The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-05-10
II E -
MaSquerader
BY KATHERINE CECIL THURSTON.
Author OF The Circle" Etc.
eopxrIsht. 1905. Ise4. By Harper L brother
KATHERINE CECIL THURsTo
-hWg
(Continued.)


that moment OF trial, the thought OF re
treat. the thought of yielding. did no
present itself.
Eve was standing by the mantel
piece. She wore a beautiful gown. (
long string of diamonds was twisteC
about her neck, and her soft, blacl
hair was cOIled high after a forelg1
fashion and held in place by a large
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 expires
sion changed to one OF quick concern
With faint exclamation of alarm she
stepped forward.
what has happenedY she said
You look like a 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 a space
space that for LOder held no sugges-
ton of time. Then, finding the tension
unbearable, Eve spoke again.
HAS anything happened?" she ask
ed. as anything wrongT
Had he been less engrossed the in,
tensity OF her concern might have
struck him, but in a mind so harassed
as 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
us 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 a task so
cruel as his. Painfully and slowly his
lips parted
Everything in the world is wrong"
he said in 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 i
man whose whole life was one elab-
GRATED lie." The words were slightly |
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! l want to
know"
Ewes attitude was difficult to read.
She stood twisting the string Of dia-
mOnds between her fingers.
Tell mer' he said again.
She continued to look at him for a
then, as If some fresh i'm
pulse. moved her, she turned away
rom him toward the FIRE.
"I cannot" she said. 1--WE III
,culd not set myself to Judge-any
me-"
Loder held himself Hieidiy In hand.
"Eve," be said quietly, 81 was at s
he Arcadian tonight. The play was
Other Mems Shoes suppose you've s
cad the book Other Mems ShoesT" b
She was leaning on the mantelpiece,
nd her face was invisible to him. (
Yes, have read It," she said without {
,oking round. e
at Is the story Of an extraordinary
keness between two men. Do you be p
eve such likeness possible? Do you
link such thing could existr He
poke with difficulty His brain and 7
,ngue both felt numb. :
Eve let the diamond chain slip from ~
or fingers. YES" she said nervously.
Yes, do believe it. Such things have y
SEM =,
Loder caught at the words. You're :
lite right" he said quickly You're =,
lite right. The thing is possible. I've :,
owed II. l know a man so like me :,
at you, even you, could not tell us Il,
,art." -
Eve was silent still averting her -
ce. ~
In ulre QlmculIy ne IdDOTeu On m
Cve," he began once more. such a at
,eness is a serious thing-a terrible M
niger, terrible temptation Those
no have no experience of 1t cannot cr,
ssibly gauge its pitfalls Again he
used, but again the silent figure by ~y
. fireplace gave him no help. I'M
Eve" he exclaimed suddenly, III p's
] only knew, II you only guessed -.
at I'm trying to say The perplex- .u'
the whole harassed suffering of his lnt
nd showed in the words. Loder, the 'el
ong, the resourceful, the self con- u"
ned, was palpably, painfully at q .
). There was almost a note Of APP ~" -
j in the vibration of his voice.
nd Eve, standing by the fireplace, Iov
I'd and understood. In that moment ="
all that had held her un
Mt, all the conflicting motives that 'e
forbidden speech, melted away be- ss's
: the unconscious demand for help. sue
city and yet quickly she turned, her
Ala foco t,.o N q "A cr,rad hx q liUht that tie