The Washington herald., 1908-07-28

sonIng had been founded upon a false
l premise joys voice. which had trem-
bled when she said. I should 90 Wild
with misery L anything happened 10
him" stiu echoed in his ears He could
see her eyes softly suhussd with un-
controllable emotion, and her finely
formed fingers cIenched with cruel ap-
9rehensi0l- And, Ike a fash. he remem-
hered that 50 she had spoken and looked
when her father fell 81.
=? Impossible"
Hugo answered swiftly and vet he
knew that the impossible had come 70
pass Perhaps for the moment he was
dominated by that Irresistible personal
magnetism which made Burgess such a
force as a public speaker The vea--
menc thriu in the young mans voice. -he
poignant note OF inevitableleSs. The sense
thai this thing had happened IN obedience
20 some strange and inexplicab,e Law. the
grim irony OF the situation, held Hugo IN
fetters- But he repeated the word: In
possi5Ie.'
And you told ne you we're engaged
10 be married.
That is true
The men looked az each other again.
7 can't believe that Joy would have
cared for any nan unless he had shown
plainly that he cared for her. Still"
Thank you. even for the doubt Z
this Is true
7 know it's true One can't a-zre
about e. Sometimes there IS al instinct
greater than reason itself Why shouldn't
Il be true? I was q fool. an idiot. 70
leave you with her Buc you behaved
as Il you wished 70 avoid her"
7 did"
And shs kept cut OF your way But
-ra
You played the hero. heard Of that.
And the intimacy grew and grew. while
I was jab5ering away IN ny fOOTs para
disc"
II It be true" repeated Hugo. 7 swear
that never suspected IL I would have
s-sked ny life that you had al her
heart
1T IS your-yoa-s. And what are you
going 20 do2~
You needn't worry I have only 10 tel
her who I an"
Then he established his identity Wtrh
Hugo Charters, 70 the amazemeat and
stupefactiOn Of TIE other he concluded
with; '"Tisdale knows He forbade me
TO make a scene"
Burgess nodded His quick brain ap-
pretended one thing Circumstance. not
cowardice or ssy other ignobIe reason
had closed HuE0's lips. He said slowly.
with reas feeling This IS going 20 be
an awful shock for poor Joy
Never had Hugc liked him so well His
first thought had been for her.
The sooner see her TIE better said
Hugo SHAH walk Up 10 the rectory ct
once"
She'll forgive you" said Burgess. with
a sigh
Never" replied Hugo. with grim en-
phasis. because she won't forgive her
self"
Within haIf an hour he was on his
way u Herls1aw Magma
Alone. and in the fresh air. he under Z
went a violent Physical reaction. II JOY
loved him
That possibility blotted out Burgess and /
Angela He started. hearing a strident !
laugh, hardly recognizable as his ov-r I
for al last he knew what with his experi- I
ance he ought 70 tave known before: I
he adOred her From the frst she had
-aptivated him. the white witch. and II 1
that ether Sorceress had indeed changed (
him with Circean spells from a man
INTO the Cnclean beast. this sweet crea-
.ure. with enchautnents as potent. but
how immeasurably different, had restored /
10 him his manhood. Thanks 10 her. he
stood upright
Unconsciously he quickened his pace.
'OT the blood was racing through his
veins No woman had ever stirred him
Ike this II she loved him He re-
7eated this phrase again and again. Each
in's Il bit Ike acid into his brain. dead
ming every tissue il touched. shrivelinE
II honor and conscience He was IN the
-eleutless grip OF a tremendous tempta-
ion the greatest he had as yet encoun-
cred and the most iusidious. because
{ attacked him with diabolicaI sibtIety
Il the very moment when he was glory
ng IN his strength. He might be com
'ared 70 an Anglo-Saxou giant over
hF0wn by some 1iu-jitsu trick. L
If she loved him. and II he told her
le loved her. II once he held her in I.
lis arms with his lips on hers. would
he not ind It easy 10 forgive him?