The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-05-24
(continued.l
CHAPTER xXxIv.

at our disposal. At the mo.
ment OF I.OderS disclosure time
was denied to Eve. for scarcely had the
words left his lips before the Thought
that dominated him :lS;'~ted its pr.or
claim. Blind to the lncredulity N her
eyes, he drew her swiftly forward aud
half impellIug half supporting her
forced her to descent the stairs.
Never in after life could he obliterate
the remembrance OF that descent
Fear, such as be could never expert
him. One desire oyerrode all others.
the desire that Ewes reputation, which
he himself had so nearly imperiled,
should remain unimperiled. In the
shadow Of that urgent duty. the de
! spair of the past hours. the appalling
fact so lately realized. the future. with
it's possible trials. became dark to his
Imagination. In his new victory over
self the question Of her protection pre-
dominated
Moving under his compulsion, he
guided her hastily aId silently down
the deserted stairs, drawing breath
of deep relief as one after another the
landings were successfully passed, and,
still actuate by the suppressed neel
of haste, he passed through the door
way that they had entered under silci,
different conditions only few mi:
utes before
To leave the quiet court. to gain the
Strand to hail belated hanson. was
the work of moment. BY an odd con
.trivance of circumstance the luck that |
had attended every phase of his dual |
life was again exerted In his behalf, |
No one had noticed their entry into |
Clifford's inn; no one was moved to |
curiosity by their exit. With an invol-
untary thrill of feeling he gave expires
sion to his relief
Thank God it's overv' he said as a
cab drew up. You don't know what
the strain has BEEN"
Moving as IL in dream. Eve stepped
into the cab. AS yet the terrible de-
to their enterprise had made
no clear impression upon her mind.
For the moment all that she was con-
scious of, all that she instlnctively ac
was the fact that Loder
was still beside her.
In quiet obedience she took her place,
drawing aside her skirts to make room
for him, and In the same subdued man
ner he stepped into the vehicle. Then,
with the strange sensation of RELYING
their earlier drive, they were aware of
the frightened rein and of the horses
first forward movement.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Eve, shutting out all other thoughts,
sat close to Loder, clinging tenaciously {
10 the momentary comforting sense of {
Loder, striving to marshal
MS ideas, hesitated before the ordeal
If speech At last, realizing his re-
he turned to her slowly.
Eve" he said In q low voice and
With some hesitation, 81 want you to
now that in all this-from the moment ,
saw him-from the moment l under
todd have had you in my thoughts :
'ou and no one else"
She raised her eyes to bis face.
do you realize he began afresh.
Do you know what this-7this thing
1cans?'
Still she remained silent.
at means that after tonight there +!
7ill be no such person in London as y
ohm I4oder. Tomorrow the man who :
,as known by that name will be found =
/ his rooms; his body will be removed "
nd at the post norton examination it y,
ill be stated that he died Of an over =
ose of morphia His charwoman will
lentify him as a solitary man who liv-
/ respectfully for years and then sud III
emily went down hill with remarkable al
leed 1t will be quite common case. III
othing Of interest will be found in his IN
IONS. No relation will claim his body. us
fter the usual time he will be given IN
le usual burial of his class. These de- yo
Ills are horrible, but there are times Tn
hen we must look at the horrible side OF
; life. because life Is incomplete with te
ut 1T. pr
These things l speak of are the
lings that will meet the casual eye, III
Ut in our sight they will have a very Vo
fferent meaning.
Eve" he said, more vehemently. "a IN
hole chapter in my life has been clos To
tonight, and my first instinct Is to oW
nut the book and throw 1t away. But do
m thinking OF you. Remember, I'm tn
linking of you. Whatever the trial, kn
the difficulty, no harm shall tb,
me to you. You have my word for te,
at. |
I'll return with you now to eros in,
nor square I'll remain there till We
excuse can be given for he
,ilcote's going abroad. I will avoid .
aide. will cut politics whatever toll
@ cost. Then at the first reasonable yo
oment l will do what / would do Th
Nv. tonight, II 1t were possible. I'll no
away, start afresh; do In another Oil
untry what have done In this for
There was a long silence: then Eve les
rned TO him. The apathy OF a mo- his
emit before had left her fee. lin an In
her country" she repeated. "In an wa
her country" AFT