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Show THE BRANDING IRON f a i i i i i "Ah t But she doesn't want to ba Ueve that, niy dear. She want to believe be-lieve the worst. It la her opportunity to escape me." "Haven't you loved herf Have you hurt her?" ashed Joan. "God knows I have loved her. I have never hurt her consciously. Even Ue cannot think that I have." "Why must she blame met Why do I have to be brought Into this. Mr. Morena? Can't she go away from you? Why do the lawyers have to take it up? You are unhappy, and I so sorry. But you wouldn't want her to stay if If she doesn't love you?" "I want her. I meun to keep her or break her." He turned his back to say this and went toward the window. Joan, fascinated, watched his fingers working into one another, tightening, crushing. "It's another man she wants," he suld hoarsely, "aud if I can prevent it, she shull not have him. I will force her to keep her vows to me force her. If it kills her, I'll break this pusslon, this fancy. I'll have her back " He wheeled round, showing a twitching face. "I'll prove I think that we can come to an 'end of this." Woodward unwillingly surrendered the small, gray enevolpe to a quivering, quiver-ing, outstretched hand. Jasper turned away and stood near the lamp. But his excitement prevented him from reading. The angular writing Jumped before his eyes. At last the words strulghteued themselves. "I am glad that you have given me this opportunity to escape from a life that for a long time has been dreadful dread-ful to me. Ten years ago I made a disaster of my life and yours. Forgive me if you can and let me escape. I will not see you again. Whatever you may have to sny, please say it to Woodward. From now on he is my protector. In other matters there are my lawyers. It is absolutely not to be thought of that I should speak to you. I hope never to see you alone, I want By Katharine Newlin Burt OwricU kr Kathartaa M. Burt CHAPTER VIII Continued. 20 Woodward Kane withheld it and again that look of pleasure was visible vis-ible in his eyes. "Just a moment, please. I should like to have my own say out first. I shall have to be brutal, bru-tal, I am afraid. In these matters there is nothing for it but frankness. Your infidelity has been common talk for some time. The story of It first came to Betty's eari on the evening when she came to me two months ago. Elnee then there has been but one possible pos-sible course." Jasper kept another silence, more difficult, however, than his last. His pallor was noticeable. "You say my Infidelity is common talk. There has been a name used?" "Your protegee from Wyoming Jane West." , Jasper was on his feet, and Woodward, Wood-ward, too, rose, Jerkily holding up a hand, "No excitement, please," he begged. "Let us conduct this unfortunate unfor-tunate interview like gentlemen, if possible." j Jasper laughed. "As you say if possible. Why, man, it was Betty who helped me to install her here, It was Ift'tey who chase the nrnttaHlogs for her apartment, who helped her buy her clothes, who engaged her maid, who gave her most of her training. This is the most preposterous, the most filthy perversion of the truth. Betty must know it better than any one else. Come, now, Woodward, there's something more in It than this?" Jasper had himself In hand, but It was easy now to see the effort It cost him. The veins of his fore-heud fore-heud were swollen. "I shall not discuss the matter with ! you. Betty has excellent evidence, unimpeachable un-impeachable witnesses. There is no doubt in my mind, nor in the minds of her lawyers, that she will win her suit and get her divorce, her release. Of course, you will not contest " Jasper stopped in his pacing which had begun to take the curious, circling, weaving form characteristic of him, and, standing now with his head thrown back, he spoke sonorously. "Do you Imagine for one Instant, Kane does Betty imagine for one instant in-stant that I shall not contest?" This changed the look of cold pleasure pleas-ure in Woodward's eyes, which grew blank again. "Do you mean me to understand Naturally, I took It for granted that you would act as most gentlemen act under the circumstances." circum-stances." "Then you have taken too much for granted, you and Betty. Ten years ago your sister gave herself to me. She is mine. I will not for a whim, for a passion, for a temporary alienation, aliena-tion, let her go. Neither will I have you to hate me and this note ought to make it easy for you. "BETTY." Jasper stared at the name. He was utterly bewildered, utterly staggered, by the amazing dissimulation practiced prac-ticed by this small, soft-lipped, round-eyed round-eyed girl who had lived with him for so long, sufficiently plluble, sufficiently agreeable. What was back of it all? Another man, of course. In imaginably) imagina-bly) be was examining the faces of his acquaintances, Borrowing his lids as though the real men passed In review before him. ' "Perhaps you understand the situation situ-ation better now?" asked Woodward cruelly. . Jasper's intense pain -and humiliation humilia-tion gave him a sort of calm. He seemed entirely cool when he moved back toward his brother-in-law j his eyes were clear, the heat had gone from his temples. He was even smiling smil-ing a little, though there was a white, even frame to his lips. "I shall not write to Betty nor attempt at-tempt to see her," he said quietly. "But I shall ask you to take a message mes-sage to her." Woodward assented. "Tell her she shall have her release, but to get it she will have to walk through the mire and there will be no one waiting for her on the other side. Can you remember that? Not even you will be there." He was entirely self-assured so that Woodward felt a chill of dismay. "I shall contest the suit," went on Jasper, "and I believe that I shall win it. You may tell Betty so if you like or she can wait to hear It from my lawyer." He put the envelope Into his pocket, crossed the room, and held back one of the crimson curtains of the door. "If you hnve nothing more to, say," he smiled, "neither have I. Goodby." He bowed slightly, and Woodward found himself passing before him In silence and some confusion. He stood for a moment In the hall and, having stammered his way to a cold "Good-afternoon," "Good-afternoon," he put on his hat and went but. "You Don't Love Her," 8aid Joan, Very White. her infidelity whether she's been unfaithful un-faithful or not, and then I'll take her back, after the world has given her one of its names " "You don't love her,' said Joan, very white. "You want to brand her." "By G d!" swore the Jew, "and I will brand her. I'll brand her." He fumbled in his pocket and brought out the small envelope Woodward Wood-ward Kane had "handed to him the day before. He stood turning the letter let-ter about in his hands as though soma such meaningless occupation was a necessity to hint. Joan's eyes, falling upon the letter, widened and fixed. "She has written to me," said Jasper. Jas-per. "She wants her liberty. She wants It In annh a vii that ! will Jasper returned to the empty drawing draw-ing room and began his weaving march. Before he could begin his spinning which he hoped would entangle Betty and leave her powerless for him to hold or to release at will, he must go to Jane West and tell her what trick life with his help had played upon her. The prospect was bitterly distasteful. Jasper accused himself of selfishness. Because she cared nothing for the world, was a creature apart, he had let the world think what It would. He knew that an askance look would not hurt her; for himself, secure In innocence, inno-cence, he did not care; for Betty, he had thought her cruelly certain of him. He went to Jane the day after his Interview with Woodward Kane. It was Sunday afternoon. She was out, but came In very soon, and he stood up to meet her with an air of confusion confu-sion and guilt. "What's the matter with you?" she asked, pulling her gloves from her long hands. Her quickly observant eyes swept him. She walked to him and stood near. The frosty air was still about her and her face was lightly stung to fly clear and I yes, and you, too, will be left in the mud. There's a man somewhere, of course. She thinks she has evidence, witnesses against me. I don't know what rubbish she has got together. But I'm going to fight her. I'm going to win. I'll save you if I can, Jane; If not, of course I am at your service for any amends " He stopped In his halting speech, for Joan had stood up and was moving mov-ing across the room, her eyes fastened fas-tened on the letter In his hands. She had the air of a sleep-walker. She opened a drawer of her desk, took out an old tin box, once used for tobacco, and drew forth a small, gray envelope torn in two. Then she came back to him and said, "Let me see that letter," and he obeyed as though she had the right to ask. She took his letter and hers and compared the two, the small, gray squares lying unopened on her knee, and she spoke Incomprehensibly. "Betty Is 'the tall child,'" she said, and laughed with a catch In her breath. Jasper looked at the envelopes. They were identical; Betty's gray note paper pa-per crossed by Betty's angulur, upright hand, very bold, very black. The torn envelope was addressed to l'rosper Gael. Jasper took It, opened each half, laid the parts together, and read: "Jasper Is dying. By the time you get this he will be dead. If you can forgive me for having fulled you In courage Ia.st year, come hack. What I have been to you before I will tie again, only, this time, we enn love openly. Come back." "June" Morenu spoke brokenly "what does It mean?" "lie built that cabin In Wyoming for her." said Joan, speaking tis though Jumper hud seen the canyon hiding-place hiding-place and known Its hlMnry, "and she didn't come. He brought me there on his sled. I was hurt. I was terribly hurt. lie took care of me " "l'rosper?" Jasper thrust la. Ills face was drawn with excitement. (TO BE CONTlNt'KU.) "Let Us Conduct This Unfortunate In. tervlew Like Gentlemen, If Possible." Pos-sible." my good name und the nume of a good woman besmirched for tho sake of this Impertinent desire for a release. re-lease. I love my wife" his voice was especially Hebraic and especially lib-horrent lib-horrent to the other "and as a husband hus-band I mean to keep her from the ruin this divorce would mean to her" "Far from being her ruin, Morenn, It would be the saving of her. Her ruin was as nearly as possible brought obtmt ten years ago, when against the advice, nfcalnst the wishes of every one who loved her, she made her Insane In-sane marriage with an underbred, commercial, and licentious Jew. She was seventeen and you seized your opportunity." Jasper hod stepped close. He wns a head taller and several Inches broader broad-er of shoulder than his bi'otlier-ln-luw. "As long as you are In my house, don't Insult me. I am, as you any, a Jew, and I am, as you say, of a commercial family. But I am not, I have never been licentious. Is It necessary to use such language? You auggested that this interview be conducted by us like gentlemen." "The man who refuses to give her liberty to a wife that loathes him. scarcely cornea under the definition." "My ideas on the matter are dlf ferent. We need not discuss them. If you will let ma read my wlfe'a letter, color with exercise. Her wild eyes were startling under the brim of her smart, tailored hat. Jasper put a hand on either of her shoulders and bent his head before her. "My pour child If I'd only left you In your kltrhen!" Joan tightened her lips, then smiled uncertainly. "You've got me scared," she said, stepped back and sat down, her hands In her muff. "What is It?" she naked ; and In that moment of waiting she was sickly reminded of other moments In her llf f the nearing sound of Pierre's webs on a crystal winter night, of the sound of I'rosper'a footsteps going away from her up the mountain trail on a swordlike, sword-like, autumn morning. Jasper began his pacing. Feeling carefully for delicate phrases, he told her Betty's accusation, of her purpose. Joan took off her hat, pushed back the hair from her forehead; then, as he come to the end, she looked up at hint. Her pupils were larger than usual and the light, frosty tint of roe had left her cheeks. "Would you mind telling me that again?" she asked. lie did so, more explicitly. "She thinks, Betty thinks, that I have been that we hove been ? She thinks that of me? No wonder she hasn't been coming to see me I" She stopped, staring blindly at him; then, "You must tell her It Isn't true," she said pitifully, and the quiver of her Hps hurt blin. |