Show V ARA DE by evelyn campbell cop by evelyn campbell service CHAPTER X continued 17 you came because you could coul d not toy stay away when I 1 called you linda and because we are never going to be parted again linda we love each other I 1 could anything be as wonderful as that let me tell you something dear I 1 was waa beginning to think that life had played me an ugly trick I 1 was waa beginning to doubt and question what was real and true I 1 was ready to throw it all away because of a pride that would not let me take from another man and then ilien I 1 was wa s made ashamed when they gave me you when I 1 found that out Il learned how to be grateful and humble I 1 knew that one gift was but the preparation for another I 1 knew that I 1 had to win it if I 1 had you she laid her fan against her lips to conceal that she had bitten them deeply now she had to be cruet cruel so cruet cruel that she dared not plan words but must let them come as they would impelled by the bitterness of her soul and he must never know that this hatred was for herself and not for him are you trying to tell me that you love me she cried and burst out laughing ile he drew back hard hit you have always known that he said quietly A silence fell upon their warfare for it it was that 1 men and women are so ho close to hatred when they love level she was trying to malm and kill lits his love with all the wea her command it was a thing that must die here and now it if all that was good in her died with it have I 1 I 1 wonder she appeared to al search arah her mind for proofs but how could I 1 believe you meant it young men like ilke you are always falling in love with women like me As if by accident she lifted the string of pearls and held it before her like a little swaying bridge of beauty to her white breast the movement was symbolical she needed to say nothing more but she could not stop there let me get all this right first I 1 have come to washington because of you because I 1 love you to be exact and then as aa if that were not enough I 1 have been given to you by an overgenerous clety as special inducement to success sl 1 good heavens could youth go further than that she laughed at him again letting her cool eyes mock him for a moment go on you had reached the point where the world was at your finger tipsi oh this Is fun better than dancing in that hot room or do all young men feel alk like that when rhen they gain a good appointment but she had gone too far lie budde suddenly aly freed her hands mid and leaned back studying her white face from which the delicate rouge stood starkly out revealing lt its falsity she shivered beneath that scrutiny but managed in some way to preserve tier lier shield of scornful calm 1 I cannot believe you lie he said you could not have changed in a day to this she made a gesture of f weariness what that I 1 am not an idealist some of her i pain found its way to her tired voice after all what do you know of me what right have you to choose for me the right of love lie said stubbornly and then he told tier her what she had known all along she would hear all about ills his swift love for tier her and the wonder she was to him and the dreams lie he had had for them both all the foolery that men believe when alien they speak it to the one woman and forget so e easily ally but as brian told it it was very true and real and linda had to shut her eyes tightly to hide her tears and her lips more tightly still to keep from saying that slie she believed it till all and would take tier her alian chance ce like any other woman that was what she had meant to say a fe few w hours ago but not bowl now I 1 well then she cried desperately de for she was nearly to the end 1 what must I 1 say that you amused me for a little while and that it Is all over I 1 cannot laugh at you any y longer it Is all too absurd because I 1 have been kind to you try to see how ridiculous it Is could you give me anything like this she lifted the pearls and held them before him alfor for so BO long they had been a part of 0 pher her play that the gesture came naturally the pearls were a defense she could hide behind them as she had before lie he stopped her with ith a look tie ile was stupefied led by the situation which was developing into tragedy for him it seemed impossible that she could ile be saying these things that were hurrying tb them m apart the whole scene began to be nightmarish to him the pale woman who was insulting him so no could not be tiie the linda who yesterday had blushed and smiled under his eyes there must be something that would explain this madness and it clear linda lie he said softly wont you tell me what it means lie ile thought her lips quivered he thought she was waa about to speak and then the swiftest change of all came over her silo she was looking beyond him and her eyes dilated and then turned to ice fee as it if all the tenderness had gone out of her forever Is there to be an end to this I 1 would like to go back I 1 would like ilka to dance 11 nothing could be colder than her voice and now he saw that she meant it this incredible scene was based upon something deeper than pique he began to be afraid you ou mean that ive been wrong to hope to believe that you love me store than that she stood up making ready to ko go it was nearly over now soon she would be tree free if you have believed that you have been more presumptuous than I 1 thought you had no right to think of me at all you have made an absurd error your vanity Is ls responsible for that no doubt but I 1 am tired now I 1 must go buck go back P behind him a face suddenly appeared in the banked greenery at the end of the room that face expressionless si and unmoved seemed to be sending her a message from lips mute as one of the bronzes that brooded blooded women like myself cant afford to love its much too expensive from their half con concealed aled pedestals she tried to keep the dread from lier her own face but it escaped in a little cry smothered at her lips there was a sharp rattling sound the rope of pearls had broken in her twisting fingers and the released stones showered in a milky rain upon the floor rolling everywhere brian bilan anstey bent instinctively to collect them and felt a jarring scrunch beneath ills his foot lie he looked and saw a fine powder mingled with larger particles where two of the pearls had been silently lie he gathered the debris into ills hand shifting shit ting it about it was very plain the pearls were imitation not too good a one at that not worth stooping to recover ile he looked at tier lier then and saw her watching him with a strange expression holding the broken strand against tier her breast im sorry cut but it was not for the broken stuff in ills his hand that he was sorry she twisted her mouth in a sort of smile you have the truth you were asking for a while ago 11 silo she said im a sham like my pearls im false you know women like myself cant cani afford to love its much too expensive or if we do it must be some one who can make these real she touched the poor beads that clung to her gosom cosom as if they hated to leave there then with contempt slie she released the string and let them fall why you let lt it stand as it was it was so much prettier k 11 she turned away slowly and left him ile he saw tier her silhouette slender and slightly drooping but altogether lovely as she moved away among the green arms of the palms to the open golden dobrof door of the ballroom she left him casualty casually as if he were worth no better parting than that TO BE CONTINUED |