The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-02-16

lue gill niu SeateQ herSelf. Il
spoke in a quiet, collected, level voice:
II am not in love with you. But,
from the things Csc pr Searle has let
drop inadvertently about you from
time to time, I have formed a certain
idea Of your personality. And that per-
sonality interested me because it coin
cided with my own, with my own tenn
per, with my mode Of thought. AS soon
as I heard you speak asst night had
seen you before and studied your face,
for Mr.. Searle pointed you out to me
on more than occasion-I saw that
l had not been mistaken in this view
l had conceived of the manner of man
you were. Well, this being so, l have
come to make a bargain. I think it
quite to your advantage. I shall state
1t as briefly as possible. Few words
are needed" t
She paused, and her magnificent eyes
were fixed upon him with a piercing
keenness in place of their customary
nonchalence. Hammond had listened
with growing attentiveness. What sort
OF a woman was this? In appearance,
a lovely girl, whom he had regarded as
such the night before, and in no other
way. In speech and manner, at this
DonaSAIS uCALAIc, lIcuCuduI, Sctu1luS
to command an inviolable situation by
right of some enormous, inherent, un-
suspected force Of character.
go on" he said.
She continued to look at him steadily,
with a glance that never wavered or
fickered or sank. Then she spoke:
II can give you information-inside
Notwithstanding the shares in
a. large bank, which, IL you have the
daring financial spirit I take you to
have, will make your fortune or launch
you on the way to permanent and colos-
sal success"
Hammond raised his eyebrows.
"Ah!-Searle?"
Exactly, Searle. He told me-being
infatuated with me, and thinking a
woman could make use If no such dis
closures. He ought not to have trusted
to that, of course. But Mr.. Searle is
a fool. You thought 1 loved him." She
shrugged her shoulders. II consented
to marry him because his position was,
at least, not poverty-genteel poverty
the worst of all. But I want to be rich,
1 want to be powerful. I want to see
the world at my feet.
Possibly, l think, probably, you are
the man who could do these things.
Therefore, my bargain. / communicate
Mr. Searle's information-which he was
a fool to give-On consideration that
you marry me-"
The two faced each other q moment.
Hammond's brain was working with
lightning rapidity.
"Of course. Searle may be suspected.
He will lose his position. This will
brand him-ruin his chances forever"
Again Adrienne Eastlake shrugged
her shoulders.
II am sorry-I would not willingly
harm him. But in the struggle for life
the weak go to the wall. 1t is the
law"
Half an hour longer this man and
this woman were closeted. When Ham,
mond walked with his visitor to the
door, the information had been given,
the bargain struck.
Before him, Hammon1's insatiate in
ner eye saw stretching the feverish
vision Of success, no longer afar off
and dimly uncertain, but near, close,
within the grasp Of his hand.
Yet, IN all the exultation of that mo-
ment. a thought, bringing with it a
smile Of confirmed cynicism, shot
through his mind. Who was it had
said that a woman, nee given Over to
the luxury of this world, could be
more INSCRIPTIONS than any man: -
= "
Searle to-day Is a poor man. For ten
years past he has been an unsuccessful
one. That tide in the affairs of men
| which, taken at the flood, led Ham
mond and his beautiful wife on to
fortune, has left him stranded. He
lost his position in bad odor. The
same unwelcome repute has hung
about his name ever since. But Ham
mond bulls and bears the market. And
Adrienne has attained her ends; enjoys
the fullest fruition of her ambition.
To the general world she represents
triumph %incarnate, secure. The few
who know see her drive by, a I do,
with wonder and a question as to the
possible final end of an earthly tri-
umph.