Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-14

Monty looked at her stupidity The palor Of his
face deepened little.
you think it's really true?" he said "You
think I--cheated"
Victoria avoided his look.
ITS all very painful-very unpleasant. What
am to say? They found that the cards we're
marked"
Monty nodded heavily.
"Yes-they we're Marked right enough. You
think / marked 'ern, vic?"
Her impatience grew She had always hated it
when he called her ''Vic" Did not Valentine call
her '"Vic" too?
'1 don't know who else could have marked
them" she said with cold anger. "I suppose you
do not accuse Lord Carwell or Captain Gey, or
or ValentineY
'1 see. Carwell or Gey or-or Val Bullace--
couldn't have done it. So did That's the way
you settle it,"
She looked at him steadily for moment.
"Well-do you accuse any of the othersl DO
you say that any of them cheated? Do you ex-
pect me to believe it was Lord Carwell or Philip
Gey-or Val"
There sound of sharp contempt in her
voice. He was taking it badly, she told herself
taking it as such man might have been expect
ed to take it. Anyone but cad would not have
argued, would not have tried to hold her.
Was he trying to hold her--to a cheat! At the
thought she all but lost her temper.
She was glad to have said it, glad to have
broken the last link of convention of hypocrisy,
which bound her to him, He looked at her
with the old, wistful look which he had fixed
moment before upon the stately old room, which,
in it's aristocratic shabbness, Knocked the use
lessness of his wealth
'T know-I know. / was in the conservatory
last night when you-when you were there-you
and your cousin
She flushed scarlet, turning upon him furiously.
"You-you listened2"
mo. But | heard, You needn't mind.
think l knew it beforehand, anyway it's all
over now, isn't it?" He was silent for sec
ond, and still his eyes rested upon her with the
look she did not understand.
"You care--a lot 2" he said.
"What right have you to ask me such ques-
tion?"
"You were going to marry me- he said, gently.
"And you cared for him all the time Don't
you think, Vic, it was bit rough on met
wasn't playing fair, was t7"
did you play fair-ast night?"
CLEAN of anger showed in his eyes,
"I'm not saying what | did. But one can
cheat at other games besides cards. You say !
cheated last night-cheated your friends, your
cousin. Did you never cheat me?"
For the first time she saw herself as he must
see her.
eyes am afraid did"
"tAnd yet at the first word against me you
give up-you who meant to cheat me all my
life, to cheat me in game lot bigger than
what we played last nght-No-I didn't mean
to say that. / know you couldn't help it, Vic
know you couldn't care for me. But you want
ed my money you wanted what money could give
you-you said so to Val Bulace last night You
meant to take all / could give and YOU didn't
care-you hated me. Was it fair, Vic%
''No, it wasn't fair" She angry no long
er-she was even a little ashamed. "It was hate
full she said.
''Do you expect me to believe it wasn't your
she asked.
f'No, don't. When the row began knew
was sure. - He broke off for second. 81
said to myself, I'm the outsider, and shall get
left And ] did. They turned on meat once.
Why shouldn't they? They were one lot, and
was the other-and they stuck to their own lot