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Show ho JMrm ffli Robert WSi WNll Sorvics " Curse the Vile Wretch That Wrote Such Wordsl You're 111." I clutched him by the arm. "Garry, there's some one In that room." "Nonsense! there's no one there." "There is, 1 tell you. Listen ! Don't you hear them breathing?" He was quiet. Distinctly 1 could hear the punting of human breath. I was going mad. I could stand It no longer. "Garry," I gasped, "I'm going to see, I'm going to see." "nold on " "Leave go, man! I'm going, I say. Xou won't hold me. Let go, I tell you, let go Now come out, come out, whoever you are Ah!" It was a woman. "Ha !" I cried, "I told you so, brother; broth-er; a woman. I think I know her, too. Here, let me see I thought so." I had clutched her, pulled her to the light. It was Berna. Her face was white as chalk, her eyes dilated with terror. She trembled. trem-bled. She seemed near fainting. "I thought so." Now that it seemed the worst was betrayed to me, I was strangely calm. I made her sit down. She said no word, but looked at me with a wild pleading in her eyes. No one spoke. There we were, the three of us; Berna faint with fear, ghastly, pitiful; piti-ful; 1 calm, yet calm with a strange, unnatural calmness, and Garry he surprised me. He had seated himself, and with the greatest sang-froid he was lighting a cigarette. A long tense silence. At last I broke it., "What have you got to say for yourself, Garry?" I asked. It was wonderful how calm he was. "Looks pretty bad, doesn't it, brother?" broth-er?" he said gravely. "Yes, It couldn't look worse." "That's so." He rose and turned tip the light of a large reading-lamp, then coming to me he looked me square in the face. Abruptly his casual manner dropped. He grew sharp, forceful; his voice rang clear. "Listen to me. I came out here to save you, and I'm going to save you. You wanted me to believe that this girl was good. You believed it You were bewitched, befooled, blinded. I could see it, but I had to make you see it. I had to make you realize how worthless she was, how her love for you was a sham, a pretense to prey on you. How could I prove it? You would not listen to reason: I had to take other means. Now, hear me." "I hear." "I laid my plans. For three months I've tried to conquer her, to win her love, to take her from you. She was truer to you than I had bargained bar-gained for; I must give her credit for that. She made a good fight, but I think I have triumphed. Tonight she came to my room at my invitation." invita-tion." "Well?" "Well. You got a note. Now, 1 wrote that note. I planned this scene, this discovery. I planned It so that your eyes would be opened, so that you would see what she was. so that you would cast her from you unfaithful, a wanton, a " "Hold on there," I broke In; "brother "broth-er of mine or no, I won't hear you call her those names; no, not if she were ten times as unfaithful. You won't, I say. I'll choke the words in your throat I'll kill you, if you utter ut-ter a word against her. Oh, what have you done?" "What have I done I Try to be calm, man. What have I done? Well, this Is what I've done, and it's the lucky day for you I've done it I've saved you from shame ; I've freed you from sin ; I've shown you the baseness base-ness of this girl." He rose to his feet. "Oh, my brother, I've stolen from you your mistress; that's what I've done." "Oh, no, you haven't," I groaned. "God forgive you, Garry ; God forgive for-give youl She's not my not what you think. She's my wife!" I thought that he would faint. His face went white as paper and he shrank back. He gazed at me with wild, straining eyes. "God forgive me! Oh, why didn't you tell me, boy? You should have trusted me. You should have told me. When were you married?" "Just a month ago. I was keeping it as a surprise for you. I was waiting wait-ing till you said you liked, and thought well of her. Oh, I thought you would be pleased and glad, and I was treasuring treas-uring it up to tell you." "This Is terrible, terrible !" His voice was choked with agony. On her chair, Berna drooped wearily. wear-ily. Her wide, staring eyes were fixed on the floor In pitiful perplexity. "Yes, It's terrible enough. We were so happy. We lived so Joyously to-gether. to-gether. Everytliing was perfect, a I heaven for us both. And then you came, you with your charm that would lure an angel from high heaven. heav-en. You tried your power on my poor little girl, the girl that never love, but me. And I trusted you, I tried to make you and her friends. I left you together. In my blind Innocence I aided you In every way a simple, loving fool. You came like a serpent, ser-pent, a foul, crawling thing, to stool her from me, to wrong me. She was loving, faithful, pure. You would have'dragged her In the mire. You" "Stop, "brother, stop, for heaven's sake! lou wrong me." He held out his hand commanding-jy. commanding-jy. a wonderful change had conn-over conn-over him. His face had regained Us calm. It was proud, stern. "You must not think I would Liilf been guilty of that," he said quietly. "I've played a part I never thought to play; I've done a thing I never thought to have dirtied my hands iu the doing, and I'm sorry and ashamed lor it. But I tell you, Athol that's all. As God's my witness, I've done you no wrong. Surely yon don't think me as low as that? I did what I did for my very love for you, for your honor's sake. I asked her here that you might see what she was but that's all, I swear it She's been as safe as if in a cage of steeL" "I know it," I said; "I know it. You don't need to tell me that You brought her here to expose her, to show me what a fool I was. It didn't matter how much it hurt me, the more the better, anything to save the name. You would have broken my heart, sacrificed me on the altar of your accursed pride. Oh, I can see plainly now I There's a thousand years of prejudice and bigotry concentrated con-centrated in you. Thdnk God, I have a human heart !" "I thought I was acting for the best !" he cried. "I know it according to your lights. You asked her here that I might see what she was. You tell me you have gained her love ; you say she came here at your bidding; you swear she would have been unfaithful to me. Well, I tell you, brother of mine, in your teeth I tell you I don't believe youl" Suddenly the little, drooping figure on the chair had raised itself; the white, woe-begone face with the wide, staring eyes was turned toward me; the pitiful look had gone, and In Its stead was one of wild, unspeakable joy. "It's all right, Berna," I said; "I don't believe him, and If a million others were to say the same, if they were to thunder it in my ears down all eternity, I would tell them they lied, they lied!"- A heaven-lit radiance was In the gray eyes. She made as if to come to me, but she swayed, and I caught her In my arms. "Don't be frightened, little girl. Give me your hand. See! I'll kiss it, dear. Now, don't cry; don't honey." Her arms were around me. She clung to me ever so tightly. "Garry," I said, "this is my wife. When I have lost my belief in all else, I will believe in her. You have made us both suffer. As for what you've said you're mistaken. She's a good, good girl. I will not believe that by thought, word or deed she has been untrue to me. She will explain ex-plain everything. Now, good-by. Come, Berna." SihldenJy she stopped me. Her hand was on my arm, and she turned toward Garry. She held herself as proudly as a queen. "I want to explain now," she said, "before you both." She pulled from her bosom a little crumpled note, and handed it to me. Then, as I read it, a great light burst on me. Here it was: "Dear Berna : "For heaven's sake be on your guard. Jack Locasto is on his way north again. I think he's crazy. I know he'll stick at nothing, and I don't want to see blood spilt. For your sake, and for the sake of one dear to you, be warned. "In haste, "Viola Lennolr." "I got it two days ago," she said. "Oh, I've been distracted with fear. I did not like to show it to you. I've brought you nothing but trouble, and I've never spoken of him, never once. You understand, don't you?" "Yes, little girl, I understand." "I wanted to save you, no matter at what cost Tonight I tried to prevent pre-vent you going out there, for I feared you might meet him. I knew h6 was very near. Then, when you had gone, my fear grew and grew. There I sat thinking over everything. Oh, if I only had a friend, I thought; soma one to help me. Then, as I sat, dazed, distracted, the phone rang. It was your brother." "Yes, go on, dear." "He told me he wanted to see me; he begged me to come at once. I thought of you, of your danger, of some terrible mishap. I was terrified. I went." She paused a moment, as if the recital re-cital was infinitely painful to her, then she went on. "I found my way to his room. My mind was full of you, of that man, of how to save you. I did not think of my self, of my position. At first I was too agitated to speak. He bade me sit down, compose myself. His manner was quiet, grave. Again I feared for you. He asked me to excuse ex-cuse him for a 'moment, and left the room. He seemed to be gone an age, while I sat there, trying to fight down my terror. The suspense was killing me. Then be came back. He closed and locked the door. All at once I heard a step outside, a knock, 'nushl go in there,' he said. He opened the door. I heard hlra speaking to some one. I waited, then yon burst in on me. You know the rest" "Yes, yes." "As for your brother, I've tried, oh, so hard, to be nice to him for your sake. I liked him; I w;anted to be to him as a sister, but never an unfaithful un-faithful thought has entered my head, never a wrong feelinq sullied my heart. I've been true to you." "Oh, my dear, my dear!'' "I want to bring you happiness, but 1 only bring you trouble, sorrow. Sometimes, for your sake, I wish we bad never met."' She turned to Garry. (To Be Continued) CHAPTER XIV Continued- Yes dear, I'm well. But 1 don't ant jou to go tonight. Something le'lls me you shouldn't. Flease don't dear. Please, for my sake. I'm afraid, I'm afraid. Won't some one else ".Nonsense, g'"'- mustn't be so foolish. It's only for a few hours." gr.s dung to me tightly, so that 1 pondered what had got into the girl. Ttien sen''' 1 liissed her disengaged ter hands, and bade her good-night. is I was rattling off through the darkness, a boy handed me a note. 1 put It in my pocket, thinking I Would read it when I reached Ogilvle bridge. Taen I whipped up the torse. As I sped along, with a Jingle of bells, my spirits rose. Things were looking splendid. The mine was turning out far better than we had expected". Surely we could sell out soon, and 1 would have ail the money I wanted. My life-struggle was nearly near-ly over. Then again, I had reconciled Garry to Berna. When I told him of a certain cer-tain secret I was hugging to my breast he would capitulate entirely. How happy we would all be 1 I would, bjy a small estate near home, anil ic would settle down. But first we would spend a few years in travel.. We would see the whole world. What, pod times we would have, Berna aid II Uless her I It had ail worked oat beautifully. Why was she so frightened, so loath to let me go? I wondered vaguely, and flicked up the horse so that ic plunged sharply forward. Bother! In my elation I had forgotten for-gotten to get off at the inn and read my note. Never mind, I would keep It till I reached the Forks. As I drew up at the hotel, the clerk came out to meet me. "Gent wants to speak to you at the phone, sir." It was .Murray of Dawson, an old-timer, old-timer, and rather a friend of mine. "Hello!" '"Hello ! Say, Meidrum, this is Murray Mur-ray speaking. Say, just wanted to let you know there's a stage due some time before morning. Locasto's on board, Rnd they say he's heeled for jou. Thought I'd better tell you so's you can get fixed up for him." "All right," I answered. ','Thank jou. I'll turn and come right back." So I switched round the horse, and owe more I drove over the glistening glisten-ing road. A grim fear was gripping "ic. Of a sudden the shadow of Locasto Lo-casto loomed up sinister and menaces. menac-es. Even now he was speeding Daw-iraward Daw-iraward with a great hatred of me to Ws heart. Well, I would get back Md prepare for him. There came to my mind a comic Perception of the awkwardness of returning re-turning to one's own home unexpected, unexpect-ed, in the dead of night At first I decided I would go to a hotel, then second thoughts I determined to "J the house, for I had a desire to m near Berna. 1 locked gently, then a little loud- then at last quite loudly. Within was still, dark as a sepulcher. Prions! she was such a light sleep-too. sleep-too. Why did she not hear me? Once more I decided to go' to the once more that vague, lndef-te lndef-te fear assailed me and again I locked. And now my fear was be-Wa"ig be-Wa"ig a panic. I had my latch-key I my Pwket, so very quietly I opened door. "?ema I whispered. H reply. Tll'it dim, nameless dread was JMnng ot my henrtj and j groped "fiiead in the darkness for the Hilglit. stantly the cabin was flooded wiilfl In t,ie dininS room I j 11 see the remains of our supper Q untidily. That was not like She hud a horror of dirty febes . ihVi llassed into the bedroom the bed had never been slept on. r--e !at a I was ! It flashed on to 5l'e ha(i s'ne over to a neighbor's !loreeP' She was afraid of being Pri " Poor little girl! How sur- . she would be to see me in the 'umg ! ruiio"' 1 would g0 t0 bed- As 1 was it-,t ,8 'my coat, I found the note f'Jself f bl!on given t0 me- c,amin 't'out t my Clma,essness 1 pulled 1If my Peket and opened It. is 7 fhe sheet- 1 notioe(5 lt ntlen fn what looked like a tbj Jrlmf1- s""nnKe! I thought "HiR wns small and faint 1 lijl, n,5" eyes and held it up to the tMuUI,Go11 What was this? Oh wvin! Dot DeI My eyes were ftrerIsh It; was some illusion. er tl)''y 1 read again. Xes, they h ame words. What could -an' -Surely, surely Oh, hor- rof of iiQiyssssi 'riiey coufa not mean that. Again I read them. les, there they were: "If you are fool enough to believe that Berna Is faithful to you visit your brother's room tonight. "A Wellwisher." Berna ! Garry ! the two 1 loved. Oh, it could not be! It was monstrous. mon-strous. It was too horrible ! I would not believe it; I would not. Curse the vile wretch that wrote such words. I would kill him. Berna I my Berna ! she was as good as gold, as true as steel, (lurry I I would lay my life on his honor. Dazedly I sat down. The paper lay on the hearthrug, hearth-rug, and I stared at it hatefully. It was unspeakably loathsome, yet I was fascinated by it. I longed to take it up, to read it again. Somehow I did not dare. I was becoming a coward. Well, It was a lie, a black devil's lie. She was with one of the neighbors. neigh-bors. I trusted her. I would trust her with my life. I would go to bed. In the morning she would return, and then I would unearth the wretch who had dared to write such things. I began be-gan to undress. Wearily I took off my clothes. J lay in bed with the darkness enfolding enfold-ing me, and I closed my eyes to make a double darkness. Ha I right In the center of my eyes, burned the fatal paper with its atrocious suggestion. I sprang up. It was of no use. I must settle this thing once and for all. I turned on the light and deliberately delib-erately dressed again. I was going to the hotel where Garry Gar-ry had his room. I would tell him I had come back unexpectedly and ask to share his room. I was not acting on the note! I did not suspect sus-pect her. Heaven forbid I But the thing had unnerved me. I could not stay in this place. The hotel was quiet A sleepy night clerk stared at me, and I pushed past him. Garry's rooms were on the third floor. Through the transom tran-som I could see his light was burning. burn-ing. I knocked faintly. There was a sudden stir. Again I knocked. Did my ears deceive me or did 1 hear a woman's startled cry? There was something familiar about it Oh, my' God I 1 reeled. 1 almost fell. I clutched at the door-frame. I leaned sickly against the door for support Heaven help me ! "I'm coming," I heard him say. The door was unlocked, and there he stood. He was fully dressed. He looked at me with an expression on his face I could not define, but he was very calm. "Come in," he said. I went into his sitting-room. Everything Ev-erything was In order. I would have sworn I heard a woman scream, and yet no one was in sight. The bedroom bed-room door was slightly ajar. 1 eyed it in afascinated way. "I'm sorry to disturb yon, Garry," I said, and 1 was .conscious how strained and queer my voice sounded. "I got back suddenly, and there's no one at home. 1 want to stay here with you, if you don't mind." "Certainly, old man; only too glad to have you." His voice was steady. 1 snt down on the edge of a chair. My eyes were riveted on that bedroom door. "Had a good drive?" he went on genially. "You must be cold. Let me give you some whisky." I held the glass with a shnkins hand : "What's the matter, old man? |