Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-26

privilege of his overlordship. His eyes
were shot with red. his broad face was
f1ushed-I knew why too we'll. and ii was
not for me at that time to criticise him.
Alicia, he said brutally, Il told you
not to wait. There Is no sense in 1t. 1
come home when / please"
George she said and her frightened,
pleading tones cut me to the quick, Il
there is"
She stopped. not knowing what to say.
and her eyes turned with involuntary mo-
ton toward the open door of the little
parlor in which l sat. The eyes of the
man followed hers. and l never before
saw such a blaze of wrath appear upon
a human beings face He had caught the
outlines of my figure l rose to my feet.
and he stepped forward. pressing the
electric button in the wall and flooding
the parlor with light from the chandelier
overhead ] stood squarely in the center
of the glow. He turned upon the fright
ened girl with a savage exclamation.
'Ah, madame.'' he said, and his tones
were so savage. so full Of insinuation.
that I could have killed him where he
stood. II know why you are up. You
did not expect me so soon. But you are
clumsy about it, like a novice,'
was appalled-not for myself, but for
her. Yet the stroke. if by lightning
flash, cleared away the mists and foSs
from my brain, and | saw in all its ter
rible truth the fate that | had brought
upon little Alicia. Her husband, brutal
domineerin:. flushed with liquor perhaps
by nature irsaneiy jealous. would not be-
ieve word that we might say, and, APP
parently. he had little cause to believe
them Aicia's pathetic eyes shifted from
her husbands to mine and felt one of
those desperate impulses that come some
times to men in great straits l edged
toward a little table. until I stood between
it and the door.
The man laughed. and the laugh was
at once savage and cynical
''Alicia,' he said, II would not have
believed ii of you, and YOU such little
innocent. if my eyes did not tell me it
so.
George, George she said, you are
haSty. YOU
But he interrupted her mcrcilessIv
Lets see who our fine young gentle
man Is. he said. 'Ah. a stranger. But
it's Your last visi, here, my man.
He drew revolver from his pocket
.Nicia screamed. but ] only laughed and
threw up my hands.
Il give in | said; you've got me this
time. | fel, that I was IA goner when l
heard the woman in the hall.
What do you mean he asked,
II mean that the games up with me.
this tme. l said. land I've got sense
enough to see it. Here, take this. | don't
think you'll find cent missing from il.
I tossed toward him the woman's purse
that / had slipped from the table and into
my pocket Then / heard sigh and the
sound of fall. that was scarcely fall.
because Alicia merely sank down Ike one
who would sleep but she had tainted
dead away.
/ advanced a step toward him, still
under the muzzle of his revolver.
You will find my pistol in my trousers
right pocket" l said, and you can take
it with your own hand"
l spoke the truth. l had learned this
habit In my native state. and had con-
tirmed it in the west.
He extended his left hand and took the
pistol.
Well you are certainly cool enough"
he said not without some admiration-it
came from the knowledge that he had
captured one whom he considered SO calm
and hence by doing Ii had exalted himself
l saw, too, that he had begun to believe
He could not help it in the face of the
evidence
How did you get in?" ne asked
That is my secret | replied. cunning
~ When YOU join our ranks | may tell
it to you
He glanced al his unconscious wife, half
lying against a sofa. and then at me. AS
| could see by his eye. doubts returned
to his mind.
You wear good clothes for a burglar"
he said
why not?' I replied. in Hippant tone
I've earned enough TO pay for them"
slow smile curved his lips. and | saw
then his whole cruel nature revealed The
brute In that moment of eXaltation i'm
the recoil from my previous basenesS. al
my thoughts were of Alicia. there on the
floor, the victim of such creature. Glad