Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-14

| Monty looked at her stupidly. The pallor Of his
face deepened little.
"You think it's really true? he said. "You
think I-cheatedF
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 were marked, right enough. You
think ] marked en- Vicg
Her impatience grew. She had always hated II
when he called her "Vic." Did not Valentine call
her Vic" tooY
'1 don't know who else could have marked
them" she said, with cold anger. II suppose you
do not accuse Lord Carwell, or Captain Gey, or
or Valentine"
II see. Carwe OF Gey or--or Val Bulace-
couldn't have done it. So did, That's the way
you settle it,"
She looked at him steadily for a 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 was 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 cheatI 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 its aristocratic shabbness, mocked the use
lessness of his wealth.
II lxnow-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 lstened?"
"No. But / heard. You needn't mind
think / 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?" 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 melt
wasn't playing fair, was it?"
did you play fair-last night?"
A 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 I am afraid I did
"And yet at the first word against me you
give me up-you who meant to cheat me all my
life, to cheat me in game lot bigger than
what we played last night--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 Buace last night. You
meant to take all 1 could give and you didn't
care-you hated me. . Was IL fair, Vic?"
NO, it wasn't fair" She was 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 you p
she asked
"No, don't When the row began knew
was sure...." He broke off for second "I
said to myself, I'm the outsider, and l shall get
left And I did. They turned on meat once.
Why shouldn't they? They were one lot, and l
was the other-and they stuck to their own lot