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Show Wp LASfi of 1 CIRCIMSX4NCE .WMfti y Harry Irving Greene HdXf Author 0"Yosonde of the Wilderness" 1 1 Hi a Trccti on 3 Xhs.$nws O. K-eftrie r- mm ... V f -eauN. - VlthV "I Demand That You Toll Me Instant ly Why You Slrl" '""V Mollis rtrack m u m 4el!clouily nonsensical that I could sot refrmla. from laughing. "It is absurd, Clare. Certainly Mol-lle Mol-lle la strictly all right, but she would look like a mouse beside Mrs. Dace." She nodded spiritedly. "Now you are talking sense. Uke a nice little white mouse beside a leopardess, exactly." I did not like the comparison. "Do you mean to say that Mrs. Dace is a leopardess?" I demanded with some warmth. Clare was as cool as a cucumber. "Oh, I don't know. Anyway, she is as beautiful as one. And viewing her as I have only from a distance, I have somehow gained the impression that there are traits In common between be-tween them. She is so wonderfully smooth and soft and quiet moving, you know." She looked up at me sideways, side-ways, saw the displeasure that rested upon my face and broke into a laugh aa she gave my cheek a pat. "Of course you must not mind what I say, Tom, dear. I really know almost al-most nothing about your charmer, and I trust to your level head to take care of you. Only please do be careful." care-ful." So we laughed together and dropped that subject hard then and there. Up to this time tne course of no man's love ever ran smoother than had mine for Mrs. Dace. Yet It was only a few days after this conversation conversa-tion with Clare that there happened a thing so awful to me at the time that hades Itself could have offered no torture more exquisite. I had never been Jealous of Mrs. Dace for the simple sim-ple reason that I had seen no cause to be; yet I knew that the fires of that passion slumbered, within me like those of a latent volcano. The mere thought of another making love to her was a torment. She had told me that few men Interested her, and the frequency fre-quency of my attendance upon her seemed to preclude the idea of a rival of consequence lurking in the background. back-ground. That I was being publicly exhibited to attract attention and thus used as a sheep-skin to cloak a real wolf, had never entered my mind until the thought in all its hideous-ness hideous-ness was forced upon me purely by accident. I had spent the evening downtown and was going home at about eleven, when a circumstance occurred to me. A few evenings before, when at Mrs. Dace's, she had requested me to open a bottle of wine, which I had done by means of a folding corkscrew I carried upon my key ring. When I had reached my own door later in the evening I had discovered that my keys were missing, and remembered at the time that I had laid the ring containing them and the corkscrew upon the table after opening the bottle. bot-tle. I had forgotten to replace them In my pocket, but knowing they were perfectly safe, I felt no uneasiness; told myself that I would recover them upon my next visit, and ringing the bell was admitted by Mrs. Tebbets. I had not seen Mrs. Dace since, and now on my way home decided to stop off for a moment at the Arcadia, and if she or the maid were home I would claim the keys in order to avoid disturbing dis-turbing the housekeeper, who retired early. I therefore stepped from the car at th point where it crossed the boulevard upon which she resided and hurried towards her building. I chanced to be upon the opposite Bids of the street from my destination, and as I was about to cross the way my steps were arrested by the want ing honk of a motor car. Pausing at the curb I watched Its swift approach, Its lights glaring like the eyes of some speeding monster. By the street lamps I saw that It was a ponderous affair, and a pang of regret stabbed me that I was not able to possess its like. Almost as huge as a locomotive It looked as itolled to a point opposite oppo-site me, and then suddenly swinging in a close circle stopped In front of the entrance across the way. Instinctively Instinct-ively I paused in the shadow to watch it. Its door swung open and out onto the pavement there stepped a great man with a massive bull-dog shaped head and neck, and mustaches that flowed from his lips like yellow fountains. foun-tains. By the gaslight l could see the bear-like power of his arm as he thrust out his hand to some one yet within the car, and a cold premonition of something wretched to come swept over me. To my ears there came a short, peculiar cough, and from this mannerism of which I had heard, as well as from pictures which I had seen in the newspapers, I Instantly recognized him. The dragon had arrived ar-rived In his juggernaut. Richard Mackay, the infamous, the moral leper, lep-er, who, corrupt of soul and body, had long reigned as autocrat of thunder world and prince of spoilsmen, loomed across the way. Fearless and able, powerful yet subtle, always a dominant domi-nant force for evil, he was one from whom any man might recoil with secret se-cret fear. And an instant later the wretched thing came to pass. From out of the car and into his grasp there stepped the woman whom I loved with nil my soul, and my heart seemed to stop. With his arm around her waist, brazenly bra-zenly indifferent as to who might witness wit-ness he passed across the walk by her side and threw the door wide by a sweep of his free hand. For some reason I learned later it was because of a weakened spring the door failed to close promptlyand I distinctly saw them in the subdued light of the interior in-terior as they stood close together awaiting the descent of the elevator car. It was but a fleeting glimpse, yot had it lasted longer I believe I Bhould have cried outright in my agony. ag-ony. For as plainly as I ever saw anything in my life I saw him draw her close to him as impetuously as I had done in my outburst as he lifted her face and half buried It beneath his sweeping mustache. Then the door mercifully closed, shutting out the sight and leaving me with horror filling my breast and the coldness of death creeping over me. For an instant in-stant I was incapable of movement, then regaining partial control of myself, my-self, lurched away. Benumbed of brain, my knees turned to water, and with jealousy tearing at my vitals like a vulture, I staggered homeward. Upon the night of horror t;i followed fol-lowed I do not care to dwell. Like one in a fever I tossed through the hours sleepless save for the fitful dream moments when I wandered far into the evil haunts of the nightmare. Morning creeping grayly into my room found me with head splitting and sot eyes that stared at the ceiling. As one who is crippled with rheumatism rheuma-tism in every joint. I arose stiffly, bathed myself and crawled out into the air. It was Sunday morning, and already the chime of distant bells mellowed mel-lowed in my ears. It was all plain to me now, her deceit and treachery; and had I been sentenced over night to the gibbet I could not have been more wretched. In the miserableness of it I stood soul sick before the utter hollowness of all things. There could be but one explanation of it. The hideous Innuendoes that had haunted my ears like the whisperings of a sea shell had been less than the truth, and I had been used as the false light to mislead the world; as a dummy, the fool. Oh, the treachery and the wickedness and i the black shame of it! And that this woman for whom I ! would have given my heart's blood could be guilty of such cruelty to me! Broken-heartedly, I sobbed beneath the oaks like a child. I Plainly there was but one thing I could do. I must renounce her unqualifiedly un-qualifiedly even though it well-nigh killed me, for I could never share her with anybody as well might a man be asked to cut his heart In twain. I must not even see her again for I dared not trust myself in her presence. What I might do if I should meet her alone I did not know. Whether I would violently denounce her for her faithlessness, break down miserably as I was now doing, or commit com-mit some other scene I could only conjecture. But In any case matters would not be mended. The injury was irreparable. I must cast her out of my life and pursue my way in wretchedness wretch-edness and silence. I returned to my rooms. Uncle Abner was already puttering away somewhere and I threw myself into a chair in what was nearly a physical collapse: I felt shrunken and hollow as though my vitals had been drawn from my body and I had fallen into myself. I was Incapable of thinking think-ing logically and the weight that oppressed op-pressed me was stifling. Before me life stretched away as a void, hopeless hope-less and destitute of light and through which I must drift miserably until it merged into eternity. I must have sat in a half stupor for a long time, for as the tinkle of the telephone bell sounded in my deadened dead-ened ears like a death ' rattle I got upon my feet and saw that it was nearly ten o'clock. Mechanically I picked up the receiver and asked what was wanted. Over the wire there came to me a voice which at first set every nerve to tingling and then turned me sick and faint in the reaction. reac-tion. For It was the voice of Mrs. Dace, softly musical, and filled with the cheerfulness of the morning as she inquired for me. In tones that sounded far away to my own ears I told her it was I who spoke. "I did not recognize your 'hello,' " she went on briskly. "Your voice does not sound at all natural this morning. I am afraid you dissipated last night. Anyway, it is such a lovely love-ly morning that I have been thinking perhaps you might wish to call and take me to church and afterwards for a little stroll along the boulevard. I SYNOPSIS. Ahner Halllday, a miserly millionaire. Is found graced, bound and Iriuenslble In his room, his safe rifled and $40,000 minting. mint-ing. The thread of the story Is taken up by his nephew Torn. Living In the Hame house art: other relatives; reckless Bruce Halllday and pretty Clare VVlnton. Bruce, who Is a Ifond broker, has been trying to ral.se SlO.Ono to put through a deal and nave hlniHelr from flnaelal ruin, lie has applied to his miserly uncle and to others f': the loan hut has been refused. Tom siV.ds for William I,eDue, an old-time friend collected with a detective agency. In relating the story Tom reverts to his acquaintance with a Mrs. Dane, a wealthy widow, wlee business aijent Is Richard Mackay, a hoodkr and political boss. CHAPTER V. (Continued.) "You have come at last. I was growing impatient. I was lonesome to-night and wanted some one to talk to tne preferably you. Do you know, I had been thinking of you Just before be-fore you railed me up. Perhaps It was ;hci:xhr .nvti.imlsslon that made you ring rhe a moment later. Who knows?" She laughed musically as I took her fingers and bent my lips to them. "Mrs. Dace, thought transmission to remind me of you would be grossly superfluous. I am going to be perfectly per-fectly plain with you. It is barely possible pos-sible that I have thought of something else since I saw you last, but if I have I do not now remember what It was. However, you flatter me," She withdrew with-drew her hand with a sudden averting avert-ing of her eyes, smiling again. "No, it was not flattery. I also am a plain person and do not speak in parables. Besides, what harm to think of one's friends?" She half turned an easy chair for n'e and I seated myself in it, my eyes running over the room. The quiet richness of Its furnishings was a revelation. Exquisite Ex-quisite taste was in the very air. Several of the darkly rich pictures were either original masterpieces or copies so cleverly executed that I could not detect the difference. The oriental vases were magnificent tokens to-kens of barbaric art, and were overflowing over-flowing with great clusters of blood-red blood-red roses. The furniture was of the handsomest and the tapestries heavy and rich. As to Mrs. Dace's income I had no knowledge, but at least her . apartments were high of rental and equipped with extravagance. For some reason, Richard Mackay's name came creeping through my mind like an evil thing, and I squirmed inwardly inward-ly at the thought. I had never seen the' man's face outside of .the papers, but that in itself was enough. While It was not unhandsome in a strong animal way, the stamp of vice was indelible in-delible upon it. It seemed a sacrilege sacri-lege to even mention his name in connection con-nection with that of this exquisite woman, for his reputation was as contaminating as his personality was poisonous. Furthermore, he was married. It is not my Intention to go further into the particulars of my private affairs af-fairs with Mrs. Dace than Is necessary neces-sary for a complete understanding of the circumstances which surrounded the mysterious crime against my uncle. Briefly, I will say that in the next month we were much together, and most of the time alone. She seemed to prefer it that way; I cer- tainly did, and under those auspicious surroundings our friendship rapidly thickened. It was a delirious time to me, wherein during the days I walked like one in a trance when apart from her: dreamed rapturously of her by night and was in a chafing fever of discontent when not by her side. Of Bruce's dragon I saw nothing, while as for other would-be suitors, she tactfully tact-fully kept them at bay. Having occasion oc-casion to notice this, and of course being secretly delighted by it, I nevertheless nev-ertheless one day asked her why she hunned those who wished to pay her attentions. She stifled a yawn be-hind be-hind her handkerchief. "Most men bore me," she answered, quietly. I leaned closer. "I wish you to tell me frankly And do I?" She swayed away from me slightly, not answering, her cheeks swept by her falling lashes and her bosom swelling to its round fullness. I drew eo close that her soft hair brushed my face. "Matie tell me," I pleaded. Her eyes, in whose fathomless depths the bouI of any man might well have been drowned, looked up at me. She smiled and one hand fell feather-light feather-light upon my own, setting every nerve to tingling as a harp vibrates when swept broadcast by a hand. And as an earthwork is annihilated by a cloudburst, so was all my restraint wept away by the flood of passion that arose within me: my blood leaping leap-ing like a mountain torrent and my heart fighting Its way to my throat. Not stopping to' think what I said or did. scarcely realizing; only knowing that I loved this creature with a pas-ion pas-ion that would no longer be controlled, con-trolled, I crushed her to me and held her helpless as I rained kisses upon her eyes and lips and cried out my love for her in broken, half-coherent sentences. She did not resist, and I doubt if 1 would have known it had he done so, such was the intensity of my fervor. Nor did she respond In the least, and when my l!rst ardor had exhausted Itself and my arms relaxed re-laxed she quietly broke away from me. Her face was flushed and ter hair disordered, but her voice was as calm as the Brat time she ever spoke to me and she told me that I was forgetting for-getting myself and must leave her at once. Uncertain as to whether she had submitted to my outburst with more or less Indifference as the best way of extricating herself from an embarrassing situation, or whether she was secretly angry, yet worried greatly over the consequences of my Impetuosity, I held out my hand ap-pealingly ap-pealingly as I begged her forgiveness that in my great love for her I had taken advantage of my superior strength. My hand Bhe eluded by a step backward and her perfectly modulated mod-ulated voice once more bade me a non-commltal non-commltal good night. I threw my overcoat over my arm and turned to the door. "But at least you may tell me if I am forgiven," I pleaded, as heavy of heart I paused upon the threshold. Her expression remained changeless. "I have not fully decided. You will know later." "Then I may hope that I have not sinned beyond redemption and that 1 may see you again?" "You may call me up in a few days when you have recovered your balance." bal-ance." "And until then I must wait for my answer?" "Until then you must wait. Good night." ' I bowed, passed into the hallway and left her, hope and fear battling In my bosom. CHAPTER VI. When I called her up three days later she seemed to have forgotten that any such Incident had ever happened. hap-pened. She passed' the usual pleasantries pleas-antries of the day over the wire, laughed as softly and musically as ever, and ended by telling me that I might call that evening. When I did so she received me with neither more nor less than her customary friendliness. friendli-ness. I was mystified. As to what was going on in the wonderland that lay behind tier eyes I had no conception concep-tion further than the evident fact that she had not been seriously offended. And that was solace enough for the present. Of course I would renew the assault-at-arms when the opportunity seemed propitious, but for the time being I would resort to steady siege. I renewed my devotions. As had been the case before, I again haunted her. Necessarily this soon became bruited around the circle of our acquaintances, and occasionally echoes of the gossip reached my ears. Bruce spoke of it once or twice quizzically, quiz-zically, but as I ignored his remarks he soon quit bothering me with them. Clare, as usual, had her little say. "I hear that you and Mrs. Dace are exceedingly good friends these days, and that you are with her nearly everywhere," she began sweetly. "I wish you would tell me about it." Now as a matter of fact I was secretly secret-ly proud to be recognized as the accepted ac-cepted suitor of so beautiful a woman, wom-an, and Clare was an entirely different differ-ent proposition from Bruce to confide in. So I admitted nonchalantly that we were on excellent terms. She frowned a little. "Weli, I suppose, of course, that' it is all right, and anyway it is none of my business. But she is such a mysterious woman. She lives like a duchess and everybody says her husband hus-band left her scarcely anything. When that little is gone what will she do unless she marries a rich man? And how on earth could you get money enough to support a woman of her tastes as she would demand to be supported? sup-ported? You Just answer me that, Tom Halllday." Now I had rather expected something some-thing like this from Clare, but nevertheless never-theless the question annoyed me somewhat. It was the identical one that had been making my sane moments mo-ments a bugaboo for many nights and days past; still I hated to be reminded remind-ed of It by another person. Even now I was beginning to feel the drain of her upon my resources, although I had done nothing extravagant. I had taken her to the theater, paid for carriages, car-riages, and bought her luncheons and flowers, but beyond that had done practically nothing. And in a certain way there was much satisfaction In the thoug!-t that I had offered ber so little in the way of allurement besides my own society. While there were men by the score who would have been overjoyed to squander money upon her, she had laughingly excused herself to them for the sake of inexpensive inex-pensive little evenings with me. As proof that she really preferred me it seemed conclusive, and was the thing that gave me the most hope. However How-ever I did not speak and Clare went on : "Some of her gowns cost more than you earn in a month, while as for supporting an establishment at the Arcadia well, of course the very idea is preposterous. Now why don't you be sensible?" I smiled, scenting what was coming. "And what Is your idea of sense, Clare?" I inquired. "Well, take up with a nice little girl like Mollie Osborn, for instance." It was just as I had suspected, for Clare and Mollie are chums and devoted de-voted In advancing each other's interests. in-terests. But the idea that any man, once knowing Mrs. Dace as I knew hr. could be content with a girl like ful In her cool mcrninl smiling before me. At flrs about to approach me even as her eyes sought my faceV back and her smile vanisbl sunshine behind a flrivil "111?" she inquired, quick in her tones. I shook my he stepped within. She closed the door behind me."V you men, you dissipate so," she s; with an attempt at bantering. "Bl I am really surprised at you, Tom. had thought your morals almost too immaculate. However, a walk in the outer air will do you good. We will omit the church if you don't care to go inside. I only used that as a sub- terfuge to get you to come, you know. Can you forgive such deceit in me?" I looked at her helplessly, marveling at her duplicity. The shadow of a frown came to her brow. "Why don't you say something? You only stand there and stare at ma so unpleasantly," she went on with a J trace of impatience. Thoroughly sick at heart I addressed her as I changed I my mind again into the determination 1 to confront her with her heartless- J ness. I "Mrs. Dace, I have come to tell I you that I cannot see you any more. 1 That you made a fool of me for some purpose of your own, it is of course not necessary that I should inform you. That you have wounded ma greatly and caused me much suffering you may not know; but if it is any satisfaction for you to have that knowledge I now confess it to you. I do not think that I have anything more to say to you except to ask for the keys I inadvertently left here and , bid you goodby." Her eyes opened wide and she stood staring blankly into my face. "I don't understand what have I done? you look so strange "she stammered. stam-mered. I did not answer. Her mouth straightened a bit and a chill came into her voice. "But I insist upon knowing. You have suddenly sud-denly charged me with very unpleasant unpleas-ant things and I have the right to demand an explanation in justice to myself. That right being given me, I -may or may not wish to avail myself of my privilege to make a reply. But having had that opportunity you need not fear that I shall ask anything , further of you. Still, I feel that there must be some mistake. You must explain ex-plain yourself." I turned my face from her at I answered an-swered bitterly: "Had any one in the world told me what I now know I should have struck him down. When rumors came to my ears I always shut them out because be-cause of my faith In you. But what my own eyes see I cannot doubt. I had grown to trust you implicity, and you yourself molded and cemented my faith by your protestations. That I loved you better than my own lif I have told you and I think convinced you. You have paid me back with heartless treachery." "I demand 'that you tell me instantly instant-ly why you Bay these things, sir," she cried, the hot crimson flaring in her cheeks. With the cold deliberation with which a gladiator might dispatch his- crippled enemy I returned to the attack. (TO BE CONTINUED.) have thought of lots of things over night that I wish to tell you. And when we come back, if you care to give me still more of your time, we will take luncheon here in my apartments. apart-ments. Will you come?" My head swam and I leaned against the wall for support. The day previous an invitation such as this would have brought me from a sick bed to her on crutches, but now I shuddered as though a toad had been dropped down my spine. That she whom I had adored, defended against the world, and given my heart, could be so vilely i treacherous! And now with the sweetneBS of an angel sfie would lure j me to her that she might resume her play of cat and mouse! Yes. Clare 1 had been right. In stealth and cruelty she was all leopardess. And she would even have the scene of the next act in the sanctuary of the blessed disciple of love and truth! Softly, full of music as a bell. I heard her voice calling to me and asking why I did not reply to her. and driven to immediate action my mind suddenly changed. I would go and see her. I would look upon her once more and then coldly tell her that our relations must at once cease. I would ! go no further, would give her no satisfaction at all, but making my forgotten keys the excuse for responding respond-ing to her call, would claim them and bid farewell to her forever. In that way I would end the whole miserable business. Commanding my voice by an effort I answered that I would : come at once, and hung up the re-' re-' celver without waiting for her to address ad-dress me further. I went to the mirier mir-ier and looked Into It. My lips were teF and colorless, my eyes bloodshot, blood-shot, and 1 seemed to have grown pounds thinner and years older overnight. over-night. Once more I bathed my face in cold water and set out for the Arcadia. Ar-cadia. She opened the door at the first sound of the ball, and royally beauti- "From Out of the Car and Into His Grasp There 8topped the Woman I Loved." |
