Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-30
AUTHOR OF "THR TRAITORS. j"

your long period OF isolation upon your sub
sequent actions. entered upon my duties
how you must have smiled at me behind
my back! Never was man more com
pletely and absolutely deceived. / lived
with you, was always by your side | was
there professedly TO study your actions
and the method OF them And yet you
found it perfectly simple matter to hood
wink me whenever you chose,"
In what pect?" Wingrave asked
calmly.
Every respect. Aynesworth answered
Let me tell you two things which hap
pened to me yesterday. l met a young
New York stockbroker named Neshtt. in
London, and in common with all London.
! suppose, by this time. l learnt the secret
of all those anonymous contributions to
the hospitals and other charitable caus
during the last year"
Go on, Wingrave said
Il have come here on purpose to tell
you what | think you are" Aynesworth
said. You are the greatest hypoCrite I'M
hanged. You affect to hate your fellows
and to love evildoers. You deceived the
whole world and you deceived me. [
know you now for what you are. You con-
Ceived your evil plans but when the time
| came for carrying them out you funked it
every time. You had that silly little woman
| on the steamer in your power, and You
yourself, behind your own back. released
| her with that Marconigram sent to her
husband, sent by yourself You brought
| the boy Nesbtt face to face with ruin. and
| to his face you offered him no mercy. Be
| hind his back you employ a lawyer 10 ad-
own debt You decline to give a single
| penny away in charity, and, as stealthily
| as possible, you give away In one year
| greater sums than any other man has ever
parted with. You decline to help the poor
| little orphan child of the village organist,
| and secretly you have her brought up In
| your own home, and stop the sale of your
| pictures for the sake of the child whom
| you had only once contemptuously ad-
| dressed. Can you deny any one OF these
| thngs?"
NO" Wingrave answered quietly. II
And I thought you strong man."
| Aynesworth continued aggrievod and con-
| temptuous 81 nearly went mad with fear
| when | heard that it was you who were
| the self-appointed guardian of Juliet
| Lundy. | looked upon this as one more,
| the most diabolical of all your schemes!"
| Wingrave rose to his feet, still and
''Aynesworth," he said, this interview
| does not interest me. Let us bring it to
| en- end. l admit that / have made a great
failure of my life l admit that | have
| failed in realizing the ambitions | once
| COntided to you ! came out from prison
with precisely those intentions, and l was
| conscious of nothing in myself or my ma
| ture to prevent my carrying them out III
! seems that l was mistaken. | admit all
| this. but do not admit your right to force
| yourself into my presence and taunt me
| with my failure. You served me well
| enough, but you were easily hoodwinked.
| and connection is at an end. | have
|
| ing this part of the world altogether l
shall not return. That child has some
| foolish scruples about taking any more Of
my money. That arises through your con
founded interference. She is poor, al
! most in want. If you should fail her
now
Aynesworth interrupted with hoarse
| little laugh.
| ''Wingrave," he said. "are you playing
| the simpleton? IL Juliet will not take
! your money, why should she take miner
Wngrave came out from his place He
was standing now between Aynesworth
| "Aynesworth," he said, do understand
| that you are not going to marry the
chid?'
81? Certainly notr Aynesworth an
swered.
Wingrave remained quite calm. but there
was a terrible light in his eyes.
Now, for the first time. Aynesworth,
| he said, Il glad that you are here. We
are going to have complete understand
| ing before you leave this room, Juliet
Lundy as my ward, was, l believe. con-
tented and happy 1t suited you to dis
| turb our relations, and your excuse for DO
ing so that you loved her. You took
her away from me, and now you say that
! you do not intend to marry her. Be so
good as to tell me what the devil you do
mean?"
Aynesworth laughed a little bitterly.
You must excuse me-, he said, but a
sense of humor was always my undoing.
and this reversal of our positions is little
odd, isn't it? 1 am not going to marry
Juliet Lundy because she happens not to
care for me in that way at all. My APP
pearance is scarcely that of joyous lover
is it?"
Wingrave eyed him more closely. Aynes-
worth had certainly fallen away from the
trim and carefully turned-out young man
of few months back. He was paler TOO,
and looked older. lL.ts
said. ,.
There is some one else! ~
Some one whom / do not know about
Wingrave said. frowning heavily. WHO Is
he, Aynesworth?"
Aynesworth shrugged his shoulders. He
said nothing. WingraVe came s'eP
nearer to him.
You may as well tell me- he said
quietly for I shall postpone my journey
until I know the whole truth. -,
1T is mot my secret. Aynesworth an
swered ASK her yourself! -, II,
Very we'll" Wingrave declared. Il Will.
1 shall return to London tonight
ut is not necessary" Aynesworth re-
marked.
Wingrave started.
you mean that she is here?" he ex-
claimed IL,
Aynesworth drew him toward the VIII
Come he said. ''you shall ask her now"
Wingrave hes.tated for moment. An
odd nervousness seemed 10 nave tdheh Poa-
II do not understand this, Aynesworth,"
he said. why is she hereE
go and ask her your question, Aynes-
worth said. perhaps you will understand
then.
Wingrave went down the path which led
to the walled garden and the sea The
tall hollyhocks brushed against his knees;
the air. as mild sprlngtime. was fra
grant with the perfume of late roses. Win
grave took no note of these things. once
more he seemed to see coming up the path
the little black frocked child, with the pale
face and the great sad eyes: 1t was she
indeed who rose so swiftly from the hidden
seat. Then Wingrave stopped short. for
he felt stirring within him all the long re-
pressed madness of his unived manhood.
1t was the weakness against which he had
fought so long and YEARLY. triumphant
now, so that his heart beat like boys.
and the color famed into his cheeks And
all the time she was coming nearer, and
he saw that the child had become
woman, and 1t seemed to him that all the
JOY Of life was alight in her face. and the
one mysterious and wonderful secret OF her
sex was shining softly out of her eager
eyes So that. after all, when they met.
Wingrave asked her no questions. She
came into his arms with all the graceful
and perfect naturalness of child who has
wandered little away from home.
AZ fnr daar he 81