The Washington herald., 1908-06-10
CHAPTER XXVI-Continued.

CHAPTER XXVI-Contlnued
Vandraken had dressed rather early.
and was alone In the drawing-room when
the butler announced The Reverend Fa-
bian Dare" He was standing at the far
end Of the long drawingroom, looking at
photograph Of Lady Kitty, which he
had found on a table When he heard
the chaplain announced. he looked up.
with a natural curiosity, at the man
Lady Kitty had so often referred 10. But
the smile OF welcome died out OF his
fresh young face, and every vestige OF
color The roots OF his hair were stirred
by crawling fear. He retreated slowly
as though he had seen an apparation.
His breath caught, as II had when he
last looked into the eyes Of the Cobra
Il was not that he recognized the man
whom he had bought FOR a scapegoat-
the face was too changed for that; but
something so evil and so repulsive 20 him
had entered the room that his first i'm
pulse was TO fly from it. his second. 10
go forward and Kill, efface. and destroy
g. He had heard Of unaccountable an
tipathies, but this instinct 10 Rnnihilate-
such as animals have, 20 destroy alb
normal representatives OF their species
which now possessed him was so uneX-
plainable that il filed him with that
sicken!ng terror which only the intangible
can inspire
II Fabian Dare had recognized the other
occupant OF the room as the man In the
motor mask. the two men would have
been locked In a death grip; but as he did
not. and only saw man Teeling and
clutching the back of chair FOR support
he came forward and said soicitously:
You must be Mr. Vandraken. But I
sayl-are you ill?"
NO, nor answered Vandraken. But
for Gods sake keep away from me-"
Now, Tor the last month things had been
going much better for Fabian Dare. Just
when Il seemed as though he could tight
no longer his evil dreams, his almost su-
perhuman temptations had suddenly
| ceased; and while he knew they had left
their mark on him, his face had changed
so gradually that he was only partially
aware how dissipated IL had grown 70
look And yet here was a young man.
obviously OF the world. feeling absolutely
repelled at the very sight OF him. There
was no other way IN which he could ac-
count for the curious behavior OF the
stranger whom he had found in the draw
ing-room. He naturally resented Il.
I don't understand YOU" he said
sharply.
Il don't understand, either" answered
Vandraken in a strained voice holding
tight 20 the back OF a chair TO keep him
self in check. but for your own sake
keep away from me, Good Lordr' he
thought to himself. How can any one
stand such a depraved-looking creature
as that about? He's hardly human
At that moment DashmOre entered. He
noticed Immediately that there was some
thing strained In the attitude OF the two
men he found in the room. and decided
II was because they had not been intro
duced. He came forward cheerfully, with
outstretched hand You must be Mr.
Dare II two from three leaves one
excuse me introducing myself. but our
hostess seems a bit late.
Vandraken could not believe his eyes
when he saw Dashmore shaking hands
with what looked to him like repulsve
satyr. Fabian shook hands as II Dash
more had been long lost brother, so
delighted was ne by the contrast in his
reception by the two men.
Then Lady Kitty. with Miss SldcOmbe
came down, and greeted Fabian in a
kindly. If rather reserved manner. in
PRODUCING him 10 Miss Sidcombe. who. If
no signs Of repugnance. And Lady Do
noyle, who hurried in at the last mo-
ment. looking whimsically at her crepe
went into dinner with him.
What's wrong?" asked Lady Kitty.
noticing her finance was eating nothing.
and occasionally shlveTing. why do
you look so strangely at poor Mr. Dare?'
It's horrlble-absolutely horrible." he
muttered.
What's horrible?" asked Lady Kitty.
The salmon cutlets?''
mo- his face! Great Scott How can
you have any one about who looks like
that? II isn't right.-and a parson, too"
Poor dearl He has got to look a bit
dissipated. but one mustn't be too hard
on people"
"A bit dissipatedl Why. Kitty he
makes me goosefieshed! It's the most
repulsive face l ever saw in my lfer'
You're not we'll Standish. I'm sure
you are not we'll" The girl was trying
10 reassure herself, as much as her
lover. for a cloud seemed to be passing
over her spirit. The dim forebodings
which began 10 form that last night
on the yacht were taking more definite
shape now that she was in contact with
the personalities of the two men. It
was as though that contact had com
pleted an electrical circuit, over which
messages were trying 10 travel Her
Celtic intuition, which in the earlier
stages OF friendship with Yandraken had
urged her TO look at the back OF the
picture. now seemed to be telling her
that she dare not; that she must shut
her eyes to everything but the physical
attractions on which this fight with the
brigands had put such an exaggerated
value. Vandraken sat out the dinner
in miserable silence. Fabian Dare left
almost Immediately afterward He was
acutely sensitive to the other mans an
tagonism, and resented It all the more
bitterly on account Of his envy Of Van
drsken's fresh, unsullied face.
Dashmore. noticing his friends curl
Ously rude behavior went out of HIS way
10 he ulaaaant 20 Dara a fact Of which