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Show c - o o-o 4 ; v . iblackmail; i i V-v-"-V -- -V V -v-v . i 4 NKVKIt give my pnoKigi-apu.. aw.i. snlu .Miss Murc.uii, i...uj, Hie oiiiipli dispi,i,ng i.heii til. .o. OMUlllUIUMSl in ,.i i nai.. ' Hut 1 am hii oiu ir.titd." snld I. "Suiiiy .in nld friend rtoesn t couur ' "Us iuk tl.. Kline mm. h.ii.1 jUih Mott-ion, utfuci). ot t im.i s,, it v.nusl lie lllttel.i.l tl " Bile :, .mo, iiimi'-cnil iiimi'-cnil nut Knowing how to go on. "Oh, erj well,' sua I I, w.m n ljih. "At any i.ile, I ve got ,meiuiug to Mu on with." She glanced at me swiftly, and then looked down tho room, where ilw I eo-ple eo-ple were ciaillttrtRg. "If one gue to one, one woold have to glte to .ill," she said, orarulutiy. "1 in thanktiil I hae Hint snapslut, nt any tale,'' 1 suld. ".Snapshot?" she asked, looklig at me suspiciously. "Why, e," said I. "You reme nber, hi the limit nt (hiring last July. I took one of ou Hun." "I have no recollection of It." t-he w.l.l, coldly. "It whs rather a good one, hut, of rourse, nut well developed, und, mil orally, or-ally, not one of you at our best Hut, ut any rate. It's something. ' "What sort of one was It?" hhe In-qulrid, In-qulrid, with Interest. "You've no rlg.it to take photographs without telling . ue." "'On the contrary," I replied, "It I us been held In law that ou may take v. Inn photographs you will: only you mustn't sell them. I'm not going lo sell some.' "What's It like?" she liiqulied, Ignoring Ibis. For answer I dived Into my froek coat pocket. "I bine a print here, 1 ald. "I've not ilxed It pinperly, but yon can get uu Idea. It was when you weie laugh ing at a slory of Travers. " Miss Moretou almost plucked the ph i-togruiih i-togruiih out or my fingers, anil cmiti-lne.1 cmiti-lne.1 It. "How abominable of you!" the said "It's H-lf. etly ridiculous. C.ood gracious, I .(out open my month illii Hint!" "It's a pretty mouth," said 1. "It's a iletestuhle grimace, and 'ill ut of drawing," she declared, with vlslnle nnnonnie. "Amateur photography :s all tike that. People hnve tin right to be let loose with cimiiras they don t uivl -r-stiind." "It's all 1 hue," I pleaded. "If you would let me have a real one of y.ni, I would willingly sacrifice It." Miss Moreton iipiM-uritl to hesitate. "Ctrtulnly not," said she at last, with decision. "And mi must, please, destiny "Tlint's the only print I have." I snhl. meekly. , .. She eyed me for a moment, und the'i suddenly slnnped nnd thrust It Into the fire. "I'm glad to hour It," she said, shortly. 1 made no attempt nt rescue, Hut watched watch-ed the ionr thing burn. "Then you are going to let me have one of yours?" I snld. "Indeed, no such thing!" she replied, nnd walked off towards a gronn who were discussing Mr. llewrbnhm Tree. sat down beside n voting lady In Turs. and entered Inl" a disquisition on motor cars, of which I knew nothing. Presently. Present-ly. Miss Moreton passed us. "Do you prefer a Pnnhnrd or u Mercedes?'' Mer-cedes?'' I asked her. She paused. "! don't know the difference." she mid. "Oh, do you motor?" asked the young ln.lv In the ftfr cunt, with enthusiasm. "Miss Moreton rows." said I. "She rmntfc very well, but she's not u llrst-rnto innd with the fulls." "Indeed!" snld Miss Morettui tn me, distantly. ' . . ..... "At lenst, shea unconventional In her style," I went on. "Sometimes she, cntchfs 'crabs.' " The young Isdy In Hie fur coat tittered, but Miss Moreton looked nt me with dls-nleusure. dls-nleusure. . "I don't pretend to nil Ihtt accomplishments," accomplish-ments," ahe suld. "Nor do I," I replied. "Hut I can take n sort of photograph. I have one of a I 'crab,' " She was going on, but hesitated. H was I 'ho rose and bade my motoring acquaintance good-hyf. I walked to-wards to-wards mv hostess and the door, but ere I reached the former I found Miss More-ton More-ton nt my heels. "What do you mean, Mr. Malllson? she asked quickly. "Why do you tnlk about 'crabs' und photographs?" "Oh, I only remembered that I took another snapshot last year," I replied. She was silent for n moment, nnd then, "Please explain," she snld. "Don't you remember when you went over nnd Trnvers picked you up?" I nsked. "I was Just going to take u beautiful beau-tiful picture of your head, nnd It turned out " "Yes," she. said, not quite rosy-red, "nnd what did It turn out?" "Oh, It wns a picture nf your heels nnd your" "How abominable of you!" she Interrupted, Inter-rupted, hastily. "Hut you run see your head also," I assured as-sured her. "You're falling I mean, leaning lean-ing bnckwards, with a terrified but fascinating fas-cinating smile on your face, and your skirt Is " "Of course you will destroy It at once," she Interrupted with her former hnste. I demurred. It really Is a very good one nf you; at lenst, of pnrt of you. If you could see It " "I don't want to see It," she broke In. "You must destroy It at once." "Hut It's the only thing I have of you, now that vou'vn burnt that," and I Indicated Indi-cated the fire. "You've no right to any of me. I don't see why you wunl one nt all,"-said Miss Moreton, hotly. "I don't suy I have nny right," I replied, re-plied, meekly; "hut I'm going to stick In what I have. After all, It's mine, I took It." "It's perfertly disgraceful of you, and nnd Hie luw." declared she, her fnce handsomely flushed now, and her eyes bright with nnger."lt's monstrous that I Hint one hasn't uny command ovr one's own own rurson." "You hadn't nny command ut that moment," mo-ment," 1 said. She cast me a fiery glnrice nnd hit her lip us If on something she had decided to suppress. I think she determined at that moment to try diplomacy. "Tell me," she snld, In a milder voice, "tell me exactly what It's like, und how I'm- how I came out, I mean." "Well, you know whnt happens when you catch u 'crab,' " I said, evasively. "Yes," she snld, doubtfully. "You mean am I do I?" She hesitated, almost wistfully. "Well, you do, rather," I answered, reluctantly. re-luctantly. "Mr. Malllson, she suld, eurnestly and very persuasively, punting n hand on my arm, "you will destroy It, won't ou?" It was pretty' It was pathetic; 't almost al-most succeeded. Hut 1 hardeiifd my heart. "On one condition." I said slowly, "and It's a very cosy condition. I might make much better terms." Miss Moreton flounced away Indignantly, Indignant-ly, and I proceeded on my way to her mother lo make my udleux. The room wus fairly empty nuw, and I was follow. Ing a little knot of departing guests Into tho hall when I heard my name reiterated reiter-ated earmstlv and softly. 1 turned. "Mr. Mslllson. I wish you would stay just one moment," snld Miss Moreton. I She hesitated, glanced uround the emptying room and then moved to-wards to-wards the back of it, where a llttlo ante, chamber gave upon It through wide folding fold-ing doors. I followed, "You really mean what you say?" she asked suddenly, confronting me. I raid that I did. "Very well." she said, bitterly. bit-terly. "It's the most utrocious conduct of you, nod I'll never forget or forglvTi It. Hut " . She angrily tossed open un ulbum en the tubln and nt last stopped. 1 bent down nnd n beautiful face on fair ahouldors. crowning u pretty evening smile. I looked ul my companion. 1 wished she would smile like that nt me, but even In her unger she was wonderful. Her gaze expressed coldness, distance. . . . contempt. "It's a most uuicnlflcent likeness," I breathed fi rvcntly. "It's It's divine." "It's said to be good," suld Miss More, ton, Indifferently. . . . "It's tho most beautiful picture I've ever seen," I said. "Do jou think so, really?" nsked Mlsj Moreton. "It's you. living, brcnthlng linage that look out on ma. 1 continued, "They do take very well, as a rule. v. H n ' nt W'li'cr . ' Hi B c WOI.1 to ' i . H 1'itl.g." she. In a ,i H i ylsil I prosnirtd. -no" .iiie cri .1 HUlaH tee In extract the tllngv, , KjH album. I l.uitonrd It na'clv i rt BH In my pucktt, hut Mlsn .' "g fltiH completed, the haripun. oi . m.k H no more Inter"! Ill the 'ii.it is jH Killing down iii" room t tone on. ii H Hut a thoi-'hi occurred to 'or jH "You haven't shown tint Hint ubs-ud 1 sni'shat to any i:ie?" sue si ed. anx- Jl iously. H "Oh, no," I snld "I've mv printed H "Oil!" she said; lull you sa'd H "Well, you sec, 1 could look - out some H liatfhcs nnd n fool, hut I I r H" It. unfor- H Innately, us I whs det'eloping H. ' H M'as Moreinr's trnu'li wis dm "Mr. H Mnlllson. r e me back Hint plioi..i apli, H she demanded. M "Hut I'm i.i l'-g to finish the hreakuge." H "(live It to me Isii'lr ut omv," she In. f, slst.il, iidvnnctug on me. I wns drlvtn H to bay, llesldes. the rest ot the iooiii JH might hear H "I'll kite It tsiek If jou'll plvc mo. the f.H orlElnal." 1 snld. Isildly, hut quit low. B Miss Moretun pannl: she wus taken iilsM'k. II. r race Hushed warmly. J "I you oh!" she stammered, "Mr. Mai- "Is II a hiirwiln?"' I asked, anxiously, H holding out the photograph towards l.er. H She hesitated, the pretty glow still on H her face, and she wus not looking ut IH ''You an--oil. on ute dreadful!" he H said with a tlnv. troubled laugh. "Hut, f,H III that ease, pt limps .ou'.l better keep IH Hie photograph." ...... H "On second thought. Ill take Isith," 1 H said l.ci.d.ui Skft.il. H |