Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-13


diamond comb AS he entered she turn
ed hastily, almost nervously, and look
ed at him with the rapid, searching
glance he had learned to expect from
her. Then almost directly her express
sion changed to one Of quick concern.
With faint exclamation of alarm she
stepped forward.
what has happened?" she said
You look like ghost"
Loder made no answer. Moving into
the room, he paused by the oak table
that stood between the fireplace and
the door.
They made an unconscious tableau
as they stood there-he with his hard,
set face, she with her heightened col
or her inexplicably bright eyes. They
stood completely silent for space
a space that for Loder held no sugges-
ton of time. Then. finding the tension
unbearable, Eve spoke again.
Has anything happened?' she ask
ed rs anything wrongy'
Had he been less engrossed the in
tensity of her concern might have
struck him, but In mind so harassed
MS his there was only room for one
consideration = the consideration OF
himself. The sense Of her question
reached him, but its significance left
him untouched.
"Is anything wrongy' she reiterated
for the second time.
BY an effort he raised his eyes. No
man, he thought, since the. beginning
Of the world was ever set task so
cruel as his. Painfully and slowly his
lips parted.
Everything in the world Is wrong"
he said in a slow, hard voice.
Eve said nothing, but her color sud
denly deepened.
Again Loder was unobservant, but
with the logged resolution that mark
ed him he forced himself to his task.
"You despise lies" he said at last.
"Tell me what you would think Of q
man whose whole life was one elab-
Grated lie." The words were slightly
exaggerated, but their utterance, their
painfully brusque sincerity, precluded
all suggestion Of effect. Resolutely
| holding her gaze, he repeated his ques-
ton.
Tell me! Answer me! I want to
know"
Ewes attitude was difficult to read.
She stood twisting the string of dia-
monds between her fingers.
"Tell mel" he said again.
/ She continued to look at him for a
moment; then, as If some fresh I'M
pulse moved her, she turned away
| from him toward the fire.
! 81 cannot" she said. "We-I-I
could not set myself to judge-any
one"
| Loder held himself rigidly in hand.
"Eve,' he said quietly, II was at
the Arcadian tonight. The play was
Other Mems Shoes suppose you've
read the book Other Mems ShoesT"
She was leaning on the mantelpiece,
and her face was invisible to him.
..Yes, have read It," she said without
looking round.
"It is the story Of an extraordinary
likeness between two men. Do you be-
lieve such likeness possible? Do you
think such thing could exist" He
spoke with difficulty. His brain and
tongue both felt numb.
| Eve let the diamond chain slip from
her fingers. eyes," she said nervously.
eyes. I do believe it. Such things have
| BEEN
Loder caught at the words. You're
quite right" he said quickly. you're
quite right. The thing is possible. I've
proved it. know a man so like me
| that YOU, even you, could not tell Us
apart"
| Eve was silent, still averting her
face.
In dire difficulty he labored on.
'sEve' he began once more, "such q
| likeness is serious thing-a terrible
danger, terrible temptation. Those
i who have no experience Of 1t cannot
possibly gauge its pitfalls Again he
paused, but again the silent figure By
the fireplace gave him no help
"Eve," he exclaimed suddenly, III
you only knew, if you only guessed
what I'm trying to say The perplex-
ity, the whole harassed suffering Of his
mind showed in the words. Loder, the
strong, the resourceful, the self con.
tanned. was pf.pably, painfully at IA
loss. There was almost note of ap.
peal in the vibration OF his voice.
And Eve, standing by the fireplace,
! heard and understood. In that moment
| of comprehension all that had held her
silent, all the conflicting motives that
had forbidden speech, melted away BE-.
fore the unconscious demand for help.
I Quietly and yet quickly she turned, her
whole face TRANSPORTED by a light that
seemed to shine from within-somts-
thing singularly soft and tender.
| 'aThere's no need to say anything, "
she said simply, because know"
1t came quietly, as most great reve-
lations come. Her voice was low and
free from any excitement, her face
beautiful in its complete unconscious
ness of self. In that supreme moment
all her thought, all her sympathy, was
for the man-and his suffering.
To Loder there. was space of In
credulity; then his brain slowly swung
| to realization. You know?" he re-
peated blankly You know?
Without answering. she walked to q
cabinet that stood in the window, IN