The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-04-29
hint OF impatience.

she cOnSluefeu him WITHOUT replying.
She had never before detected that
manner, that hardness in a voice al
ways so even in quality.
"What is it?" he repeated.
She thought a moment, putting aside
for the time his manner, which she
could not comprehend. Then:
81 wanted to ask you a question:
rather ignorant one perhaps. It's about
your Amalgamated Electric company.
May l ask It, Howard?"
After a seconds stare, Certainly"
he said.
"Its only this: If the other people
the IntercOunty, l mean-are slowly
running Amalgamated, why don't you
stop it?"
Quarters eyes narrowed. "Oh! And
who have you been discussing the mat
ter with?'
"Mr Plank" she said simply. 81
asked him. He shook his head and
said I'd better ask you. And l do
ask you"
For moment he stood mute. Then
his lips began to shrink back over his
beautiful teeth in one of his rare
laughs
"I'll be very glad to explain it some
day." he said, but there was no mirth
In his voice or eyes, only the smoker
Ing lip wrinkllng the pallor.
"Will you not answer now?" she
asked.
mo, not now. But l desire you to
understand It some day-some day be-
fore November. And one or two other
matters that II Is necessary for you to
understand. / want to explain them,
Sylvia, in such q manner that you will
never be likely to forget them. And
mean to. For they are never out OF
my mind, and l wish them to be as in
effaceably impressed on yours. Good
night"
He took her limp hand almost brisk
ly, released 1t and stepped down the
stairs as Agatha entered. clOaked, to
say good night.
They kissed at parting-"life en-
bracing death" as Mortimer had
Rneered on similar occasion. Then
Eylvia. alone. stood in her bedroom,
hands linked behind her, her lovely
head bent cropping with the very
ghosts of thought which eluded her,
fleeing vanishing, reappearing, to peep
out at her only to fade into nothing
ere she could follow where they fitted
through the dark labyrinths of mem
DRY.
The major. craning his neck in the
bay window, saw Agatha and Quar-
rier enter the big yellow motor and
disappear behind the limousine. And
1t worried him horribly, because he
knew perfectly well that Quarter had
lied to him about a jeweled collar
precisely like the collar worn 10y
Agatha Caithness, and what to do
say to any ,dy on the subject was
for the first time in his life utterly be-
yond his garruIous ability.
Another matter. He had violated his
word and had been caught at it by his
prospective "ephew-in-law-brOk his
pledged word not to sell his Amalga-
mated Electric holdings. and had done
1t. Yet how could Plank dominate I'M
less another also had done what l."
had done? And ii made him litt'H
more comfortable to know he was
sharing the fault with somebody
probably with Siward whom he now
had the luxury of despising for the
very thing he himself had done.
"Drunkarl!'' ne muttered to himself.
He's in the gutter at lastT'
And he repeated it unctuously, al
most recOnciled to his own shortcOm-
ing, because it was the first time, as
far as he knew, that a Belwether
might legitlmately enjoy the pleasures
of holding the word of a Siward in
contempt.
Sylvia had dismissed her maid, the
old feeling Of distaste for the touch of
another had returned since the last
mad, crushed embrace in Siward's
arms had become a memory. Now,
blue eyes dreaming under the bright
masses of her loosened hair, she sat
watching the last glimmer amid tho
ashes whitening on the hearth, think
ing of Siward and Of what had been
between them and Of what could never
be-never, never be!
One red spark among the ashes-her
ambition, deathless amid the ashes OF
life! Whel that, too, went out life
must be extinct.
What he bad reused i'm her had died
when he went away. 1t could never
awake again unless he returned to
awaken it. And he never would. He
would never come again.
One brief interlude Of love, of pas
sion, in her life could neither tint nor
faint the cool normal sequence of her
days. All that life held for a woman
Of her easte-all save that-was hers
when she stretched out her hand for
it-hers by right of succession, of de-
scent; hers by warrant unquestioned.
by the unuttered text OF the ukase tn
be launched If necessary, by that very.
very old lady, browsing, enthroned.
as the endless pageant wound like a
jeweled river at her feet.