The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-06

of tea: and that debt. with interest
has been kept paid in violets? You
know that as Well as I do.''
Mrs. Rosscott caught her under Ii,
in her teeth.
You gave me promise, Mr.. Den
ham," she said, quite low, but mos
distinctly-"a promise which yol
broke"
Jack flushed; his eyelids dropped TO,
a minute.
Il didn't break it" he said 81 CAV,
it up."
rs there any difference
"A great difference"
He shrugged his shoulders.
do you want to have the truth?'' he
said. IF you really do Til tell you
But don't ask to tell you, recollect.'
She looked at him in surprise
Il don't understand she said. "Tel
me what you mean"
He raised his hand to his bandaget
head again.
II think he said, fighting hard tt
speak with utter indifference, ST think
that it would have been better If you
had told me about Holloway"
She looked still more surprised.
What should I tell you about Mr.
Holloway she asked. What could j
tell you about him?''
1T isn't any use speaking like that. >
he said; and then he suddenly ieapeo
from his chair and began to plunge
back and forth across the small room
II know nowi I understand now
You're pretty, and awfully fascinating
and it's always fun for the woman
especially if she knows all her bets
are safely hedged. And L was so COM
pletely done up that 1 was even more
sport than the common run, I suppose
but"-she was staring at him in un.
feigned amazennent, and he was flashing
himself to fury with the feelings that
underlaid his words-"but even If you
made it all right with yourself by call
ing your share by the name of having
a good influence over me- / think
that's how married women always pat
themselves on the back while they're
sending us go the devil), even then. ]
think that it would have been better
to have been fair and square with me
1t would have been better all around
I'd have been left with some belief in
lin people. AS it is, when L saw that
you'd only been laughing at nae. l.
well, I went pretty far
He stopped short. and transixed her
paleness with his big, dark eyes.
why weren't you honest?" he asked
angrily. And then he said again. more
bitterly, more scornfully, than ever:
why wasn't / told aboue Holloway
She clasped her hands tightly to-
gether.
What has been told you about Mr..
Holloway and myself?" she asked.
Nothing
"Then why do you speak as you do?''
At that he thrust his hands in his
pockets, and again began to fling him
self back and forth across the room.
Perhaps you'll think I'm a sneak, 4"
he said, but I wasn't a sneak 7 went
in to see you that Saturday, as usual,
and when I went upstairs-you We're
with him in the library. I heard three
words. God. they were enoughi Then
I came away, and went and drank. and
drank, and drank-and all to the truth
and honor of women
He halted with his back to her, and
there was silence in the room for many
When he turned, tears were upon her
face, and she was drying them with
her handkerchief.
And all the trouble came from that"
she said, with trembling lips. "Oh,
what shall I do? What shall I say?''
II don't know what you can do, or
what you can say said Jack. stand
ing still and watching her sincere dis
.ress "Td feel pretty blamed mean If
T
don't question your good taste in choos-
ing Holloway. nor your right to love
him, nor his right to be there: but /
fail TO understand why you We're to
me Just as you were, and I think it,
was unfair-out-and-out meant"
Mr.. Denham," she said, almost pain
fully, you've made a dreadful mis-
take" Then she stopped and moisten-
ed her lips. 81 don't know just what
words you overheard. but the drama
tic instructor was there that afternoon
drilling Mr.. Holloway and myself for
he parts which We took in the charity
play last week; after he went out wei
vent over one of the scenes alone. Per-
1aps you heard part of that. Mr.. Hot
oway has never really made any love
% me-perhaps he's never wanted tol
I've never wanted him to.
Jack stared His misconception was
10 strongly fntrenched in the forefront
# his brain that he could not possibly
lislodge it at once
Mrs. Rosseott continued to dry thel
ears that continued to raise; she SEEM
d very much upset. In truth, she was
erribly affected at finding herself toi
ave been the cause (no matter howl