Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-09

! back into the desert. But Lloyd Pryor
continued to be gracious; he talked gay
ly of this or that: he told her one or two
stories that had been told him in d-
rectors meeting or on a journey, and he
roared with appreciation of their peculiar
| humor. She flushed, but she made her
self laugh. Then she began tentatively to
say something of Old Chester, and-and
what did he think? That old man who
lives up on the hill called, and
But he interrupted her You are very
| beguiling, Nelly. but l am afraid ! must
| be thinking of the stage-it is after 3.
Before l go Just want to say aye then
is it?" he demanded, impatiently.
please, ma am said Sarah. standing
in the doorway, her face puckered al
most to tears. "David's woke up. and he's
crying. and 1 can't do nothing with him.
! He wants you. ma am
! 'Oh. poor darling! Tell him I'll come
right up Mrs. Richie said. rising in
quick distress
NONSENSE" said Lloyd Pryor, sharply.
Sarah. tell the boy to behave himself.
Mrs. Richie can't come now"
Sarah hurried upstairs, but Helena stood
in painful indecsion. oh; Lloyd | must
go. I'll just sit with him minute.'
| You'll just sit with me minute" he
said. calmly. BE sensible, Helena.
want to speak to you about something
| But she did not hear him: she was lis
tening for Davids voice. A little whim-
pering cry reached her. and the tears
sprung to her eyes. Lloyd. l must
| He is crying
Let him cry
Hes takin' on so. please come UP.
ma'am." came Sarah's entreating voice
from over the banisters in the upper halk
on, Lloyd, l must!' She turned,
but he. springing up. caught her wrist
and pulled her to him.
Don't be fool
Let me go. oh, how cruel you are"
She tried to wrench her wrist from his
grasp. Il hate you
Hate me, do you?" He laughed and
catching her in his arms. kissed her again
and again. Then he put his hands in his
| pockets and stepped back, leaving her
| free. VIII you go?'
| She Stood vibrating between surprised
affection and anguished longing for the
child. Lloyd she said family: she put
| her hands over her face. and came to-
ward him slowly, shivering little and
den gasp, she turned and fed upstairs.
| "David-1 am coming
Lloyd Pryor stood dumfounded; in lis
establishment he almost laughed. But at
that instant he heard the crunch of
| wheels drawing up at the gate. The
| STAGE he said to himself, and called
out. angrily. Helena
But it was not the stage; it was Will
| liam Kings shabby old buggy standing
in the shadow of the big locust by the
self coming up the path.
Lloyd Pryor swore under his breath.
The front door was open TO the hot
June afternoon. and unannounced, the
doctor walked into the hall. AS he took
off his hat he glanced into the parlor, and
for a second of CONSERVATION stood star
ing with angry eyes. Then he nodded
stifiy: II will be obliged if you will let
Mrs. Richie know I here
'She. is with that boy said Lloyd
Hp of nj,
he stood where Helena had left him, his
hands still in his pockets "Will you be
so good as to tell her to come down here
to me? The stage is due and | must see
her before l 60
William King, red and stolid. nodded
again. and went upstairs without an
other look into the parlor.
While he waited Lloyd Pryors anger
slowly rose. The presence of the doctor
froze the tenderness that. for idle mo-
| ment. her face and voice and touch had
awakened. The. annoyance the embar-
rassment, the danger of that call. re-
turned in gust of remembrance. When
she came downstairs, full of eager ex-
cuses, the touch of his rage scared her
like a flame.
IF. you will kindly take five minutes
| from that saualling brat
Lloyd he was in pain. l had to go to
him. The instant the doctor came l left
him. l.
Listen to me. please. l have only
minute. Helena this friend of yours, this
DIR. King. saw fit to pry into my affairs.
He came to Philadelphia to look me
What
He came to my house"-he looked at
her keeniy through his curling eyelashes
to my house: Do you understand
what that means?"
In her dismay she sat down with sort
of gasp and looking up at him, stam-
mered, But why? Why?"
why? Because he is a prying. sus-
picious jackass of country doctor. He
came at exactly o'clock: it was per-
fectly evident that he meant to give me
the pleasure of his company at dinner
At that she sprang to her feet, her i'm
petuous hands upon his arm. Then he
was not-suspicious! Don't you see? He
was only friendly" She trembled with
HE was not suspicious, or he wouldn't
have been--been willing Her voice
trailed into shamed silence.
Lloyd Pryor pushed her hand away.
impatiently I'm not anxious for his
friendship or even his acquaintance. You
will please consider what would have hap
pened If had not come home just as he
arrived!' He paused. his voice harden
ing: My daughter saw him.
Helena stepped back. wincing and silent
You will be Sc good as to consider
the result of such tomfoolery-to me-"
And what about me?' she said. Your
dauShter'-l suppose you mean Alice-is
not the only person in the world
But Lloyd Pryor. having dealt his
blow, was gracious again. MY dear. YOU
needn't begin recriminations. OF course
speak on your account as much as on
my own. 1t would have been-well. aWk-
ward all round You must see that 1t
does not occur again. You will not get
on terms with these people that will en-
courage them TO look me up. You I'M
derstand?''
She looked at him. terror stricken In
all their sauabbles and differencas-and
there had been many in the last few
years-he had never spoken in this ex-
traordinary tone. 1t was not anger. il
was not the courteous brutality with
which she was more or less familiar. il
was superiority. The color swept into
her face: even her throat Redeemed She
said, stammering, 81 don't know why YOU
speak-in-in this tone
Il am not going to speak any more in
any tone" he said. lightly; there's the
stagek Goodbye. my dear | trust YOUR
boy may recover rapidly. Tell him | was
prepared>for his sling and the smooth
stone out of the brook. Sorry 1 couldn't
have seen more of you" AS he spoke he
went into the hall: she followed him
without a word. He picked up his hat
and then, turning. tipped her chin back
and kissed her. She made no response.
When he had gone she went into the
parlor and shut the door.
(To be Continued Tomorrow
Certificate of Accidental Death.