The Washington herald., 1908-01-10
CHAPTER VIII.

play and lastly she had gone back 10
supper at the house of a certain woman
who affected a great regard for her, and
there she had played cards with her usual
disastrous luck
She had driven home alone tired, de-
pressed. and yet at the same time con-
scious Of an enormous relief.
For Broxbourne had spoken that night
OF going out of town Immediately. This
he had said when they had been alone,
and the conversation had so tended that
had he been prepared TO bring forward
the subject she so dreaded 10 hear, II
would have been the easiest thing In the
world for him TO have done so.
Indeed, Camilla had held her breath for
a moment. preparing herself TO meet the
black moment which had haunted her IN
anticipation ever since she had met him
so Unexpectedly that evening IN the rail-
way carriage.
But Sir Samuel had said nothing Evi-
IDENTIFY he was still unaware that he mad
it in his power to make her suffer.
And If he does CO. Camilla said TO
herself YEARLY. as she alighted at her
own door and passed into the silent house.
that means that | can breathe again.
Oh. I wish he would go. / am not afraid
of him as I was in the old days, but ]
Ioathe him inst as much. lie is more
hateful than ever. He was always coarse
and hateful but now he is worse. Moth
ing can be beautiful in life when such a
man Is close to one" She smiled family.
..rs 49, T,,.,..+,,, ,,,,Ia baor mo sbo
said to herself. Il suppose she would
think that I was just a little madden than
usual, since 7 fought her the other day
when she was trying 10 say this very
same thing about Sammy. But then. 1
should be sorry 10 be obliged 10 let Agnes
understand why l seem TO encourage this
man. or why / do lots of things / have
10 do. How Ned hated Sammy. To-
night when we were at supper all that
Ned used TO say about him came back TO
me with a rush And 10 think that
I have made it possible for such a brute
to have the whip hand over me. on,
sometimes I think it is a good thing 20
die even as Ned died. There can at least
be no chance of being miserable fool
when one is in ones little grave
Some letters were lying for her on the
out looking at them, turned out the light.
and mounted the stairs quietly.
It seemed an homogeneous thing for this
woman 50 exquisitely dressed, so dainty
in every respect. TO be doing little mental
duties But Camilla was very thoughtful
In lots Of ways. She never permitted any
one Of the maids 10 sit up for her
Late as it was, somebody had been
looking after her comfort. bright fire
was still burning IN the CRATE, and her
room was warm and coy.
She sat down in the big easy-ehair in
front OF the fire
Her thoughts still lowered about Brox-
bourne When she was tired and there
was no excitement. she was ripe for re-
morse, for the most acute self-reCTimiua-
ton. And now il seemed to her over
strained nerves that she was tainted her
self with the very coarseneSs, the vul-
garity of the man she hated so much
If he will only go away" she said,
feverishly, Il shall feel free TO breathe
again, at least, for a little while; free
Of one horrible burden at all events and
he spoke very definitely Of going tonight.
Now ! am sure she said Jne next mo-
ment, che can know nothing. II he had,
he must have let me realize this in some
way or other. We have been so much to-
gether. I have wanted to be with him
as much as I could. Just on purpose 10
watch him, to test HIM. I am convinced
he knows nothing. Sammy Is not subtle.
He has way Of calling a spade a spade,
and he would not spare me, He owes
ME too many grudges I am sure I am
right she unused on: 1T all happened
when he went OF in a rush-the-
a.,
And il he does not know now. why
should he ever know? Oh. if I could only
set the matter right unknown to him.
She gave a long sigh, and shut her ewes
for a moment What a lot Of things
there are to set right. What a fearful
lott"
She sat with her eyes closed for a little
while, and then she reused herself and
began to draw off her long gloves slowly.
AS she did so. a little scrap Of paper fell
from the palm of one. She picked it up.
1t had scrubbed on it the amount she
had lost that night at bridge
This swept her thoughts sharply into
the old. the well-Worn channel.
'FOrty-seyen pounds" she said to her
self oh COD what a fool ] ami Why
can't I pay like other people do? I shall
have To settle this tomorrow. Ena viii
be round here with the milk 10 get her
money, How I hate losing to women"
She got up with jerk, and her letters
We're scattered on the floor As she
stopped and picked them up she glanced
at the writing on each.
One was from Agnes Brenton, the others
looked Ike bills with the exception of
one that was addressed in a handwriting
she knew and feared only too we'll
Il.
husbands father.
Camilla bit her lip sharply and trembled.
She flung off her beautiful theater wrap.
aad stood celebrating with the letter I'M
opened in her hand. Then with a sort Of
grim shadow on her face she took the
plunge, and tore open the envelope.
The very look of the letter, with its
straight, hard characters had an accusing
tone about IT, II started without any
courteous beginning.
1t was a horrible letter for Camilla
Lancing to read Clearly. coldlv. uncom-
promisingly the writer put before her his
knowledge of all those many facts which
she had worked so hard to keep concealed
from him.
Her life of debt and difficulty. her ex-
travagances, her gambling. her friends.
and her foIlies were denounced in hard.
deliberate terms.
She was judged without mercy. without
chance of defense; and her sentence was
written in the same hard, merciless way.
Col. Lancing announced that the allow
ance he had made her since his sons
death was taken from her; her independ-
ence was to cease at once.
My sons children have been left too
long in the miserable atmosphere Of
the life you affect: they are no longer
infants, and I claim them. They will
come to my home. and be reared In
the way they should be reared. and il
YOU conform 10 my commands you may
live with them. But let rs under