lily 1113 predestined alecea I 1 nin no nn longer ill I 1 have never leen been so 0 o happy in lily 1113 life I 1 was plowing for four hours yesterday and ehms over OUT the lie nind to tn trot rill rid of if it i illila anu afler ten tell what I 1 covet Is tile jot jol of pierre the hend head trian ninn but MM tile wont ont listen to tt it slie site says I 1 dont under strind tile soll oil As they attic reached tile the house the lie old cure camp out beaming wath alth sn sailles illes to find fluit every ti one s spoke 1 oke ill ills q own on language tin aind that lie could to licin about was vis serend out on tile ver ei and marle aim ie find a voting idling friend from tile village etli grent hunches ot or flinte cir carnations nations fastened to their frocks were uniting to serve gerald hini self uncork pil the warie lne 1 I 1 propose to ti make ii ike it kevch lord announced holding out ills foaming glass nans it inu fiut t lie ile a short one gerhild ln in the 1 lie wont ont walt alt 1 then I lien us its nn oi nelette tb is my im favorite iash ilni that one appears to lie ile it 1 lef ilef do I 1 drop tit ills father assented a 1 I will mill only gerald lilt you line made mii hinry and me life verg cry anil i and that no bride lit in the world was MIS ever mure eltonne el toine clinn myrtile to our halile fill and ilves iery every one ligi lightn tn to talk tit t once by ind anti by h that curious sense af ne ut of un reality the lie feeling that the alie whole filing was it scene out lilt of nn an old fashioned col coned liely passed insi cd awny gerald ter ild who wits rt is rh ll holding MM Myr tiles annd the tablecloth rule I ills his gluss gialis and looked into tier lier eves ees ai it ivies 1 afler nil fill lie he whispered iulio lin imd tin nn men mini ln iny sit lit tile eibi rf for lie ille robill 1 nil 1111 were ie HIP alse wl e hilly and lind I 1 th alie 11 all ahr elrah li the afternoon tile the 11 ll it liper ingers nine fume fill mid wf nt and tile hp young oune W people nall linne linneill ell in ili tile blell nt lit tile the biach nf it tire lie rann fu in tonis arp PT len one was nitrify then 4 lien tile hie time aline rame for lit l stopher who io ills wily vin back to to 0 ipina mir who mho wits ns the lie night with her lar fa illier nt at fannes wili walked keil him to the rondi rond illey 1 pitied for a tit it the lie g life nd it wits here that MW found myrtile motile mary 1 look 14 in iny lier her with Int interest Inte iest prest we ive har on tills this very en spot pot cliris airl 1 aph r utta nn prad izing gazing idon A I 1 tile lie I lond to the flit hills ml all her life still she eipl Mori dfred lay n oil mi the hie other oilier side M ann of us its never neier fand t out lilt I 1 lerald hns has licen ver for 1 1 I 1 nin ahil ghil and flint yeii ou HIP fire happy fill olit it slip dill with ali inlet bill trill 0 ill livit bivil P it Is p I 1 mi fill it climb kiil cpr linvil ml tier her almi I 1 nm lint goinz tn in venturo entine chilt mory min all I 1 think I 1 feel n little like lie file anlin who lin walked for n tc few of hl fit life in lilt ine fun fill deil cled I 1 lint it 11 wits a 1 day l I 1 h thou thola clit that I 1 wits w is in inep e I 1 know HUM that there Is nr no one I 1 ever eer renalt anred for hut but von ale raised her dmd and looked ironed nt it him yielding to tn tile alie arm which fildi was atis drawn around her 1 I join m quite sure slip tillit lifts Is tin nn enchanted land iann nam |