The Washington herald., 1908-01-19
BY
MARIA
ALBANES 81
: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

money but I suppose that is what is in
your mind. he said.
His haif-bantering tone stung her like
the lash of q whip. she was silent only
because she could not speak
We'll, my dear, YOU may as well put
that out of your mind once and for all;
that little piece of paper which you work
ed at so carefully is not 30 be redeemed
by money.
He searched in his pockets found his
cigarette case, paused to strike a match
on his heel, and began smoking without
any pretense Of courtesy.
This is a funny world, and no mistake!
was very fond of you when l came upon
you first" he said L was prepared to
make no end OF fool of myself about
you. And you snubbed me up and down
dale; wouldn't have anything To do with
me. You were quite able 10 get along
without my friendship, thank you. There
are some things that stick. you know. Ca
milla, and the way you shut down on me
IN those old days is one Of those things. /
must say you have a rummy notion OF
morality! / wasn't good enough 10 come
near you. yet you had no hesitation what
ever about snealing my money when the
time came along
An exclamation like a sob escaped Ca
milla. He laughed
/ 1T is an ugly way Of putting it, he
said; but it is the truth. anyway. and l
fancy that with his peculiarly straight
forward views, his W0rkingman's propen-
sity for calling q spade "A spade Mr..
Haverford VIII regard the matter in the
same light"
The woman turned at this half passion
ately.
You are not going to tell him! Oh.
you cannot. You shall not"
1T lies with you 10 decide whether I
/ tell him or not"
( tie puhed out some smoke onto the
damp air, and Camilla watched it wreathe
1 and separate and finally fade into the
mist that was gathering about the trees;
/ watched it with eyes dry and hot. with
misery and shame and fear.
/ Suddenly BrOxb0uTne turned TO her.
You must break with this man." he
said, Il have "a prior claim. ! don't in
+ tend TO let you marry him
She stood suH and looked at him with
/ dilated eyes.
Break my engagement? Impossible
! impossible
Her heart was throbbing In her breast
I her lips We're white
Nothing is impossible" answered the
man; after all. I am not treating you
badly. II 1 did the right thing / should
4 go straight 20 HaverIOrd What do you
/ think he'd say II DE heard my pretty
little story How YOU begged a check
out Of me for a charity bazaar and how.
/ by chance having got hold of a blank
/ check OF mine you filled it in for q nice
large sum. and signed my name, by CAD
as bold as brasst / remember" said
! BroXbourne shaking the ash from his
! cigarette, Il was I'm q tearing hurry when
l answered your letter-it was the very
/ day I left FOR America, IN fact / just
( scrlbbled the small check anyhow, and
/ never noticed that as / tore 1t out Of my
/ check book ! tore a blank one with it.
/ But you found that out in double-quick
/ time. didn't you?'
Camilla turned to him. The hard. dry
/ look had gone from her eyes, they were
/ dim with tears
/ Sammy she said, brokenIy. don't
/ rub il in so hard. / know-I know how
/ horrible this thing is, When you came
/ back last November ] nearly died when
I saw you I'prepared myself for every
/ thing, and when You were so friendly
! when you said nothing, / began to hope
! even to believe, you did not know. Why
/ did you not speak then? Don't you see
/ how much worse II is for me now?'
! Sir Samuel smiled at her
"Of course It is he said, his cigarette
! between his teeth; 81 know that. I tum-
+ bled to your little game with this man
/ the moment / came back, and ! promised
myself some fun. 1t tickled me 10 death
+ to have you running after me just as II
/ You liked me, pretending 20 want me. and
/ imagining you were throwing dust in my
/ eyes. / settled then | would wait
/ while. Worse for you. Well. do you
want me 10 say I am sorry?'
/ II want YOU 10 be merCifuI I am IN
/ your hands. know it-but you-you won I
/ be cruel 10 me. Sammy" said Camilla. in
/ that same moved voice She caught her
breath. IF Rupert HaveTford must be
told. I viii tell HIM" She turned 10
Broxbourne abruptly. "Do You know
Why have promised TO marry him? 1t
Is for my ChildTen's sake. Ned's father
suddenly stopped the money he had been
giving me. and demanded the children.
II l had not done this thing, made them,
myself Independent he would have taken
| them from me. L is the truth I am tell
ing you, Sammy-the truth. The children
are more to me than life
BroXbOurne answered her coolly; he was
unmoved by her broken voice and her
I
I have only been back a day or two.
but from what 1 can gather" he said. |
easily, I believe you are now g. fairly
wealthy woman. ] must say he has be-
haved extraordinarily well, but, Of course, /
that was little bit more Of your clever
ness. Anyhow, as you have Just told me
you have only promised TO marry him be-
cause Of the children, you see the man
himself doesn't count You've got the
money, and lie can't take that away from |
you-I don't suppose he would if he could |
so ali you've got to do is to slide out OF |
things as quickly as you can. I'll give |
you a month TO do IL in" BroxbOurne |
said magnanimOusly.
Camilla brushed her eyes with her
pocket handkerchief; she was utterly un- |
able to answer him, and at that moment |
they heard the voice Of Betty calling TO |
them. The child was evidently running /
back to join them
Go on" said Camilla, hoarsely; "go /
on and meet her. For Gods sake, 60
don't let her come-I-I will follow"
'Tn take her along with me to the /
stables" BroxbouTne said. and he limped |
onward with a smile as Camilla turned /
and half wildly, half blindly walked |
sharply away from the house.
CHAPTER XIII.
The year was speeding into spring.
Easter had come and gone.