OCR Text |
Show fsERIALI J1 STORY fij 1 HER I INFINITE I I VARIETY 1 t) fly Brand Whitlock fj) illustrations by Ray Walters (Uw"i. uwr, bo iit Uerrui u.i SVNOP8I3. ftnt..r Mi.rl.y V.rn..ii'a visit with Ma riamn. ! int. rrui.it.l l.v it (till fi..m hR INtlill.ul I.. B III III.. atltl. rn.lllll. .Hi r. k: ii..i ii. I . mil ni..n II . .it It-. ! I.i.l nrr.mictil In iilini.l a ninn.r lltHl rt.tiiris- with liini H'.,. S'il.1 hi- ..ui . .I ft.r h ntiilttii.il , tin.it t.tr l.ini On ('. rut I tl. -k In II.,. a.iiul.. I... I. ......I ' n..:uil..l I.) a .l. l.r unritit f,,r . tin. n lit. iii. in i-lhi.nt.il. i-lhi.nt.il. ,r. II Mm M.irlu ilri...i or ritl. DK.t Ml... ,,... ... .l In ttiiit.lt lilm hiltt t..iln r..r limn... r.n.tliillitii No. in Mlaa Oritur ... nr.. I V.-rn..ii a pri'tnla l.t ..tr f.tr II, .iifTr-ir r illt.n. II.- nt". lil.il 1..T It) i t, ut hit lim t, llit ra lit tnok a llslliK I,, lh,t fulr ailfTliiwt'lIf Mlaa (Inn tin, ill.. I mill Hit. IliiiiiiiiiiitK iv- "rn.tr. V.111..11 .i.lu,iit,.il l.t liliiia-lf II. ill llii- auririm.'tt.- I, in I ullir.'il n allium.. Ifl-In Ifl-In within him. Hi. f. ,...! i.i nail lila fiance.' l.tl.r Vermin n.a.lit a arntt .li In Im.tr t.f atiirniu". nLI.il l.v llan.ia (rt.ni Mlaa ilr..-t... Th- r..a..lul1..n wiia iim.l.. n Rt-"t.il .irilt-r. V.rii.n waa nl In i -l.ih. '. mi ihr irt,t,.. ia f,.r llir- r.-a-nlull..n II- wiia nm.li In Ml" llw rttntimiiy. V.-Mi..n nisli-finl tlintiitliia nf An.i-lhi. It l....k Mlaa lr..iir ilrlMnit it. ..I lal.l mil pinna f.tr Hi pin t t aa nt the r-att-Inlli.n Yeriintie ete.'. Ii i-rtiia.-.l a Kri-ill m-ttH.nM.r a.'itaiiilttii II. jtna t.-ln-r nj Ma I. ll. r. V. riit.u la "lipped nff" thai ll mrfrna-.t ria.li.lli.n nmv tint pn. A Miaa linrii- ttiia .In Hit- fi.lliitt lim mum-Ilia mum-Ilia h. I.iiiI li.i frira. Ml.a llr.eti arrived ar-rived ntxl Itrrnhfiiainl wllh Vernon. A.-rttaa Hi illnlna rn-tm etitrenrlii .1 he-hlml he-hlml ttiiiiiin iitt.ii.lila t.f Hi atifTriiit r. a..lnll..ii Ii -I I A in. lit! II.. atarli tl Inttiir.l li.r. Hit" Irt'iitrtl Itlln ...l.llv anil III ..,. n ,.,,,...11-1,1 i.r a.irTriiK- reproved re-proved I, mi rr hia purl. Mr. Ilmlm-l.mln.tp Ilmlm-l.mln.tp I..I.I H.niiltT V.ri,..ii Hint lna rt. n. In. I it HI. Mlaa lli. t iit- Int. I tu rn lia.nl upon Amelia. CHAPTER XII. Continued. Hp looked nt hi watch; II wan half-past half-past nine: I hi- senate ouM innvcnr nt ipii; I In' ii'aiiluilnn wnulil nnt lie rciirlii'il In fun' liiiir-piiatt ten nt any rate; mill m Ii" t.-t rtnl ii.m io hrnv Mr. Oviriiiun UinlKi-ltiiilirop bkiiIii. Ho I hi in il Inn k Intn tin- Inliliy; llnr' tho win. tioliniihliliiK .villi nu n; ntu-dlil ntu-dlil not tis 1 1 mi crimp In KimiP. n" or tin luiiiiiiiT cif nny other lnhliylnt. but by m.me icierrhm he wlaheil he mlhl lie ninaier nf, nhe drew llieni mi-ertliiKly mi-ertliiKly m her utile. Now Kite huil Krnldwoml. lite leader (if tile houae. nil rhnlrnmn of I lie alierlim eoinnill-f eoinnill-f ten, anil I'orler. the lenrter nf Iho aen- V. . ' - atv. nhi npppurprl In be glvtnn them ajt3 hint medulla. She liiul net her rominllteo on lent lmonnnt (innie; the Imllei worn nent-tereil nent-tereil nvc r the roliiinln, eaeh lnlklnu to little nt or ii, en. Whin Mi. Over-mar Over-mar Hdilne-ljitlirop a:iw Vernon coming. com-ing. nho lurneil from Hmiilwood ml I'orler ami noml nwaltliiK lilm Straiiftely enough llrnlilwooil nml Porter Por-ter Htnyerl where they were, a If ahe bnrt pnl them there. Anil Vernon re-llerteil re-llerteil Hull he hail never known Hu m. aa ilotilitleMH no one elite liiul ever known idem, to do mrli thing as that before. "Where'". Amelia?" ho asked boforo (lie ronlil itpeiik. "I have lent her tiimtnlri," unlit Mm. Ovennnn HoilKe-Iathrop, "poor Child!" Vernnii womlered why "poor child." "tl'a renlly too bud." Mm, Ovormnn limine I jilliri), continued. "Wlint l too bud?" demanded Vernon. Ver-non. He hml drown aulky. Mr. Ovennnn HodKc l-athrop looked at him iiltylimly. "Morlejr," she laid In a vast aolemn tono that came alnwly up from her great stays, " 1 can miike nllownnees, of rourne. I know something of the nature of mini; I will admit Hint Hint Greene womiin la remurknlily liiiml some, and of her cleverness there call be no doubt. I don't ultoKuther Maine you." She pnused Hint Vernon mlnht comprehend com-prehend to the fullest her marvelous nincnatiltiilty. "Hut nt the snine time It bus been hard on poor little Amelia. I saw no other wny than to bring her down. You muBl ro to her at once." She I ii rued toward llinldwond and Poller, still standing whero she had lull them. "When you have done, I'll see you with reference to this mlHrablo reno-lilt reno-lilt Ion ; but Hint can wait till we are nt the capltol. This oilier matter coiiich flisi. of course." She amlled with a fat sweetness. "And, Morloy." she said, "order Iwo carrlinies for us lit ten o'clock. You may dilvu to the capltol with us." And nhu went away. Vernon ordered the carriages, and In turning the whole mutter over III Ills mind he came to the concliiKlon that he must deal with tlittxc complication-! one at a time; Mls CJrei nc, as events Dow had shaped the mttclvcs. would have to wait until he got over to the Blata House. CHAPTER XIII. Vernon found Amelia In one of the kolel parlors, seated on a sofa by a window. She was renting her chin In tier bund and looking down Into Capltol Cap-ltol avenue. "Amelia," he said, bending over her. What la It? Tell me.1 He sat down besldo her, and sought lo I'titHKe one ot tier nainls In I la own. ' lull she withdrew l. ami pleased It I wih Hie in her am! II, e hnndkerchli f in both, to her ll ami chin. Vernon ulaiiiid about the n arei ialile pallors. iiniliiinlnt.il In Ih-ihih reaillm for niitlinily Hint ii i lc lit happen along with hi 11 1 1 lo comedy or his little tragedy. She contttni.-d to look obdiiratelv out of the window. 'Amelia." he said, "aren't you going 10 Hprnk to me? Tell me what 1 have d me." SI III there enme no anawer. He tiling hlinaelf bnt k on the sofa heli-lesaly. heli-lesaly. "Well," he said. "I den t know what 11 all means. I've tried lo faibnm It In Hie Inat hour, but it's too deep for me; I give It up." He flung out his hands to llltiatrnte his abandonment. "Hod knows." lie suddenly ex-claimed. ex-claimed. "I was only Irving to do something worthy for your sake!" "I'lenae don't sw-ear, Morlev." Amelia Ame-lia said. He looked up swiftly. "Well " he began, explosively, but be didn't continue. He relapsed Into u moody silence. He stretched his lei:s out before him In an uiiunliily attitude, with his hands plunged deep In his trousers' iKH-kets. Then he knitted his brows and Irled lo think. "I suppiiau." he said, as If he were thinking aloud, "thai you expect some explanation, some apology." "Ob. nol nt all." she snld, lightly. In Hie most musical tone she could command. "Very well," he wild. "I wouldn't know where to begin If you did. I'm sure I'm not awaie of having " She began to hum softly, to herself, as It were, some luneless air. He to memhered that It was a way she had mm Mm Flung Hlmsalf Back on tht Sofa Helplessly. when she was angry. It waa Intended to show the lust and utmost personal unconcern. In such circumstances Hie tune was apt lo be an Improvisation and was never melodious. Sometimes II made her easier lo ileal with, sometimes some-times harder; he could never tell. "I don't exactly see what wo are hi re lor," ho ventured, stealing a look at her. She had no reply. He ndgeted a nmmenl uml l lieu begun drumming with his lingers on the arm of 'be sofiu "I'lcase don't do that," she said. He stopped suddenly. "If you would be good enough, kind enough," ho said ll surcusllcully, "to Indliiite, lo suggest, even, what I am to do to say." I'm suro 1 can't," she said. "You came. I presumed you had something to my to me." "Well, I have something lo say to you," Vernou went on Impetuously. "Why didn't you answer my letters? Why have you treated me this way? That's what I wnnt to know." He leaned toward her. He waa conscious con-scious of two emotions, two iiusslons, struggling within him, one of auger, almost hale, the other of love, and strangely enough they had a striking similarity In their effect iiKin lilm. He fell llku rcproufhlng, yet he knew thai was not I he way, and he made a des penile struggle lo rompier himself. Ho Irled to look Into her face, but shii only turned farther away from hnn. "I've spent the most mli.emhlo week I ever knew, doomed to stay here, nn-nble nn-nble lo get avay lo go to you, and Willi this Unlit in my lunula!" "You seemed lo be having a fairly good lime," the girl said. "Now, Amelln, look here." said Vernon, Ver-non, "let's not act like children any lunger; lei's not have iiiiyHiing so fool-IhIi fool-IhIi and III I In hfiWfcu us." Ills lone made hia words a plea, but It plainly had no effect upon her, for she did not answer. They sat there, Hu n. In silence. "Why didn't you write?" Vernon demanded de-manded after a llille while. Ho looked nt her, mid she straightened up and her eyes lliiKhed. "Why didn't I write!" she ex claimed. "What was I to wnie, pray: Were nnt your lett -ra full nf this odl , ons Marin llurtnps Greene? And ss If ! that were not enough, weren't the pa j Iters lull of you two? And lhal speech oh. that seeih thai l'ortla and Helen, and 'I fill this cup to one j made up.' nh, It was slrkehlit!" 81"' I llirted away again. "Hut. rinrllna." Vernon cried, "lliton you misunderstood I meant all tout for you, didn't you understand?" She stirred. "Uliln'l you see? Why, dearest, I thought thai when you read Ihe papers you'd be the proudest girl alive!" Her lip curled. "I rend the papera." she said, n't then added, slgnltlrantlr, "this once, anyway." "Well, you certainly don't Intend lo j hold me responsible for what the pa i pers say, do you?" She resumed her old altitude, her el Ikiw on the arm nf the sofa, her cbln in her hand, and looked out the window. win-dow. And she began In hum again. "And then," he presspd on, "lo come down here nnd not even let me know; why yon even called me Mister Vernon Ver-non when I came Into the dining room." "Yes." she exclaimed, suddenly wheeling about, "I saw you come Inlc the dining room this morning!" He' eyes grew dark and flashed. He regretted, on the Instant. " "I saw you!" she went on. " I aaw you rush up to that Maria llurlapa Greene woman, and oh. It waa hor rid!" "Her mime Isn't llurlaps, denr," salt! Vernon. "How do you know her name, lo like to know!" She put her hands 10 her face. He saw her ti ara. "Amelia." he said, masterfully. "If you don't stop thai! Listen we've got to get down lo business." She hastily brushed the tears from her eyes. She was humming once more, and tapping the toe of her boot on the carpel, though she waa not tapping tap-ping It lo time to her tune. "Why did you como down without letting me know?" Vernon went on; but at III ahe was silent. "You might at least have Riven me " "Warning?" she said, with a keen Inflection. "Amelln!" he said, and till tan carried car-ried a rebuke. "Well, I don't care!" aha cried. "It'a all true! You couldn't stay fur my dinner, but you could coma down here and " She covered her fnce with her hands and hurst suddenly Into tears. Vernon Ver-non gated at her In astonishment. "Why. dearest!" he said, leaning over, and Irving In lake her In hia arms. She drew away from hi in and sobbed. Vernon glanced about the room helplessly He pleaded with bar, but she would not listen; neither would she tie comforted, but continued lo sob. Vernon, In a man's anguish with a weeping woman, stood up. "Amelia! Amelia!" He bent Aver her and spoke firmly. "You must not! Listen to me! We must go over to" Suddenly he stood erect, and Jerked out his watch. "Heavens!" he cried. "It'a half past ten!" Bho tried to control herself then, and sitting up, begun lo wlie her ayes ITU UK 1'iiNTINI'KI) ) |