Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-22

or burned more hotly had she struck him
with her hand.
.Mademoiselle.'
She ignored him. Father. what does this
mean?
Agony The colonel fell back into his
chair. pressing his hands over his eyes.
II will tell you what 1t meansf cried kar-
loft. rage possessing him. He had made q
mistake. He had misjudged both the father
and the child. He could force her into his
arms, but he would always carry burden
of hate. 1T means that this night you
stand i'm the presence of a dishonored pa
rent, man who has squandered your In
heritance over gambling tables. and who, to
recover these misused sums, has sold to me
the principal fertilization plans of his coun-
try. That is what Ii means, mademoiseile.
She grasped the portiere for support.
Father, is this thing true?" Her voice
fell to terror-stricken whisper.
"Oh. it Is true enough" said karlof.
God knows that it is true enough. But 1t
rests with you to save him. Become my
wife. and yonder fire shall swallow his dis
honor-and mine. Refuse, and 1 shall ex-
pose him. After all, love is a primitive
state. and with it we go back to the begin
ring; before it honor or dishonor is nothing.
Tonight there is nothing. nothing. in the
world save my love for you, and the. chance
that has given me the power to force you
to be mine. What fury and a tempest
love produces! 1t makes an honorable
man of the knave, a rascal of the
man of honor; it has toppled thrones,
DESTROYED nations. obliterated races.
Well, l have become rascal. Made
moiselle, you must become my wife" He
lifted his handsome head resolutely.
Without giving him so much as glance,
she swept past him and sank on her knees
at her fathers side taking his hands by
the wrists and pressing them down from
his face.
Father, tell him he lies. Tell him he
lies" All, the entreaty, the love. the anx-
iety, the terror that blended her tones!
He StrOve to look away.
Father, you are all 1 have she cried
brokenly. Look at ME! Look at me and
look at me? God have mercy on me- 1t is
true, them! She rose and spread her arms
toward heaven to entreat God to witness
her despair Il did not think or know that
such base things were done. That
these loving hands should have helped to
encompass my fathers dishonor, his degra-
dation. For money! What is money ?
You knew. father, that what was mine
me? l should have laughed we should
have begun all over again; I could have
earned living with my music; we should
have been honest and happy. And now!
|. And drew those plans with heart
full of love and happiness! Oh. it is not
that you gambled. that you have foolishly
wasted fortune; it is not these that hurt
here. pressing her heart 1T is the
me draw those horrible things. 1t hurts!
All how 1t hurts' A sob choked her. She
knelt again at her parents side and flung
her arms around the unhappy, wretched
man. Father, you have committed a
crime to shield foolish act. I know I
know. What you have done you did for
my sake, to give me back what you thought
was my own Oh, how well 1 know that
you had no thought of yourself; it was all
for me, and l thank God for that. But
something has died here, something here
in my heart. l have been so happy! :
Too happy. My poor father!' She laid her
head against his breast.
MY heart is broken! Would to God that
l might die!'' Annesley threw one arm
across the back of his chair and turned his
face to his sleeve.
Karloff, thousand arrows of regret and
shame and pity, quivering in his heart
viewed the scene moodily, doggedly. No. he
could rot go back; there was, indeed, a
wall behind him-pride.
well. mademoiselle?"
She turned. still on her knees.
You say that if l do not marry you you
will ruin my father, expose him?'
Yes thinly.
Listen. am proud woman, yet VIII
beg you not to do this horrible thing
force me into your arms. Take everything
take all thar is left; you cannot be ut
terly base as to threaten such a wrong.
See."-extendng her lovely arms-"I am
on my knees to your
my daughter" cried the father.
do rot interrupt me, father; he will re-
lent: he is not wholly without pity
mo, no. No, nor Karloff exclaimed,
turning his head aside and repelling with
his hands. as if he would stamp out the
fires of pity which, at the sound of her
voice. had burst anew in his heart. Il
will not give you up, 7.5 ~ --.--...
She drew her sleeve across her eyes and