Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-24

groaned again; Leonard's eyes frightened
still more. and the evil smile on his face
grew broader as he began more and more
to feel his power. He went on to speak
with cold, deliberate malignancy, but
instinctively so sticking to absolute truth
that he could trust himself TO hurt most.
The other listened. cold at heart and
physically: his veins and arteries seemed
stagnant
I won't tell you anything OF her pretty
ADVERTISEMENTS; how her voice fell as
she pleaded; how she blushed and STAIN
mered. Why. even I. who am used to
passions and their 1ushings and their
stormy upbraidings. didn't quite know for
while what she was driving at. So at
last she spoke out pretty plainly. and told
me what fond wife she'd make me II I
would only take herr" Harold said moth
Ing: he only rocked little as one in pain
and his hands fell. The other went on:
That Is what happened this morning
on Caester hill under the trees. where I
met Stephen Norman by her own APP
pointment; honestly what happened. II
you don't believe me now you can ask
Stephen. My Stephen." he added, In q
final burst of venom. as In q CLEAN OF
moonlight through q rift In the shadowy
wood he saw the CHASTITY pallor OF
as he held out his hand:
Now give me my letter."
In the last few seconds Harold had
been thinking And as he had been think
ing for the good. the safety. OF Stephen.
mans very tone. the openness OF his
malignity, the underlying scorn when he
spoke OF her whom others worshiped,
showed him the danger-the terrible. inn
mediate danger in which she stood from
such q man. With the instinct OF a mind
working as truly for the woman he loved
as the needle does to the pole. he spoke
quietly. throwing q sheer into the tone
so as to exasperate his companion-it' was
brain against brain now, and for Ste
phen's sake:
And of course you accepted. You
naturally would" The other fell into
the trap. He could not help giving an
extra dig to his opponent by proving him
once more In the wrong
"Oh. no. didn't. Stephen is fine girl
but she wants taking down a bit. She's
too high and mighty just at present. and
wants to boss q chap too much. It's we'll
for woman Of her type to let her try
for bit in her own fat. ! mean TO- be
master In my own house, and she got
to begin as she will have to go on. I'll
let her wait q bit. and then I'll yield by
degrees to her lovemaking. She's a fine
girl. for all her red head. and she won't
be so bad after all!'
Harold listened, chilled into still and 81
lent amazement. To hear Stephen ,spoken
of in such a way appalled, him. She of
all women! His thoughts were homi-
cidal: Leonard never knew how near sud-
den death he was. as he lay back In his
seat, his eyes getting dull again and his
chin sinking. The drunkenness which
had been arrested by his passion was re-
asserting itself. Harold saw his state in
time and arrested his own movement to
take him by the throat and dash him to
the ground Even as he looked at him In
scornful hate. the cart gave lurch and
Leonard fell forward. Instinctively
Harold swept an arm round him and held
him up. AS he did SO the unconscious
ness of arrested sleep came: Leonard's
chin sank on his breast and he breathed
stertorously.
AS he drove on Harold's thoughts cir
cled in a tumult. Vague ideas of extreme
measu which he ought to take flashed
up and paled away Intention revolved
upon itself till its weak side was ex-
posed, and 1t was abandoned. He could
not doubt the essential truth Of Leonard s
statement regarding the proposal of mar
rage. He did not understand this. nor
did he try to. His own love for the girl
and the bitter awaking to its futility
made him so hopeless that in his own
desolation all the mystery of her doing
His only aim and purpose now was her
safety. One thing at least he could do
by fair means or foul stop Leonard 8
mouth. so that others need not know Of
her shame! He groaned aloud as the
thought came to him. Beyond this first
step he could do nothing. think of moth
ing as yet And he could not take this
first step till Leonard had SO far sobered
that he could understand.
And SO waiting for that time to come,
he drove on through the silent night