Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-29

ry NEALN turned ABOUT IN sPAte OF
r. face.
Il The news from ROumania!'
Certainly, news of your friend,
Mr. Gavin ord"
Tho nIot had been we'll contrived. and it
dld not fail. Curiosity. nay. fear almost
proved stronger than Evelyn's alarm or
any thought of her own safety Vainly she
tried TO suppress her emotion while the
man for his part followed every movement
OF her graceful figure with eyes that de-
voiIred its contour and purpose when
said she shall be my wife this night.
''Well2'' she cried. her heart beating Wild
1y her hands cliuched. What hours OF ahN-
iety Of dread. OF passionate regret that one
word recalled TO her.
The count drew a chair near the fire and
motiOned to her to sit She obeyed MN win
a docility which did not surprise him. he
held the master cards ana Wouid pay lhe4n
"Weu." he said lightly enough. Ito begin
with your friend is still in Roumania.
Am l unaware of that?' she exclaimed;
'Of course. YOU would not be- He Is sun
I'm Roumauia and a prisoner
"A prisoner-why should he be a pris-
oner?'
Because. dear lady. he is my fathers
She realized what it meant and sat rest
ing her bowed head upon her little hands
Il viii 20 10 Rouindnlt, 1 VIII see HI4i'
she said presently
Odn smiled again at that
1T would lee a hazardous journey, and !
fear an unavoidable one said he
1T can be no less profitable than the 81
lent friendship of those who should speak;
But we are talking in parallels she sald
quickly land for once l believe that you
are telling me the truth
a fiatteTiug admission. l Will DO my pest
TO he worthy Of it. Let us continue the story
as we began. Your friend is a prisoner In
the house of my friends. They Will release
him upon the day / command them to do so
not an hour before. They are my sery-
ants Lady EVelyn-and in the Carpathians
TO obey is the only commandment known 10
them. Should l say to them this man must
not return to England. then he would
never return. 1 think you can understand
that. II rests with me to save your friends
life or TO but we are a long way
from coming to that yet"
Evelyn trembled but she did not speak.
The plain issue of that duel of sex could
not be hidden from her. She was in the
house of a man who had brought her there
by trick scoundrel and an adventurer,
and she alone. The price of Gavin
Ords liberty was the surrender of her
honor. She understood and was silent, and
the man knew that she understood.
I'VE are a long way from that" he con-
tinued with a new note in his voice which
spoke chiefly of his passion for her 81
hope that we shall never come to 1t. When
] first you i'm London, Lady Evelyn,
said that there should never be another
woman for me. l say so again tonight. II
you do not marry me, | will never marry.
Yes. / love you. and am of a nation that
learns from it's childhood how women
should be loved Consent to be my wife
and ! viii live for nothing else but your
happiness Your English friend shall win
his liberty tomorrow; your father shall be
my fathers friend. / will live where you
wish to live, serve you faithfully, have no
thoughts but those you wish me to have.
Evelyn-that Is what l would first say to
YOU tonight-that l love you-that you must
love me-that | cannot live without you
He bent over her and tried to touch her
hand. She did not doubt that she had be-
come, as he said the great hope of his life.
And Just as she had said in Derbyshire,
Eta Romney would marry him." SO now
for an instant did the same voice speak TO