Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-30

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slider the threat and the possibility of
| it's seriousness, and then come to some
| logical and definite decision as to what
their future relations should be. Again
/ and again he had been on the point of
| doing this when alone with Leiia-un-
comfortable, even apprehensive, be-
cause of their frank intimacy. But he
| had never had the opportunity to do so
without deliberately dragging in the
subject by the ears in all Its ugliness
and implied reproach for her impru-
dence and seeing that dreadful, va
cant change in Leila's face which the
mere mention Of her husbands name
was sure to bring turn into horror I'M
! speakable.
A man not prone to fear his fellows,
he now feared Mortimer. but that fear
/ struck him only through Leila or had
so reached him until the days of his
closing struggle with Quarter. That
threat Of MortimerS to involve Plank
with Leila in one common ruin, that
boast that he was able to do so could
| not be ignored as possible weapon il
| Quarter should by any chance learn of
| It,
| In all his life he had taken Leila
! into his arms but once, had kissed her
but once. But that once had been
enough to arm Mortimer with danger
from head to foot. Some prying serv-
, ant bad either listened or seen-per
haps a glimmer of mirror had be-
I trayed them. At all events whoever
| had seen or heard had Informed Nor.
timer, and now the man was equipped,
the one and only man in all the world
who could with truth accuse Plank
the only man of whom he stood in
honest fear.
And it was characteristic of Plank
that never for one moment had it oc
CURED to him that the sheer fault Of
it all lay with Leila; that it was her
imprudence alone that now threatened
herself and the man she loved-that
threatened his very success in life as
! long as Mortimer should live.
All this Plank in his thorough, pains
taking review of the subject, had TAX
en- into account, and he could not see
how it could possibly bear upon the
matters now finally.to be adjusted be-
tween Quarter and himself, because
Quarter was in New York and Nor
timer in Saratoga, and unless the lat
ter had already sold his information
the former could not strike at him
through knowledge of it.
And yet curious reluctancy, hest
tation nexplicable-unless overwork
explained it-had come over him when
Siward had proposed their dining to-
gether on the very eve of his complet-
ed victory over Quarter.
1t seemed absurd, and Plank was
too stolid to entertain superstitions,
but he could not, even with Leila
laughing there beside him, shake off
the dull instinct that all was not well:
that Quarters attitude was still the
attitude Of a dangerous man; that he
(Plank) should have had this evening
in his room alone TO study out the
matters he had so patiently plodded
through in the long hours while ST.
ward slept
Yet not for one instant did he dream
OF shifting the responsibility-if re-
sponsiblity entailed blame-On SIward.
who. against Plank's judgment and
desire. F"h on tse very eve of con-
summation drawn him away from that
sleepless vigilance which must forever
be the price Of business mans safety.
Leila. gay and excited as Il school
girl, chartered on ceaselessly TO Plank;
all the silence. all the secrecy of the
arid years turning 10 laughter on her
red lips, pouring out in broken phrases
of delight words strung together for
the sheer pleasure Of speech and the
happiness Of her lot to be with him
unrestrained.
And would you believe IL. Bever-
ly.'' she said, Il formed the habit at
ShOtoyer Of walking across the bound
AIRY and strolIing into your greenhouses
and deliberately helping myself. And
every time | did it | was certain one
of your men would march me out"
He laughed. but did not tell her that
his men had reported the first episode
and that l.e had instructed them that
Mrs Mortimer AMI her friends were
~ do exactly as they pleased az the
Fells However. she knew IL. because
n garrulous gardener. proud Of his
service with Plank. had informed her.
Beverly" she said you are a dear
II people only knew what know
He legan to turn red She could
seq il even In the pickering lamp shot
darkness. And she leased him for
while. very gently. even tenderly. and
their vuices grew lower in a half seri-
GUS badinage that ended with a quiet.
indra wn breath. a sigh and silence.
And now the river swept into view.
a darby luminous sheet Set with re-
fiecfed stars. MIFrored lights GRAINED
I'm ~. sudden bright yellow flashes
zigza gge,i into It's somher depths. The
foliage edged it with a deeler zi0om.
over with. 0n the heights. twiHkIei
the mulIb-ol0reI lights of Riverside
inn.
Up tha broad gaufIe grade they sped
rurvinz in and cut among the cIump~
Il trs--S and shrubI.ery. then On a ieveL
sweeping in a great circle Up to tn
stsEls = tie ian
NaE an airaf them frUIl the Iri.-
sIautsy lighted veraHias the EzT tu-
mutt broke out ike ~ uVTUariggs vel
egnge after tho swift silence u their
journey Tbe stir 4 oily re0p3e keen
for p8szsure. rEsa latter 81 crys Eery-