Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-06

spoke of the unbalanced mind. Lady
Betty recovered her self-possession. Her
moment OF weakness was past She real
lied that she would need all her strength
TO do battle for the life of the man she
loved. She raised her head and smiled.
There is no need to shout at me.
Dick" she said. quietly. sit down and
talk to me. There is lot that I wish To
know. suppose you don't object TO my
presence"
NO" he replied. feebly. The tone OF
her voice made it impossible for him TO
reply in the heroic strain of his last
speech.
II cannot tell you how glad was to
know that you were alive and WE'LL she
you. I Thought 1t better to say nothing.
I could see that you did not wish to be
recognized
He seated himself in his big easy chair
and then rose again to his feet.
II beg your pardon" he said. hastily.
1T is rude Of me to take the only COM
Portable chair in the room. Please sit
down in II. You must excuse my man
ners, l am not used to the society OF
ladies'"
NO. thank you she replied. lightly.
1T is too near the fire. and besides. IL
once got down into it I'm afraid I should
never get out again" She smiled as she
spoke. and there was more in that smile
than the man could see. She had carried
the first outwork of the fortress. She
had brought his mind down to the ordi-
nary civilities of everyday life.
He reseated himself and looked at her
with grave. earnest eyes.
You are firing yourself out with your
work. he said, after a pause; you need
a rest"
People who live in glass houses
shouldn't throw stones" she replied. He
shuddered, as though she had touched a
raw nerve. She saw that she had made
a mistake and FASTENED to remove a bad
impression of levity.
Tell me about yourself" she said.
gently. How you escaped from the
wreck: I have wondered so often
II will tell you he replied. simply.
and he narrated the story in the baldest
possible language. He told OF his life
among the Arabs and OF his subsequent
return to England. But he said nothing
of the great change which had come into
his life. or of the voice that he had
heard in the wilderness. Nor. on the
other hand. did he mention the episode
Of the woman who had been with him
on the raft
1T is wonderful" she said. when he had
finished his narrative. 1T certainly
seems as though you had been saved for
some great work in life"
II know it, he exclaimed. raising his
voice. And all ask is that I may be
given the strength to finish my task i.
The conversation was once more on the
verge VI NlSl ana dangerous ground, anu
Lady Betty FASTENED to bring it down to
safer level. She commenced to talk OF
the past. of the friends they had once
known in Wales. of little episodes of their
childhood. of the ring he had given her
as boy Then she mentioned his
brother. and mimicked the ridiculous and
pompous manner Of Sir Henry Gaunt.
And he listened to her with pleasure.
little knowing the snare that she was
setting about his SOUL
1ootc 1n hoa fA1 fhn ~
mosphere' she desired, and saturated his
mind with all the more pleasant memo
rfes of the past, she began to speak OF
her own work. She told him what a
planned the details of her scheme. She
talked Of the poor women she had saved
from degradation. But she spoke OF
everything in quiet, practical manner.
wild words that had fallen from his own
lips. She had a definite object I'm view.
She wished to take him outside the region
of fanaticism.
And all through her conversation she
touched lightly but firmly on the personal
note. Whether as a child playing on the
seashore, or woman turning from all
the joys of life to hard and unselfish toll,
she never let him lose sight Of her own
personality In the picture. And. as he
listened to her. he forgot everything save
that he had once loved her and had left
her to a life Of loneliness. She rose up
before him as something great and real
in his life. something that he could not
break away from, even something holy
that he could not cast aside with the sins
and follies Of his youth.
Then at last she was silent. and theirs
was no sound but the soft crackle OF the
fire and the roar of the wind outside the
inn. His eyes were fixed upon her face,
but she did not look at him. She waited
for him to speak, trembling in every
nerve and muscle Of her body.
At last he spoke.
Betty" he said. quietly, ct have done
you great wrong. God knows I cannot
repair it. He has taken me out of that
world in which you and 1 might have
found happiness. He has placed my work
before me. / cannot look back.
Her arms were on the table and she
bowed her head between them and Sob
bed, quietly.
There is no cause for tears" he said.
quietly. mo cause for sorrow. 1t is I
done"
But still the woman sobbed and did not
lift her head. He watched her with his
burning eyes. Then he rose to his feet
and coming close to her side, laid his
hand upon her shoulder.
You have your work. Betty he said.
tenderly, land I have mine. We will
each try and do it faithfully to the end"
try to speak.
You are good and a sweet woman"
he continued. For any man who desired
an earthly paradise there could be moth
ing fairer than the companionship OF
such a woman. Often in my hours OF
disappointment and pain and sorrow and
unrest have 1 longed with all my soul for
the peace and quietude of a home made
pure and holy by love. But / have
dashed the vision from my eyes There
is no such reward for the man who has
sinned. and who can only atone by Civ
ing himself to God"
For moment there was silence. Then
the woman raised her head and stretched
out her arms to him.
Dick" she cried passionately. "I will
give you happiness if you will take it."
He shrank back and looked into her
pleading face. He understood. and the
passion leapt into his eyes in answer to
her words.
Then he suddenly caught one Of her
hands in his and bent his head swiftly
down. as though 10 kiss her on the lips.
Then all movement seemed to cease in his
body and he leant over her like a statue
carved out of stone.
Then he suddenly gave q cry of terror
and flung her hand from him with such
violence that it struck the table, and the
next moment he was five feet away from
her and his eyes blazed with fury.
Il will not take it, he Numbered
What devil has entered into you that
you should tempt me with your lures OF
happiness? But l am not so weak that
I cannot fight. Leave me and pray To
God for forgiveness. Remember that You
have dared to lift up your hand against
Him. that you have tried To destroy His