Show by evelyn campbell p I 1 copyright by bv evelyn campbell 1 I service CHAPTER X continued 17 1 you come came because you could not stay away when I 1 called you linda and because we art are never going to he parted again linda wo we lovo love en each h otherl other 1 could anything be as is wonderful as that let me tell you something dear I 1 was beginning to think that life had bad played me tin nn ugly trick I 1 was beginning to doubt and question what was real and true I 1 wua wall ready to throw it fill all away because of a pride that would not lot let me taip front from another man and then I 1 was made ashamed when they gave n nip p you when I 1 found that out olit I 1 learned how to he grateful and humble hu nihle I 1 knew that one gift was hut but the preparation for another 1 I knew that I 1 had bad to win if I 1 had find you she laid her tan fan against her lips to conceal tant taint she had find bitten them deeply now she had find to he cruel so cruel that she dared not plan words but must let them come as they aou would id impelled by the bitterness of tier her soul sool and he must never know that ahl this hatred was for herself and not for him film are you trying to tell me that you ou love me she cried and burst out laughing ile he drew back hard hit you have always known that he said quietly A silence fell upon their warfare for it was ahat men alen and women are so close to hatred when they lovel she was trying to malm ind kill his love loe with all the weapons at tier her command it was a thing that must ife die here and now if 11 all that was good in her died with it it nave have I 1 17 I 1 wonder she appeared to search her mind for proofs but how could I 1 believe you meant it young men like you are always falling in love with women like me As if by accident she lifted the string of pearls and held it before her like a little swaying bridge of beauty to her white breast the movement was symbolical symbolic til she needed to say nothing more but she could not stop there let me get all this right first I 1 have conie come to washington because of you because I 1 love you to be exact and then ns if that were not enough I 1 have been given to you by an overgenerous as special inducement to success sl I 1 good heavens could youth go further than that she laughed at him again letting her coo cool eyes mock him for a moment go on you rou had reached the point where the world was at your finger tips oil oh this Is fun better than dancing in that hot room or do all young young men feet feel like that flint when they gain a good appointment but she had gone too far tie he suddenly freed tier her hands and leaned hack back stud studying ilni her white face from which the delicate rouge stood starkly out nut revealing its falsity she sill shivered beneath that scrutiny tiny hut but managed in some wily way to preserve her shield ot scornful calm 1 I cannot believe you yo he said you could not have changed in a day to this she made a gesture of weariness what that I 1 am not an idealist some of her anin found its way to he her r tired fired voice after nil whitt what do you yo 11 know of fit me what right have you to to choose for me ine tile the right ot of love he said rtuh borely born ly and then he told her what aslie she had known till all along site she would woul d heur hear all about h Ms is swift love for her and the wonder she was to him and the dreams hp he had had for them both all the foolery that men believe they speak it to pi the one woman and forget so easily but as brian told ailt it it was very true and real and linda had to shut her eyes tightly to hide lier her tears and tier her lips more tightly still to keep from saying that slie she be alereo it all and ano would take tier chance illie any other woman that was johnt halt slie she had meant to say a few yours ours ago but nut bowl well then she cried desperate Y i for she was nearly to the lie end hat must 1 sav you amused e L for a 0 little while and that lint it Is it I 1 over I 1 lauh ill at you tiny any ong ier it Is nil fill too ton absurd been use hare been kind to you try to see IV it Is could you vou rive give e 1 anything like this she lifted ile e pearls tind field then before him fir r so sc lony long they aln y lintl had been H part of er r play that the hie gesture came not rally the ciparis were a defense flewell s e he could caulo hido hide behind them ns as she id ad before gerore tie he stopped her with a look fook clr as a stupefied by the situation shiell t t as into tra edv for him film impossible that she bhe could e saving apse these things ehilt were hur 1 ins na thein nearl tile the atole wl ole scene agan to he ie nightmarish to him th the woman noman who vh was insulting tiani 1 11 could not ba the un who ho yesterday lind had blushed anti and trilled lied under his hi s eyes exas there diio must iness that thai Would I 1 explain tal and arake it clear cigar lenila Lt nila he said softly wont 11 you yol me what it means jehns ti hought her iipp quivered he she was fas about to penk and on n the er br swiftest chanse change ovail q al c lw me she I 1 iro in and nd was looking abey beyond and he her er eyes diluted dilated and then iram id to ice fee as a gfall t all the he tenderness gone iut of fit her forever Is there to be it an end quid to thial athla I 1 allie to 90 goback back I 1 t dance would world ilk like nothing calil could be colder an n her voice P and now lie he saw that she meant it this incredible scene was based upon something deeper than pique ue ile began to be afraid you mean that ive been wrong to hope to believe that you love me mel more than that she stood up op niokhim ready to go it was nearly over now soon site she would be tree free if you have believed that you have been more presumptuous than I 1 thought you had no right to think of me tit n all you have made an absurd error your vanity la Is responsible for that no doubt dut but I 1 om am tired now I 1 must KO go back go back behind him blin a face suddenly appeared in tle me banked greenery at the end of the lie room that face espres sl onless and unmoved seemed to te he sending tier her a message from lips mute us Is one of the bronzes that brooded blooded I 1 ell ifa if a women like myself cant afford to love it iaci much too expensive from their half concealed pedestals pedestal 81 slie she tried to keep keel the dread from her pr own face but it escaped in a little cry smothered at her lips there wits a sharp rattling sound the rope ol of pearls had broken in her twisting fingers and the released stones show showered erod in a milky rain upon the floor rolling everywhere brian anstey bent instinctively te tc collect them and felt a jarring scrum h beneath his foot he looked and a powder mingled with larger particles where two of the pearls had find been silently he gathered the debris into his hand band shifting it about aboul it was very plain the pearls were imitation not too good god a one at thid not worth stooping to recover te lie looked at herl herthen then and sa say her watch ing him film with a strange expression holding the broken strand against tier lier rast breast im sorry but it was not for the broken stun stuff in ills his hano hand that be wits waa sorry she twisted her mouth in a sort of smile you have the truth you were asking for a while ago she said im a sham like my pearls im false you know bouen like myself cant afford to love its much too expensive or if we do it must he be some one who can make these thesa rent real she touched tou clied the poor bends that clung to her bosom as it if they hated to leave there then w with I 1 tit contempt she released the string and let them fall fail why hotl int you let it stand as etwas it wasso much prettier 11 she turned away slowly and left him film tie he saw tier her silhouette slender and slightly drooping but altogether lovely as site she moved away among the tin green arins anus of the palms to the open golden dour door of the ballroom she bile left him casually ca as if tie were worth ou DO better parting than that TO HE BE CONTINUED |