Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19


! on the day heard of your engagement: That's
a big thing. Another is that l played trick
on Logotheti so as to come and see you here.
l deliberately asked him to dine with me last
| night in London. l went right home wrote
note to him. postdated for yesterday afternoon.
to put him off and left it to be sent at the right
hour. Then l drove to the station, and here
am. You may call that pretty sharp practice;
| but believe alls fair in love and war. and |
| want you to understand that think so. There's
one thing more. l won't give up the hope OF
making you marry me while you are alive and |
am. not if you re an old woman: and Ill put up
all have in the game, including my own lite
and other peoples if it comes to that. Amen
Margaret bent her head a little and was
| silent. ,
Now you know why | won't promise what
you asked" said Van Torp in conclusion,
He had not raised his voice; he had not laid
| heavy stress on half his words, as he often
did in common conversation; there had been
nothing dramatic in his tone; but Margaret
had understood we'll enough that it was the
plain statement of man that meant to sue
coed. and whose strength and resources were
| far beyond those of ordinary Sultors. She was
| not exactly frightened; indeed, since her dis
| like for him had melted away. it was impos-
sible not to feel a womanly satisfaction IN the
| magnitude of her conquest; but she also feit
| inStnctively that serious trouble and danger
were not far off.
You have no right to speak like that, she
| said rather weakly after moment.
Perhaps not. l don't know. But l con-
slider that you have right to know the truth
and that's enough for me. It's not as IT Id
made up my mind to steal your eve lamb from
you and put myself in its place. Logotheti Is
not any sort of eve lamb. He's a man he has
| plenty of strength and determinations he mas
| plenty of money.-even what choose TO eau
| plenty. He says he cares for you All right
So do l. He says he'll marry you. l say that
l will All right again. You are the prize up
for the best Of two fighting men. You are not
| the first woman in history that has been fought
| for: but. by all that's holy! there never was
| one better worth it, not Helen OF Troy her
| self"
The last few words came with sort OF
stormy rush. and he turned suddenly and
| stood with his back against the gate thruSting
with the idea of keeping them quiet; but he
did not come any nearer to her. and she felt
| she was perfectly safe. and that much deeper
and more lasting power had hold OF him than
any mere passionate longing to take her IN ms
arms and press his iron lips on hers against her
will She began to understand why he was
what he was at an age when many successful
men are still fighting for final success. he was
crown grasper. like John the Smith. Beside
him Logotheti was but gifted favorlte OF
fortune He spoke of Helen; but if he
was comparing his rival with Paris, he hum
self was more like Ajax than like good King
| Menelaus
|
IVA displeased: but she was really at loss
what to say. and she said the first sensible
thing that suggested itself. which was approx
imately true.
"Tm sorry you have told me all this We
might have spent these next two days very
pleasantly together. Oh. I'm not pretending
what don't feel! It's impossible for a woman
like me- who can still be free, not to be hattered
when such man as you cares for her IN earnest
and says the things you have. But on the
other hand, I'm engaged to be married to an
other man. and it would not be loyal of me to
! let you make love to me-"
/ ~ don't mean to" said Van Torp stoutly.
at won't be necessary. If l never spoke
again, you wouldn't ever forget what have
told you! Why should l say it again?
don't want to. until you can say as much to
me-. If it's time to go. hitch the lead to my
collar and take me home I'll follow you as
quietly as spaniel. anywhere!"
And what would happen If told you not
to follow me. but to 60 home and lie down in
your kenneth" She laughed low as she moved
away from the gate
I'm not sure" answered Van Torp;
| shut DON'T"
4 The last word was not spoken at all with an
accent of warning, but it was not said in beg
ging tone either. Margaret's short laugh fol-
lowed 1t instantly: He took the cue she Of
fered. and went on speaking in his ordinary
manner.
I'm not bad dog if you don't bully me-
and if you feed me at regular hours and take