Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-01

to William Cass in New York, at $50 pm,
on June IL
So far guilt or innocence was con-
cerned, there was nothing left to discover.
BY that simple entry the connection be-
tween these two men was completed. Far
reHs INSTRUMENTATION. false in itself, es-
| 1ahhshed one truth. They were brot e.s.
! me letter, Fastening to it's destination wi h
1eVerfSh lntentneSS, had contained the
stolen money. Mortimer would not give it
To Cass to send away; even if he had done
so ne would not then have gone to Graves
end Alan Porter had also gore to GRAY s.
end. If he had stolen the money he would
| have taken it with him.
David Cass, the unsupported, was the
TIMER. Mortimer. condemned, having re-
stored the money-having taken upon him
| sell with almost silent resignation the dis
! grace. was innocent. And all this knowl-
! edge was in Cranes possession alone, to
use as ne wished. The fate of his rival was
given INTO his hands, and If he turned
| down his thumb so, better for Mortimer
that he had been torn of wild beasts in a
roman arena, than to be cast-good name
mainly.
AS dog carries home a bone too large
Tor imme date consumption, Crane to k
pack this new finding to his den of solitude
in New York
At o'clock he turned the key in his door,
| and arm in arm with his now constant COM
| panlon, walked fitfully up and down, up
/ and down the floor. Some times he sat in a
piS CHAIR lhat Deckoned to him for God S
| sake to rest; some times he raced with
| swift speed; once he threw himself Up n
| his bed, and lay there, staring wi1e-eyed
| at the ceiling for hours What M cke rv,
j Hours! on the mantd piece a clcck told
| him that he had ceased his stride fer a
| bare five minutes
He threw himself into a chair and across
the table opposite sat Wrong. huge grin
nlng with deViiish tenptati n not of,e1ld
but perfume of lilacs and the mn i, of
soft laughter like the tinkle of silver bels.
the beJeweled light of sweet eyes that were
gray, and alf the temptation that W rng
held IN ltSelf-the pOSS eSSion CT AlIis Porter
And he need commit TO crime, urlass in
acton were crime: just leave thi7gs IS
they were. In the eye of the world NORTH
mer was a thief. He would never claim
Allis 50 branded.
Crane with a word could clear the ac-
cused man; he could go to David Ca s and
iofce MIN to confess. But why should he
90 lt-sacrifice all he held dear in life?
everything that he had valued tef1,e be-
love for Allis. -
And stu the love seemed to soften him.
INTO his life had come new, strange emo
LoHS. Amidst all the perfume CT lilac T. e
face of Wrong. sitting Opposite Him he
came the face of crime. repellant. abhor-
rent How could he ruin her life and by a
criminal act?
Hour by hour the struggle went on until
exhausted. Crane flung himself upon his
bed to rest few minutes. and sleep, un-
sought, came and hushed the turmoil of his
heart
Without decision he had flung himself
down; his mind, tortured in its perplexity
! was unequal to the task of guiding him
so Wearied he should have slept for hours
out as the first CLINT of sunlight came
through the uncurtained window he sprang
! from his couch with the call of an uncom-
pleted something in his ears.
But calmness had come to him. 1t SEEM
ed as though in his sleep the question of
right or wrong had been settled He tried
TO remember how he had come to the con-
clusion that was alone in his rested mind
1t must have been before he slept though
his memory failed him, for, as he SUM
bered. Allfs Porter had come with the big
gray eyes full of tears. and asked him once
again to spare Mortimer humiliation for her
sake. And he had answered, He is inno-
cent God. he remembered it, even now
1t seemed to thrill through his frame: she
had bent over him and kissed him on the
forehead. Yes, that was what had waken-
ed him.
WHAT foolish things dreams were! In his
dream he had won just a kiss and had paid
the price of his love; and now waking and
in the calm of a conflict passed he had Won
over the demon that had tempted him with
the perfume Of liacs. He had striven to
the point when further strife became a
crime: he had lost. But he would prove
himself a good loser.