Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-27

Sot yetl Turning quickly Halliohn ran down
"nu round TO the rear to cut him off He was a
scconu 700 late; some one else had been watch.
ing keenly in that hour for glimpse of the
s""'unS agent woman's figure fitted across
the gravel sidewalk lust ahead of him. Evai Il
was as it Fate were fitting together with svift
ueS'gh ,he mosaics of this battling drama Eva
She mad sprung and caught the agent bv the arm.
breathless, imploring.
lt was to be! You--your are Mr.. Halliiohn 4
new valet. You can tell me-oh. YOU wil-whnt
know" ''V
! pause And then every nerve in his bodv
seemed to drawl, us Bacarras answered her IN
two words "
Drink debit"
They seemed the echo of Daunay's own words
of barely an hour ago. For a moment he could
not move hand or foot lIc saw the pale. pure
face turned up pitifully; he saw her move back.
hand to her eyes, II er.orgotten little crv
on her lips, He saw Balcarras bow deeply and
make to pass on
And then. with throat-rattlc he had launch.
! ed himself forward. II all the world had bccn
there to he would have done it. He had
flung an arm around the agents neck and held
him. With his free hand he plucked at the
black beard-at the hair above it, Both came
away. lie was shuddering back to catch Evas
swaying figure. All was ghastly stiffness. Both
were staring at the close cropped head of CAPTAIN
Maurice Daunay, with only the artificial saffron
face tan to brand him as having played part
as no other man could have played it.
'Daunay!' The whisper left Halliiohn's drv
lips. Closer and closer in that moment of reyela.
tion and dawnlight he held the woman of his
heart and hopes to him, as if to say that She too
should know all
In slow brcaths he lined the clues "Daunavl
my friend! Daunay, who schemed it from the
beginning, wrote those letters to frightcn me and
pave the way, played the agent at that address
forged the will to fit the plan, and threw off his
disguise Tor few minutes tonght-to ruin me
forever in Miss Carcw's eyes! You wanted bcr.
you! And you took what you thought the one
and only way to put me out of your path to her
love"
Precisely Cool and unmoved save for the
queer flicker in his eyes Daunay tilted his head
in soft laugh. you see it all do YOU? And
you own that, but for the traditional slip at the
lip, came very near to succeeding Tomorrow
you would have been abroad Well, proceed,
Raise your voice-ring the bells-set up social
sensation! But perhaps you won't You remem.
ber-'No questions asked'!"
1t was Evas faint whisper that broke the
pause. Let me go-oh, let me got"
"Go All else momentarily blotted out. Saxon
Hallijohn bent until his lips all but touched
hers Low into the gray eyes he looked. 'Lct
you CO. when you are more precious to me than
eNeh Hle NseII, Wheh rdte gives me this blessed
moment to tell you! Trust me--trust me, until
can make all clear. Only believe that could
not have faced life ahead without your love. You
can-you will"
No one but himself caught the answer. When
his happy face lifted again, it was perhaps be-
cause across him had flashed one more link to
the mystery. Daunay had been invalided home
after a sunstroke.
But Daunay gone. There was nothing to
show how near tragedy it had been Their own
lips would remain silent the world need never
know Love is all the more amber-sweet if one
has struggled through most to find it!