Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

Broadstone emptied his glass. smoked
for minute in silence, Iass.d his hand
across his forehead and said with a sigh:
II sha'n't do il. Dorrison. | funk it,"
Very wei. Then Wei ring the curtain
down on my lady's lady snip tomorrow
morning. She becomes Miss Eva Peth-
erby again. She VIII return her 10 Var
,nish Castle and take her million and a
half with her, and Ler child VIII be born
lheEe-an lllegitlmate."
Shut up, Dorrlson! groWled his lord
ship with an angry oath.
The best thing you can do will be to
shoot yoursef-or use that syringe on
,ourseif. 1t s an easy death ana dead
certain. Better than a bigamy prcsecu-
rion. and | expect Miss fetherby new
friend Will take care that that is set 60
ing. y very small part of the million
VIII find number one. and / can prove
that you did il Knowingly
DO you mean you be hound enough
to say word about uhat?" cried Broad
stone with turi,us oath.
DorriSOn laughed. You wouldn't eX-
pect to find me very friendly to the man
who first tries 10 rush me out of the es-
lates and then turns on me as you are
doing
Turns on you-because I won't murder
my wife. BY heaven, you're IL cool hand. -
She isn't your VIE. Shes just an I'm
fortunate obstacle III the path of us both
richly gided and with no prospect but
misery and shame ahead of ner. If she
knew the truth she would probably rather
die than face it. These middle-class peo-
pie are so delicate.y sensitive about such
things. 1t it were Gertrude Hamyi
noW-
stop that, Dorrison. Don't bring heI
into this
IT'S you who want to bring her into It,
not l. L don care what becomes of her;
and for all care she can marry
young
rupted him. Il told you to stop it,
didn't I?'
Yes; but I'm not going to be silent at
your bidding. This is u free country and
free speech one of the few privileges left.
You're coward. you know, Bertram.
That's all. You've been trying to do the
very thing you now shy at in another
way, and because you have to change the
method you fly into a rage with me. You
didn't hesitate about those pretty sweets
you know"
"A lot of good they were, too
Don't make any mistakes. The other
woman was too sharp for you. somehow.
and outwitted you-devilishly cleverly,
too. She's got some scheme on now;
that's why she wants to get Eva away.
look TO get out of that million and a half
that you'll never see Eva back at
Broadstone Towers again. I've a whole
some respect for Miss Margaret-she's a
lot too clever for you.
And so are you replied Broadstone.
after finging a curse at Sadie 'And if
ANYTHING happened to Eva, I should find
II out"
II told you you had something Of the
kind In your head just now. Who put II
there?"
This" and Broadstone tossed the
ANONYMOUS letter across the table. Dorri-
son read 1t carefully and whistled.
How the deuce did she know You had
paid me that e5,00o?''
She? What she?"
You're q mole, Bertram, If you can't
see the hutchinson water mark all over
that paper. It's rather a compliment to
me. anyway. The object was to separate
us two. She's afraid of me and dc esn't
care two bites Of thumbnail for you
Whoever sent it. it's true said
Rroadstone dOggedly, watching Dorri-
sens face sullenly.
The latter looked up and their eyes met.
With a shrug Of the shoulders and lift
ing of the eyebrows ne said: II wish you
weren't such coward. You wou'dn't
see Il sentence OF death in an anonymous
letter" He tossed the letter down con-
temptuousy. However, do as you
please. It's quite clear the woman's dam
gercus. Who she Is or why she's here |
don't know. She means to separate you
from Eva. and she'll do 1t. She came
deuced near getting hold of this bit of
evidence against me. and I don't doubt
she'd have done her level best aga inst
me If Gardiner had gone straight to her
with his yarn-but their teeth are drawn
now. and they can't bite. You are Just
about as much a favorite with her as
am; and when she learns In the morning
about the bigamy business, even you can
guess what line she'll persuade Eva 10
take
II hate the woman" growled Broad
stone with curse.
CTo be continued tomorrow)