Gloucester County Democrat., 1907-10-17

theni7 Well, they're there and ready
| to speak for themselves. II you're a
\ woman you won rest till you'y We seen
them Will yon trade n
Yes. yes! Give them to me- she
cried eagerly, at which a wave of
! crimson rushed up to his eyes and he
rose abruptly from his chair He made
/ toward her, but she retreated to the
wall. pale and wide eyed
Cant you see" she flung at him,
that must know n
He paused. "Of course / can, but
/ want a kiss to bind the bargain to
apply on account He reached for
her hand with his own hot one, but
she pushed him away and slipped past
him toward the door.
"Suit yourself" said he, sbut IL I'm
not mistaken you'll never rest till
| you've seen those papers. I've studied
you, and I'll place bet that you can't
marry Mcnamara or look your uncle
in the eye till you know the truth.
You might do either If you knew them
to be crooks, but you couldn't If you
only suspected it-that's the woman.
When you get ready, come back. Ill
show you proof, because don't claim
to be anything but what am Wilton
Struye. bargainer Of some mean abil-
| ity. When they come to inscribe my
headstone hope they can carve there
on with truth. He got value re-
ceived /"
you're a panther she said ioatb-
ingly.
Graceful and elegant brute, that
he laughed. "Affectionate and full of
play, but with sharp teeth and sharper
claws. To follow out the idea, which
pleases me, believe the creature owes
no loyalty to its fellows, and hunts
alone Now, when you've followed this
conspiracy out and placed the blame
where it belongs, won't you come and
tell me about it? That door leads into
an outer hall which opens into the
street No one win see you come or
CO."
As she hurried along she wondered
dazedly why she had stayed to listen
SO long. What monster he was. His
meaning was plain, had always been
so from the first day he laid eyes on
her, and he was utterly conscenceless.
She had known all this; and yet, in her
proud, youthful confidence, and in her
need. every hour more desperate and
urgent, to know the truth, she had
dared risk herself with him. Withal,
the man was shrewd and observant
and had OWNED her mental condition
with remarkable sagacity. She had
failed with him; but the kirl now knew
that she could never rest till she found
an answer to her questions. She must
kill this suspicion that ate into her so
She thought tenderly of her uncle's
goodness to her, clung with despairing
faith to the last of her kin. The blood
ties of the Chesters were close and
she felt in dire need Of that lost brother
who was somewhere in this mysterious
land-need of some one in whom ran
the strain that bound her to the weak
old man up yonder. There was Nc
Namara; but how could he help her,
how much did she know of him, this
man who was now within the darkest
shadow of her new suspicious?
Feeling almost intolerably friendless
and alone, weakened both by her re
cent fright and by her encounter with
Struve, Helen considered as calmly as
her emotions would allow and decided
that this was no day in which pride
should figure. There We're facts which
it was imperative she should know,
and Immediately: therefore, few min
utes later, she knocked at the door of
Cherry Malotte.
When the girl appeared, Helen was
astonished to see that she had been
crying Tears burn hottest and leave
plainest trace in eyes where they come
most seldom. The younger girl could
not guess the tumult of emotion the
other had undergone during her alb.
sence, the utter depths Of self abase-
ment she had fathomed, for the sight
Of Helen and her fresh young beauty
had aroused in the adventures a very
tempest Of bitterness and jealousy.
Whether Helen Chester were guilty or
innocent, how could Glenister hesitate
between them? Cherry had asked her
self. Now she stared at her visitor in
Hospitality and without sign
''Wil you let me come in?H Helen
asked her. Il have something to say
to YOU
When they were inside, Cherry Ma
lotte stood and gazed at her visitor
with inserutable eyes and stony face.
ut isn't easy for me to come back"
Helen began, "but felt that had to.
If you can help me, I hope you will.
You said that you knew a great wrong
was being done. have suspected it.
but didn't know, and I've been afraid
to doubt my own people. You said
had a part in it-that I'd betrayed my
friends. Wait a moment she hurried
on. at the others cynical smile. Won't
you tell me what you know and what
.