Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-03-27

III any cOultttTohs
"From which you infer
Nothing whatever" insisted Ken |
dali.
you do not trust me-" said Brenda,
not without bitterness. you believe |
Mr.. Alden guilty of this frightful crime,
and you dare not say so in my pres
ence for fear that | may not be dis.
Greet and you may be put into an un.
pleasant position"
81 could scarcely be put into a post.
ton more unpleasant than this one"
said Kendall earnestly. 81 want to
tell you the exact truth about-about
everything that | know or imagine,
and II Is deadly hard to do 1t when
you look at me as IL were an enemy.
This Is as near as | can come to an
accurate expression: Miss Miller's man
ncr convinces me that she Is shielding
the assassin. and there is no known
reason why she should shield any one
else than Mr.. Alden"
"But why not take the perfectly easy
alternative that she is telling the
| truth
Il WILL" said Kendall. "if you wish
me to-"
81 am very serious" said Brenda.
"Ths is promise you are making"
ut is" replied Kendall. his face
flushed and his voice not quite steady.
at is my word of honor given to you,
and so twice sacred as the word OF
friend" he added. You were good
enough to say that we were friends
two years ago"
81 have better cause to say it now"
she replied. LET me hasten to prove
my sincerity in the usual way, by bur
dcnng you with confluence. You
must be wondering at me-"
"Why"
because am here"
at is a fine thing" said Kendall
earnestly. $50 much know
II will tell you more" rejolned
Brenda, land it will make YOU think
better of Mr.. Alden. This tragedy of
today is n revelation TO me, but not of
the kind that you suppose. Mr.. Alden
had not concealed from me that his
heart had been won away, but | did
not understand. lie told me Of Miss
Millcr's existence two months ago, but
| would not hear all he wished to say.
lie intimated that lie had begun to re-
gard her with feelings that made his
engagement to me dishonorable. |
viewed him with pity and Brenda
laughed very softly and without mrth.
II was 50 incredibly ignorant of every
thing outside my own sphere that !
could not imagine the existence Of
such woman as lies now in that room
out there.
"Clarcnce said she was an actress,
and he looked at me as a man upon
the defensive. | can see him now. |
pictured a siren, q creature groteSquely
unworthy, appealing to his wild and
reckless nature with thin articles
that would be clear rs glass TO him
when he should view them with dis
passionate eye. Truly, | was only
sorry for him, ashamed of him little,
yet very anxious to help him. 1t seem
ed to me that breaking our engage
ment would be the very worst thing
that could happen to him, and so | re-
fused to consider the woman at ALL
One meets men in society, DR.. Ken
dali, whose we'll known ways of life
have an unfortunate tendency to per
vert women's ideas in such matters
We admit the existence Of certain per
sons whom we see in the park Will
elegant equipaCes. but we cannot con
slider them as rivals"
"But surely lie spoke Of her witt
: respect" said Kendall.
"Absolutc," replied Brenda. "but
r thought him the more a fool He SAID
i one evening, | remcmber-and it wa
|. only very short time ago-that Miss
f Miller cared nothing for him and neve
n would. | was merely convinced by his
T., sincerity that the woman was playn!
a deep game. and swore by such god
l. as | have that | would save him from
= her And so it went on until last even
:. ing, when he sent me a note whicl
!. made it impossible that our engage
mcnt should continue 1t was only
q frank, honest statement that his hear
n had passed utterly out of his control
+ can see now that he could have don
n no better, but | did not take the RICH
n VIEW at lIt lllNiI'Al' 1 Il LhPo ~ " "a
Il because | had heard that day for til
Il first time that Mr., Alden'S engagement
" with me was OF the highest impOrtanc
W in his business affairs. If lie had a
n lowed it to continue for that reason
2 But he had not. 1t was really all IL
Il doing.
ID However. to continue. | went to hi
e. office today because was impati"n
Or and | told him that the engagement
e. was at an end. That was in ten words
And the loss of me, Or. Kendall. affec
|. ed him SO little, He was obviously 5
e. wrapped in an impenetrable happineS
is that lost my temper for the first tim
a in good many years and cut short th
TX interview. Oh, we We're perfectly Cou
or teous TO each other, and when We par
t. ed-most automatically, with an ell
ID vator man rafting the catch Of I'll
o. door to make me hurry - we shoe
a hands upon a VOW Of friendship. r.
ly ! was in a shameful rage AS ! left ii
building.
id 81 went up town as far as the shol
ping district aud wandered aimlesSl
e. In the stores. Then | got upon stree
ut car, preferring 1t to the loneliness of
in cab. And so it happened that new