Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-20
THE POWERS AND MAXINE.

| with soft little draw wi of the south in It.
| 4 went to see him. They gave us five
1 minutes. A warder was there. but speak
ing quickly in Spanish. just few words
thing he wished me to do. He said II
| meant more than his life, so did it: for
we have been friends. and just now he S
helpless. The warder was angry. and
stopped our conversation at once, though
| the five minutes weren't ended. But l
| understood. Mr.. Dundas said there wasn't
| minute to lose.''
Yet that was In the afternoon. and You
only come to me at this hour.' l cx-
| claimed.
| said. in the same quiet voice. She was
looking down now. not at me, and her
| eyelashes were SO long that they made a
shadow on her cheeks. But the blood
| streamed over her face.
Even before I saw-Mr. Dundas." she
went on. II had the idea of calling on you
about different matter l think 1t
would be more honest Of me. IL before
go on 1 tell you that-quite by accident.
| so far as / was concerned-1 was with
some one who saw Mr.. Dundas go to your
house last night. little after twelve.
didn't dream o. spying on-elther of you.
1t just happened. 1t wouldn't interest you
to know how. Yeti beg Of you to tell
me one thing. Was he with you for long
so long that he couldn't have got to the
othcI pAdCc III tlIuo " SOHiIhI Tue
| murder?"
HE was in my house until after one -
l said boldly. But you, II you are his
friend, ought to know him well enough
to be certain without such an assurance
from me. that he Is no murderer"
"Oh. 1 am certain" she protested. II
asked the question, not for that reason.
but to know II you could really prove his
innocence, If you chose. Now l find you
can. When I read the papers this after
police and tell them where he had been
while the murder was being committed.
But 1 didn't know how long he had stop
ped In your house. and. besides
You would have dared to do that" I
broke in. the blood. angry blood. singing
my cheeks more holly than it stung hers.
1T wasn't a question of daring" she
| answered. II thought of him more than
Of you: but l thought of you, too. l
knew that If I were In your place. no
matter how much harm 1 might do my
self, l would confess that he had been In
my house.
There are reasons why can't tell
that he was there" said, trying to awe
her by speaking coldly and proudly. His
visit was entirely on business. But Mr..
Dundas knows why 1 must keep silence,
and he approves. You know he has re-
mained silent himself"
For your sake. because he is gen.
tleman-brave and chivalrous. Would
you take advantage OF that!
You take advantage of me- I flung
back at the girl. looking her up and down.
You pretend that you came from Mr..
Dundas with pressing message for me.
Do you want me to believe this his mes
sage? / think too we'll of him.
Il don't want you to believe that" she
answered. Il haven't come to the mes
sage yet. I have earned right to speak
Ito you first on my own account
I'm twelve minutes l must be on the
stage 1 said.
THE stage!' she echoed You can go
on acting just the same. though he is in
prison-for you!'
Il must go on acting. If 1 didn't, I
should do him more harm than good"
Il won't keep you beyond your time
But 1 beg that YOU will do him good If
you care for him DIT all. you must want to
save him.
IF 1 care fer him?" I repeated. in sur
prise You think-oh. but 1 understand
now. You are the girl he spoke Of
She blushed deeply and then grew pale.
Il did not think he would speak of me-"
she said. Il wish he hadn't. But if you
know everything, the little there is to
know, you must see that you have moth
ing to fear from any rivalry of mine,
Mademoiselle de Renzie.''
why" / exclaimed. you speak as if
you thought Iyor Dundas my lover"
Il don't know what you are to each
other she faltered. all her GOODNESS de-
sorting her. That isn't my affair"
But l say it is. You shall not make
such a mistake Mr.. Dundas cares moth
ing for me, except as a friend He never
did, though we fiirted a little a year ago.
to amuse ourselves. Now L am engaged
to marry a man whom 1 worship. would
gladly die for him. Ivor Dundas knows
that, and is glad. But the other man is
jealous. He wouldn't understandable
| would want to kill me and himself, and
Ivor Dundas. if he knew that Ivor was in
my house last night. He was there too.
and l lied to him about Ivor. How could
l expect him to believe the real truth
now? He is man. But you will be-
lieve, because you are a woman like my
SELF and / think the woman Iyor Dundas
loves"
Her beautiful eyes frightened. He told
you-that?
He told me he loved a girl. and was
afraid that he would lose her. because of
the business which brought him to me-
You seem to have been as unreasonable
with him, as Ra-as the man | love could
be with me. Poor Ivor. Last night was
not the first time that he sacrificed him
self for chivalry and honor Yet you
blame me! Look to yourself, Miss For
rest
II don't blame you.'. she stammered.
sob in her voice. only / beg you to