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Show 1 THE MILL MANN ' I E.PH'LIIPS.0PPENHEIH mXSSStiagSS I CHAPTER XV Continued. 9 "It's wonderful!" Sophy declared. "Try nnd bonr tho thread of It ull la your mind. For two nets you Imvo been nsked to focus your nttcntlon upon the Increasing brutality of tho marquis. Itcmcmbcr that, won't you?" "Not likely to forge't It," John replied. re-plied. "How well they all ncft" There wns a quarter of an hour's Interval beforo tho curtain roso again. Humors concerning tho last act had been floating about for weclcs, and the house was nlmost tenso with excitement excite-ment as tho curtain went up. Tho sccno wns tho country chateau of the , "Marquis do Guy," who brought n noisy crowd of companions from Paris without any warning. Ills wlfo showed j signs of dismay at his coming. Ho iiad brought with him women whom sho declined to receive. Tho great sccno between her bus-'band bus-'band nnd herself took placo In tho isquaro.hall of tho chateau, on the first floor. Louisa.' reaffirms her Intention of leaving tho house. Her huitbtind luughs at her. Her position Is hopo-'lcss. hopo-'lcss. "What con yon do?" ho mocks. V Sho shrugs her shoulders and passes H into her room. Tho marquis sinks upon IS .a settee, and presently Is Joined by .one of tho Indies who have traveled H -with blip from Paris. Ho talks to her of tho pictures upon tho wnll. Sho Is Impatient to meet tho Mnrqulso do Guy. Tho mnrquls knocks at his wife's I -door. Her volco Is heard clearly, nftcr 1 ' .a moment's pause. 1, "In a fow minutes!" sho replies. Tho mnrquls resumes his flirtation. IIIs companion becomes Impatient I tho mnrquls hns pledged his word that ''f. -sho should bo received by his wife. An 'I " ancient enmity ngnlnst tho Mnrqulso I do Guy prompts her to Insist. ! Tho marquis shrugs lils shoulders j j innd knocks mora loudly thnn over at J'J . his wife's door. She comes out dressed . ' for travel nnd Is met by Faraday, who '," nuddenly appears. ;.'ul "You nsked mo what I could do," J j . sho says, pointing to her lovor. "You "I'idk. :eo now I" j . Thcro was a moment's breathless si- 1 lenco through tho house. Tho sccno In itself wns a llttlo beyond anything thnt i tho audlenco had expected. Sophy, -who hnd been leaning over tho edgo of tho box, turned around In no llttlo anxiety. Sho heard tho door slam. John hnd disappeared I Ho left tho theater with only his hut I In his hnnd, turning up his cout by In- ! -stlnct as ha passed through tho driving rnln. All his senses seemed tingling -with somo nnmelcss horror. Tho brilliance bril-liance of tho language, tho subtlety of tho sltuntlou, seemed llko soma evil trull drawn across that ono horrible cllmnr. It wus Loulso who had como from Unit room nnd pointed to Faru-diiy Faru-diiy ! Ho renched his rooms ho scarcely i ' knew how and walked upstairs. Thero hu threw off somo of his dripping garments, gar-ments, opened tho window wide, nnd etood there. j i Ho looked out over tho Thames, and thcro wns a 'red flnro beforo his eyes. Stephen was right, ho told himself. Thero was nothing but ovll to bo found here, nothing but bitter disappointment, disappoint-ment, nothing but tho pnln which deep- II ens Into anguish. Ilettcr to reninln llko Stephen, unloving and unloved, to draw nearer to tho inountulns, to find I Joy In tho crops nnd tho rnln and tho J, sunshine, to listen stonily to tho cry I of human beings ns If to somo volco i from an unknown world. ! Ho leaned a little further from tho ! window, nnd gazed Into tho court at a dizzy depth below, no hnd cut himself adrift from tho peaco which might havo been his. Ho would never know again i r the Joys. of his earlier life. It wns for this that ho, had fought so many battles, bat-tles, clung so tightly to ono Ideal for Louise, who could show herself to anyone any-one who cared to pay his shilling or his half-guinea, glorying In her dishonor; dis-honor; worse than glorying In It finding find-ing soma subtlo humor In tho llttlo gesture ges-ture with which she had pointed, un-ashnmcd, un-ashnmcd, to her lover. John bent a llttlo lower from tho window. A sudden dizziness seemed ) to have como over him. Then ho was forced to turn around. His door had j been quickly opened and shut. It was ! Sophy who was crossing toward him, j the rain streaming from her ruined opera cloak. "John!" sho cried. "Oh, John l" She led him back to his chair and ; knelt by his side. She held his bands I tightly. "You mustn't feel llko this," sho ! sobbed; "you mustn't, John, really I You don't understand. It's ull n play. Loulso wouldn't really do anything llko I that I" j no shivered. Nevertheless, ho 1 -jj (jTCTterrn cftnrn du unu d rmrli'.T closer j to him. , i "Do, plcaso, listen to me," she 1 begged. "It's nil over. Loulso Is her- i self again Loulso Maurel. Tho Mar quise do Guy never lived except upon 3 those boards, It Is simply a wonderfd ' creation; Any ono of tho great no I trwss would play that part nnd glory t i ilia rry greatest, John. Oh, it'a i 'i L Ui , -' , . so hnrd to mako you understand 1 Loulso Lou-lso Is waiting for you. They aro all walling at tho supper party. You aro expected. You must go nnd tell her that you think It wns wonderful I' Ho rose slowly to his feet nnd caught ut her luinds roughly. "Supposing I won't go?" ho whispered whis-pered hoarsely. "Supposing I keep you here Instead, Sophy?" Sho swayed for a moment. Something Some-thing flashed Into her fnca and passed nwny. Sho wns paler than ever. "Dear John," sho begged, "pull yourself your-self together I Itcmcmbcr that Loulso Is walling for you. It's Loulso you want not me. Nothing that sho has dono tonight should mako her any tho less worthy of you nnd your love." Ho strode away Into tho farther room. Ho reappeared In a moment or two, his hair smoothly brushed, his tie newly arranged. "I'll come, llttlo girl," ho promised. "I don't know what I'll say to her, but I'll come. Thcro can't bo any harm In thatl" "Of course not," sho nnswered cheerfully. cheer-fully. "You'ro tho most terrlblo goose, John," sho added, as Uicy wnlkcd down tho corridor. "Do, please, loso your tragical nlr. Tho wholo world Is at Louisa's feet tonight. You mustn't let her know how nbsurdly you havo been feeling. Tomorrow you will find thnt every paper In London will bo acclaiming acclaim-ing her genius." John squnrcd his shoulders. "All tho same," ho declared grimly, "If I ctrnfj burn tho theater and tho play, and lock up Gnilllot for u month, tonight, I'd do It I" CHAPTER XVI. Tho days and weeks drifted Into months, nnd John remained In London. Ills clrclo of friends nnd his Interests had widened. It wns only his relations rela-tions with Loulso which remained still unchanged. Always charming to him, giving lilm much of her time, favoring him, beyond a doubt, more than any of her admirers, there was yet about her something cluslvo, something which seemed Intended to keep him so far ns posslblo at arm's length. Thcro was nothing tangible of which ho could complain, nnd this probationary probation-ary period was of his own suggestion. Ho bora It grimly, holding his place, whenever It was possible, by her slda with dogged persistence. Then ono evening eve-ning thero was n knock nt his door, and Stephen Strungcwey walked In. Stephen, although ho seemed u llttlo taller and gaunter than ever, though hu seemed to bring Into tho perhaps ovcrwarmcd ntmosphcro of John's llttlo llt-tlo sitting room something of tho cold austerity of his own dnmntn, had evidently evi-dently como In no unfriendly spirit. Ho took both his brother's hands In his and gripped them warmly. "I can't tell you how glad I nm to sco you, Stephen!" John declared. "It has been an effort to mo to come," Stephen admitted. "I um ono of tho old-fashioned Strungewcys. What I feel Is pretty well locked up Insldo. Tho last tlmo you and I met perhaps I spoko too much; so hero I um I" "It's flno of you," John declared. "I remember nothing of that day. Wo will "It's LouUe You Want Not Me." look, at things squarely together, even where wo differ. I'm" no broko off In tho middle of his sentence. sen-tence. Tho door had been suddenly opened, and Sophy Gerard mado a somewhat Impetuous entrance. "I'm absolutely sick of ringing, John," she exclaimed, "Oh, I beg your pardon I I hadn't tho least Idea you hull "uuuuu with 70" Sho stood still In surprise, n llttlo apologetic smllo upon her lips, John hastened forward and welcomed her. "It's all right, Sophy," ho declarca. "Let me Introduco my brother, may IT My brother Stephen Miss Sophy Gerard." Stephen rase slowly from bis placo, laid down his pipe, and bowed stiffly to Sophy. Sho held out her hand, however, how-ever, and smiled up at him delightfully. "How nlco of you to como nnd sco your poor, lonely brother I" sho said. "Wo havo dono our best to spoil him, but I'm nfrnld ho Is. very homesick sometimes. I hope you'vo coma to stay n long tlme.nnd to lenn all nbout London, Lon-don, as John Is doing. If you aro, half as nlco ns ho Is, wo'll give you such n good tlmo I" From his great height, Stephen looked down upon tho glrl'i upturned fnco n little nustcrely. Sho chattered away, entirely unabashed. "I do hopo you'ro not shocked at my bursting In upon your brother llko this I Wo rcnlly aro great pals, and I live only Just ncross tho way. Wo aro much less formal up here, you know, than you nro In tho country. John, I've brought you n mcssngo from Louise." "About tonight?' Sho nodded. "Loulso Is most frightfully sorry," she explained, "but sho has to go down to Streatham to open a bazaar, and sho can't possibly bo back In tlmo to dine before tho thcutnr.'Can you guess what she dared to suggest?" "I think I enn," John replied, smiling. "Say you will, there's a dear," sho begged. "I nm not playing tonight. Mny Enscr Is going on In my place. Wo nrranged It a week ago. I had two fines to pay on Saturday, and I haven't had n decent mcul this week. But I had forgotten," sho broko off, with a sudden noto of disappointment In her tont. "There's your brother. I musn't take you away from him." "Wo'll all havo dinner together," John suggested. "You'll come, of course, Stephen?" Stephen shook his head. "Thank you," ho said, "I am duo nt my hotel. I'm going back to Cumberland Cumber-land tomorrow morning, nnd my errand . Is already done." "You will do nothing of tho sort I" John declared. "Plrnso ho amiable," Sophy begged. "If you won't como with us, I shall simply run away nnd leavo you with John. You needn't look nt your clothes." sho went on. "Wo can go to n grillroom. John sha'n't dress, cither. I want you to tell mo all nbout Cum-bcrlnnd, Cum-bcrlnnd, whero this brother of yours lives. Ho doesn't tell us half enough I" John passed his nrm through his brother's nnd led him nwny. "Como nnd havo a wash, old chap," ho said. They dined together nt Lulgl's, n curiously assorted trio Sophy, between be-tween tho two men, supplying a distinctly dis-tinctly nllcn note. 8ho was nlwnys gay, nlways amusing, but although she addressed most of her remarks to Stephen, he never once unbent, no nt" nnd drank simply, seldom spenktng.tr himself or his plans, and firmly ,ncgC-tlvlng ,ncgC-tlvlng nil their suggestions for tho remainder re-mainder of tho evening. Occasionally ho glanced nt tho clock. John beenmo conscious of a certain feeling of curiosity, curi-osity, which In a sense Sophy shared. "Your brother seems to mo llko n man with n purpose," sho said, as they stood In tho cntranco hall on their way out of tho restaurant. "Llko a prophet with n mission, perhaps I should say." John nodded. In tho llttlo passngo whero they stood, ho and Stephen seemed to dwnrf tho pns8ern-b.v. Tho men, In their evening clothes and pallid faces, seemed suddenly Insignificant, and tho women llko dolls. "For tho last time, Stephen," John said, "won't you como to a music hall with us?" "I havo mado my plans for tho evening, eve-ning, thnnk you," Stephen replied, holding o"t his hand. "Good night I" Ho left them stnndlng thero and wnlkcd off down tho Strnnd. John, looking look-ing nfter him, frowned. Ho wns conscious con-scious of a certain foreboding. "I suppose," Sophy sighed, ns they wnlted for a tnxlcah, "wo shall spend tho remainder of tho evening In the usual fashion!" "Do you mind?" John asked. "No," sho assented reslgncdjy. "That piny will end by making u driving Idiot of me. If Loulso Is tired tonight, though, I warn you that I shull Insist upon supper." "It's a bargain," John promised. "Wo'll drive Loulso home, and then I'll tnko you hack to Lulgl's. Wo haven't been out together for somo time, lmvo we?" Sho looked up at htm with a llttlo grtmaco nnd patted his lwnd. "You havo neglected me," sho said. "I think all theso flno ladles have turned your head." Sho drow n llttlo closer to him and passed her arm through his. John made no responsive movement, no was tilled with resentment at tho sensation of pleasure that her affcctlonato gesture ges-ture gave him. Tho curtain was up and tho play In progress when they reached tho box that John had taken for the season. Tho spell of It all, against which ho had so often fought, camo over John anew. He set his chair back against tho wall and watched and listened, a verltnble senso of hypnotism creeping over his senses. Presently tho same Impulso which had como to him so many times before Induced him to turn his head, to read In tho faces of the audience au-dience tho reflection of her genius, no had often watched those long lines of faces changing, cuch In Its own way, under tho magic of her art. Tonight ho looked boyond. no knew very well that his search had a special object. Suddenly he gripped the arms of his Tmnr.--iirTireiRffinw"dniie't)iirats' ting head and shoulders taller thnn tho men nnd women who lounged over the wooden rest In front of them, was Stephen. More than ever, among these unapproprlate surroundings, he seemed to represent something almost patriarchal, patri-archal, n forbidding nnd disapproving spirit sitting In Judgment upon somo modern and unworthy wantonness, HU face, stem nnd grave, showed llttlo sign of approval or disapproval, but to John's npprehcndlng eyes tho critical sense wns there, tho verdict foredoomed. fore-doomed. Ho understood as In n. ilnsh thnt Stephen had come thcro to Judgo once more tho woman whom his brother broth-er desired. The curtain went up ngnln and tho play moved on, with subtlo yet Inevitable Inevita-ble dramatic power, toward tho hated and dreaded crisis. The play camo to an end presently, nmld a storm of applause. Tho grim figure In the front of the pit rcranlncd motionless and silent. Ho wns ono of the last to leave, nnd John watched his retreating flguro with n dgh. Sophy drew him nwny. "We hnd better hurry round," sho said. "Loulso Is always very quick getting get-ting ready." They found her, ns a matter of fact, In tho act of leaving. Sho welcomed them naturally enough, but John fnnc'cd thnt her greeting showed somo signs of embarrassment. "You knew that I was going out to supper tonight?" sho nsked. "Oh didn't I tell you? Tho prince has asked tho IB "My Preference Is to Remain Stand. Ino." French people from Uls Majesty's to meet M. Gralllot nt supper. I am hurrying hur-rying homo to dress." John handed her Into her waiting automobllo in silence. She glanced Into his face. "Is anything tho matter?" Bho asked. "Nothing 1" "Tho prlnco would havo nsked you, without n doubt," Loulso continued, ''but bo knows that you are not really Interested In tho stage, and this party Is entirely French they do not spenk a word of English. Aurcrolrl Sophy, tnko enro of him, and mind you bchavo yourselves I" Sho waved her hnnd to them both and threw herself back among tho cushions ns tho car glided off. John walked to tho corner of tho street In gloomy silence. Then ho remembered his companion. Ho stopped short. "Sophy," ho begged, "don't hold mo to my promise. I don't wont to toko you out to supper tonight. I nm not In tho humor for It." "Don't bo foolish!" sho replied. "If you stay alone, you will only Imnglno things nnd bo miserable. Wo needn't lmvo any supper, unless you llko. Let mo como nnd sit In your rooms with you." "No I" ho decided, nlmost roughly. "I nm losing myself, Sophy. I nm losing something of my strength every day. Loulso doesn't help ns sho might. Don't stay with me, please. I am beginning to havo moods, and when they como on I want to bo nlonc." Sho drow a llttlo closer to him. "Let mo come, plcaso 1" sho begged, with a pathetic, nlmost childlike quiver nt tho corner of her lips. Ho looked down nt her. A sudden wnvo of tenderness swept every other thought from his mind. His mental balance seemed suddenly restored. Ho hailed n passing taxi nnd bunded Sophy Into It. "What n selfish pig I nm!" ho ex-claimed. ex-claimed. "Anyhow, It's all over now. Wo'll go back to Lulgl's to Bupper, by all means. I nm going to mako you tell mo all about that young man from Dnth 1" CHAPTER XVII. Loulso glanced at her watch, sat up In bed, and turned reproachfully toward Aline. "Altno, do you know It Is only eleven o'clock?" sho exclaimed. "I am very sorry, mudame," tho latter lat-ter hastened to explain, "but there Is a gentleman downstairs who wishes to seo you. no says he will wait until you can receive him. I thought you would like to know." "A gentleman at this hour of tho morning?" Louise yawned. "How absurd ab-surd I Anyhow, you ought to know better than to wako me up before the proper time." "I am very sorry, modame," Aline replied. re-plied. "I hesitated for somo time, but I thought you would llko to know that tho gentleman was here. It Is Mr. Stephen Strangowey Mr. John' brother." Louise clasped her knees with her fingers nnd sat thinking. She was wldo uwntomjw " ' ' "Ho has been hero somo tlmo already, al-ready, modame," Aline continued. "I did not wish to disturb you, but I thought perhnpH It was better for yon to know that he was here." "Quite right, Aline," Loulso decided. "Go down nnd tell him that I will see him In halt an hour, and get my bath wwdy at oucu." .... o Loulso dressed herself simply but carefully. Sho could conceive of but onu reason for Stephen's presence In her house, nnd It rather amused her. It wns, of course, no friendly visit, He hnd come either to threaten or to cajole. Yet what could ho do? What had sho to fenr? She went over tho Interview In-terview In her mind, Imagining him crushed nnd subdued by her superior subtlety and finesse. With n llttlo smllo of coming triumph upon her lips she descended tho stairs and swept Into her pleasantly wnrmed nnd perfumed little drawing-room. Sho even held otit her hand cordially to the dark, grim figure wlioi e outline against tho dainty white wnll seemed so Inappropriate. Inap-propriate. "This Is very nice of you Indeed, Mr. Strnngcwcy," sho began. "I hnd no Idcn thnt you had followed your brother's example nnd come to town." Sho told herself once more thnt her slight Instinct of uneasiness bad been absurd. Stephen's -bow, although n llttlo llt-tlo formal nnd austere, was still an acknowledgment of her welcome. Tho shadows of the room, perhaps, had prevented pre-vented him from seeing her outstretched out-stretched hand. "Mlno Is n very short visit, Miss Maurel," Mau-rel," ho snld. "I hnd no other reason for coming but to sco John nnd to pay this call upon you." "I nm greatly flattered," sho told him. "You must please sit down and mako yourself comfortablo whllo wo talk. Sec, this Is my favorlto place," sho added, dropping Into a corner of her lounge. "Will you sit bcsldo mo? Or, If you prefer, draw up that chatr." "My preference," he replied, "Is to remain standing." She rulscd her eyebrows. Her tono altered. "It must bo as you wish, of course," sho continued ; "only I have such pleasant pleas-ant recollections of your hospitality nt I'enk Hall that I should like, If there wns nny possible way In which I could return It" "Madam," ho Interrupted, "you must admit that tho hospitality of Pcnk Hall wns not willingly offered to you. Savo for tho forco of circumstances, you would never havo crossed our threshold." thresh-old." Sho shrugged her shoulders. Sho was adapting her tono nnd manner to the belligerency of his nttltudc. "Well?" "You want to know why I hnvo found my way to London?" ho went on. "I came to And out a llttlo tnoro nbout you." "About mo?" "To discover If thero wns anything nbout you," ho proceeded deliberately, "concerning which report had lied. I do not placo my faith In newspapers and gossip. Thcro was always n chnnco that you might havo' been an honest woman. That Is why I camo to London, Lon-don, nnd why I went to sco your play last night." Sho was speechless. It was as If ho wcro speaking to her In somo foreign tongue. "I hnvo struggled," ho continued, "to ndopt n charltablo view of your profession. pro-fession. I know that tho world changes quickly, whllo we, who prefer to remain re-main outside Its orbit, of necessity loso touch with Its new Ideas nnd new fashions. So I snld to myself that there should bo no mistake. For that reason I sat In n theater last night almost al-most for tho first tlmo In my life, I saw you act." "Well?" she nsked nlmost deflnntly. He looked down nt her. All splendid self-assurunco seemed ebbing nwny. Sho felt a sudden depression of spirit, 11 sudden strungo senso of Inslgulfl-'ennce. Inslgulfl-'ennce. "I hnvo come," ho snld, "If I con, to buy my brother's freedom." "To buy your brother's freedom?" sho repented, In n dazed tone. "My brother Is Infntunted with you," Stephen declared. "I wish to savo him." Tho woman's courage began to assert as-sert Itself. Sho raised her eyes to his. "Exactly what do you mean?" sho nsked calmly. "In whnt wny Is nny man to ho saved from me? If your brother should enro for me, nnd I, by any chance, should happen to caro for him, In what respect would that bo u stato from which ho would rcqulro salvation?" sal-vation?" "You mnko my tnslc moro difficult," ho observed deliberately. "Docs It nmuso you to practice your profession before ono so Ignorant nnd so unnpprc-clntlvo unnpprc-clntlvo as myself? If my brother should ever marry, It Is my Arm Intention Inten-tion thnt ho shall marry an honest woman." Loulso sat quite still for n moment. A flash of lightning had glittered beforo be-foro her eyes, and In her ears was the crash of thunder. Her face was suddenly sud-denly strained. She saw nothing but tho stern, forbidding expression of the roan who looked down at her. "You dare to say this to me, here In my own house?" "Dare? Why not? Don't people tell you the truth here In London, then?" Sho rose a llttlo unsteadily to her feet, motioning him toward the door, and moving toward the bell. Suddenly sho sank back Into her former place, breathless and helpless. "Why do you waste your breath?" ho asked calmly. "Wo aro alono here, you nnd I wo kn6w tho truth 1" Sho sat quite still, shivering a little. "Do we? Tell me, then,-because I am curious tell mo why you aro so sure of what you say." -"Ttnrwurlir hinrit1iu"n.,ptlwi,'"tiiitv you nro tho mistress of tho prlnco of Seyre. I came to London to satisfy myself as to tho truth of that report Do you bellovo that any man living, among that audience last night, coulu watch tho play although you aro a clever nctress, madam and believe that you were a woman who was living an honest life!" "That cen lmposslblo to youT sho demanded. "Utterly impossible 1" "And to John?" t "I nm speaking for myself nnd not for my brother," Stephen replied. "Men. llko him, who nro assailed by n certain H mndncss, nre best left alone wltb It. 'H Thnt Is why I camo to you to bargain, H If I could. Is thcro anything that you lack anything which your own sue-cess sue-cess and your lover, or lovers, havo failed to provide for you?" It wns useless to try to rise; sho was powerless In all her limbs. Sldo by sldo with the anger nnd horror that his words nroused wns a sense of some thing almost grotesque, something which seemed to forco an unnatural lnugh from her lips. "So you want to buy rac off?" "I should be glnd to bellovo thnt it was within my power to do so. I havo not John's great fortune, but I havo money, tho accumulated savings of n lifetime, for which I have no better purpose. There Is one more thing, too, to bo said." "Another charge?" "Not that," ho told her; "only It Is better for you to understand that If you turn mo from your houso this morning, I shnll still feel the necessity of saving my brother from .you." "Saving liltu from me?" sho ox-clnlmed, ox-clnlmed, rising suddenly nnd throwing out her nrms. "Do you know what you aro talking nbout? Do you know1 that If I consented to think of your brother ns my husband, there Is not a' man In London who would not envy 'H him? Look at mo I I nm beautiful, dm 'H I not? I nm n great artist. I nm Lou-Iso Lou-Iso Maurel, and I hnvo mado myself famous by my own work nnd my own 'H genius. What has your brother dons In Ufa to render him worthy of tho sacrlflco I should mako If I choso to .H give him my bund? You had better H go back to Cumberland, Mr. Strnngo- :H wey. You do not sec life ns wo sco It iH up H "And what nbout John?" ho nsked, iH without moving. "You tempted him IH nwny. Wns It from wantonness, or do jH you lovo him?" ;H "Lovo him?" she laughed. "I hato jH you both I You arc boors you aro iH Ignorant people. I huto tho moment I iH ever saw either of you. Take John back with you. Tako him out of my life, Thcro Is no placa there for him 1" Stephen picked up his hat from tho sofa whero It lay. Louise remained perfectly still, her breath coming quick ly, her eyes lit with pnsslon. "Madam," he said, "I nm sorry to havo distressed you, but tho truth 'H sometimes hurts the most callous of us. You havo heard tho truth from me. I will take John back to Cumber-land Cumber-land with me, It be will come. If ha 1 will not" V "Tako him with you I" she broke In 1 fiercely. "He will do ns I bid him do you henr? If I lift my little finger, ho will stay. It will be I who decide, "Hut you wltl not lift your llttlo fin-gcr," fin-gcr," ho Interrupted grimly. "Why shouldn't I, Just to punish you?" sho demanded. "Thero nro ? scores of men who fancy themselves In s love with me. If I choose, I can keep '. them nil their lives hanging to tho hem of my skirt, praying for a word, n touch. I can mako them furious otio day and penitent tho next wretched nlways, perhaps, but I can keep them there. Why should I not treat your brother In tho same wny?" Ho seemed suddenly to dilute. Sho was overcome with n senso of some hit- BBb out power In the man, somo command-Ing command-Ing Inflinnice. HBa "Hecnuse," he declared, "I am tho guardian of my brother's hnpplncKi. Whoever trifles with It shall In tho fu-turo fu-turo reckon with me I" HBfl Ills eyes were fixed upon her soft, whlto thront. Ills long, lean 11 n for a HBa seemed suddenly to ho drawing near to her. Sho watched him, fascinated. IBl Sho wus trying to scream. Even uftcr Bv "Take Him With Youl" She Broke In Fiercely. HH ho had turned away and left her, after sho had heard his measured tramp do-sccndlng do-sccndlng the stairs, her fingers flaw to her throat. She held herself tightly, standing there with beating heart and throbbing pulses. It was not until tho front door had closed that sho hod "tlnrsUvngth-lo 'iuuvotothravv"HcrSe'ir ' faco downward upon tho couch. J Loulfo ate a very small Jubclieon, but an liiiusunl thing for 'heV ebo drank two glasses of wine. Just as iH sho had finished, Sophy came In, with Ink-stained fingers and n serious ex-prcsslon. ex-prcsslon. 1 (TO DE CONTINUED.) H |
