Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-11-19

wi hfcHu, NelCo answered Sternly,
and the words cut like knife: trick
ed anS fooled him into loving you. Are
you worthy OF his iove?"
She WINGED and ahrank back as il he
had struck her.
Il will be SOL she cried desperately.
Il viii make myself so. II have
never had chan,e before. never one
chance in all my lie. but now-now-"
oh, spare me that old tale" he in
terrrpted. with bitter sneer. Il
thought you were too clever a woman
to brins forward sIch threadbare ex-
cuse. Women have too many chances
far too many. ii my humble opin-
ion"
She looked at him again. then down
at her fan. turning it over and over in
her hands
You must" shS said slowly. be a
very bad man. Only bad men are hard
on women.
For moment there was silence;
then Keith laughed grimly
What | may be doesn't matter" he
said; the only thing that matters is
what you are. and that wouldn't mat
ter IL You hadn't deceived my friend"
Archie loves me-" she said. very
softly. "and Love him."
Keith laughed again with unified
eyebrows.
"Love,, he echoed scornfully. WON
en- like you don't know what love
means
A sudden light flashed into her eyes
"a wonderful light of passion and
yearning and tenderness unspeakable.
Don't they?' she returned, quietly.
We'll. OF course you must know. You
are man, and men know everything"
Keith frowned His self-ccnfdence
was practically boundIess. yet he could
not repress an uneasy feeling That it
was possible-just possible-that this
woman might prove his match IL she
were fairly put to it on fair field. She
was foe OF no ordinary calibre.
We are only wasting time now" he
said. "and any moment we might be
interrupted. Don't you think we had
better end this-er-unpleasant inter-
View"
Certainly" Mrs. Lorraine answered
in the same quiet tone. And then she
raised her eyes and looked at him over
the edge OF her fan-the look OF a
trained fencer before he crosses swords
with his adversary
I'm going to place two alternatives
before YOU" Keith went on, and to
give you your choice OF two courses
Of action, which is, think. generous
on my part"
Men are always generous said Mrs.
Lorraine.
Your engagement" Keith went on.
must be broken off-that is the point
from which we start-and it is for YOU
to choose in what way X shall be
broken OF. II you like to take the AZ
fair into your own hands and carry II
through in your own way. well and
good. will leave it to you, provided
you do your work thoroughly"
Her eyes were still fixed on his
face.
And it," she said, II decline to take
the affair into my own hands; II | de-
, cline TO move in the matter?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh. them" he said-"then I must
speak to Archie myself"
Silence again; strained. tense.
breathless silence that neither cared 60
, break. Mrs. Lorraine was the first to
speak.
Il will" she said slowly. take the
affair into my own hands"
Keith started and drew a long. deem
breath. as IL he had passed safely
, through dangerous crisis to relief un
speakable.
Il will" She said again, take he
affair into my own hands. and | will
do my work thoroughly. You NAV
: trust me. II l did not love Archie I
would defy you to the bitter end. and
let you tell him the truth; but / do
love him. And so-and so l want to
keep the truth from him. / want-I
want
AT that moment Archie's voice came
to them family through the curtains
that divided the drawing-room from
the room in which they we're.
"Iuldergarde. Hildergarde. where
are your"
Mrs. Lorraine started, and the words
that she had been about to speak died
on her lips. For a moment she stood
as if turned TO stone. Then she moved
slowly forward to meet her lover
Il suppose ii was all your doing. ="
said Millicent Keith; Il suppose
you found out something against Mrs.
Lorraine and used your knowledge to
force her to give up Capt Lennox. You
are a very clever man. Roland"
She looked admirfAgiy at her hus-
band, but he only Sshsd as he ran his
fingers through his crisp dark hair.
: Poor old Arshiei" was all he said
; AIillieSat sighed, soS
Yes, poor old Archie" sha asSd:
He's fssrfully cut up. isa't he? asn't
think he will ever get ever II. be was
10 fond Of Mrs. Lorraine, aAd-and
oh. ROLAND. are you SURE it WOULD
aot have hesn better to lei him marry
herr He nigAt never have known the
truth, AID vixen people ievs ike
tAat-"