Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-05-27

understand It some day-some day De-
fore November. And one or two other
matters that II Is necessary for you &C.
understand. / want 10 explain them.
never be likely to forget them. And
mean TO. For they are never out OF
my mind, and l wish them TO be as In
effaceably impressed on yours. Good
night"
He took her limp hand almost brisk
". released II and stepped down the
stairs as Agatha entered. cloaked. to
say good night.
They kissed at parting-"life en-
bracing death" as Mortimer had
sneered on similar occasion. Then
Sylvia, alone, stood In her bedroom.
hands linked behind her, her lovely
head bent cropping with the very
ghosts of thought which eluded her,
fleeing, vanishing. reappearing, to peep
out at her only TO fade into nothing
ere she could follow where they fitted
through the dark labyrinths of mem
DRY.
The major. craning his neck In the
bay window, saw Agatha and Quar-
rier enter the big yellow motor and
disappear behind the limousine. And
1t worried him horribly, because he
knew perfectly well that Quarter had
lied to him about jeweled collar
precisely like the collar worn by
Agatha Caithness, and what to do or
say TO anybody on the subject was
for the first time in his life utterly be-
yond his garruDus ability.
Another matter. He had violated his
word and had been caught at II by his
prospective ew-in-law-broken his
pledged word not to sell his Amalga-
mated Electric holdings. and had done
II. Yet how could Plank dominate UNI
less another also had done what he
had done? And ii made him a little
more comfortable TO know he was
sharing the fault with somebody
probably with Siward, whom he now
had the luxury of despising for the
very thing he himself had done.
"Drunkardr he muttered to himself.
Hes in the gutter at last!'
And he repeated II unctuously, al
most reconciled to his own shortcom-
ing, because 1t was the first time, as
far as he knew. that Belwether
might legitimately enjoy the pleasures
OF holding the word of a Siward In
contempt.
Sylvia had dismissed her maid, the
old feeling OF distaste for the touch OF
another had returned since the last
mad, crushed embrace In Siward's
arms had become a memory. Now,
blue eyes dreaming under the bright
masses OF her loosened hair, she sat
watching the last glimmer amid the
ashes whitening on the hearth, think
ing of Siward and OF what had been
between them and of what could never
be-never, never be!
One red spark among the ashes-her
ambition, deathless amid the ashes OF
life! When that, too. went out life
must be extinct.
What he had reused In her had died
when he went away. II could never
awake again unless he returned TO
awaken II. And he never would He
would never come again.
One brief interlude OF love, OF pas
sion, in her life could neither tint nor
faint the cool, normal sequence OF her
days. All that life held for a woman
of her caste-all save that-was hers
when she stretched out her hand for
it-hers by right of succession. Of de-
scent; hers by warrant unquestioned,
by the unuttered text OF the ukase TO
be launched If necessary. by that very,
very old lady, browsing enthroned,
as the endless pageant wound like a
jeweled river at her feet
So Siward could never come again.
sauntering toward her through the
sunlight, smiling his absent smile. She
caught her breath painfully, straight
ening up. A single ash fell in the
fire. The last spark went out