The Washington times., 1909-10-11
CHAPTER XIX.
POSITIVE.

| her brows; then with an assertive little
! gesture she rose and stepped quickly
to the back room.
Il declare. Ralph, 1 am ashamed Of
myself" she exclaimed with consider
| able vigOr. While IL was going on.
was creating. I didn't think. / was lost
! in my part, in a way. But now that I
realize what a dreadful imposition
we've been practcing. L feel no better
than sneak thief
"Hoity-toityi" he glanced up in sur
prise. What's shaken your faith2 You
didn't do any more tonight than you've
done every day since we started
Yes, 1 did, too.' she insisted. Here
tofOre I've acted part. yes. But IL
was pure acting and a fair game. II I
fooled people. 1 did it with their eyes
But tonight it was different ="
her voice tremhled and a deep, red flush
crept up into her face-.I traded on
my personal attractions to gain my end.
and 1 feel degraded and Inundated by
It. This young fellow didn't have a fair
show. He-Well, foolish as II sounds
TO say SO. he imagines that he is in
love with me. 1 tell you
Hold on, hold on, Davis inter
rupted her angry gesture Of protest.
IT seems 10 me you are kicking up
an awful row over nothing, Trading
on your personal attractions, EN-?
What else have you been doing all these
do-even the biggest of them2 Aren't
their looks the chief part of their stock
in trade?
And as for his thinking that he is
in love with you, where is he different
from stage-door Johnnie. or the chap
who writes mash notes2 You've had
to deal with them al your life; certain
", you car handle this guy, If he starts
10 get fresh.
"oh. I'm not afraid Of his getting
fresh" she laughed a little uncertainty.
1t isn't that. What makes me uncOm-
Portable is this thing OF being put up on
# It pedestal when I know I'm not worth
Developing a conscience. eh?' sneer-
ed Davis.
Then. as he saw her mouth begin to
set IN mUtinous line, he added more
plaCatingly:
Come. come. old girl: YOU are seeing
things from the wrong standpoint. This
job is acting, and you are an actress,
not a preacher or a mOralist You are
not supposed to concern yourself With
the effect on your audience, but simply
to play your part Isn't that what you
contracted to d. when we went into this
thing and isn't that, after all, your first
YES" she conceded after a moments
thought, led astray as usual by the
sophistry of his logic. 1 suppose you
are right.
: But" she asserted, again showing
signs OF revolt, L tell you fatty that
viii be no party TO any scheme TO
fleece that nice young fellow. What
is this Double Eye stock that YOU
are trying so hard to get him 70 bUy?''
Scheme to fleece him. Davis laughed
outright az the very absurdity Of such
conjecture. II should say not. Why,
the whole prosperity and success of this
enterprise depends on our predictions
coming true. AS TO Double Bye il is
stock which I have been strongly tipped
IS about 70 take on a sensational boom.
Gabriel viii make no mistake. I can as
sure you, If he follows our advice on
that.
"If you doubt my word. however"
with a wave Of his hand toward a
dark corner over by the window, here
Is Mr.. Bodine, Of Andrus & Bodine, who
VIII tell you the same thing, and who,
even YOU must admit. is an authority
As the dark. heavy figure rose from
behind a portiere and came toward her
Edyth gave a snrill scream and threw
her hands up before her face.
What Is the natter" demanded
Davis sharply. sprinEing 10 her side.
"Oh send him away Send him
away she cried He has a bloody
dagger I'm his handi'
What are you talking about? You
must be going daft, always shrieking
about daggers Ike a ranting Lady Mac
/ beth. Mr.. Bodine has nothing IN his
I hand; Open your eyes and see for your
Thus adiured she finally took down
her hands and timidly convinced herself
I that the suppOsititi0us bloody dagger
was only a halucinatiOn or at the most
"A fallacy Of vision caused by the decep-
/ tive shadows.
"Oh, beg your pardon" she muir
INJURED, apOlORetlcally II cannot under
stand what made me imagine such a
thing"
"Oh. that's all right" Bodine assured
I her with surly gallantry. we Wall
Street men are often accused or carry
/ ing knives IN our boots; so YOU see
little charge like yours doesn't disturb
Funny you should have made It
/ twice, though" he added, refectively.
I II 7 was superstitiOus like Gabriel. I'd
begin 20 think there was something in
the wind
He chuckIed and shook finger at
I her eying her loosely from under his
/ black, bristling eyebrows.
] LAS 20 this Double Eye stock matter
you ask about. though he continued.
/ becoming serious. Mr.. Davis makes
] no mistake when he tells you 10 adj
| wise its purchase. It's due TO take
jump beyond any question. and yOu'u
never regret steering Gabriel or any
I body else against IT,"
+ After this there was, Of course. moth
I ing more TO be said With So positive
I a guarantee from the great Mr. Bodine
! himself how could Edythe help but
/ regard her apprehensions as mere fool
q ish, ignorant. WOmanish feaTg2
J She thanked him and listened with
4 Difference while he eXpatiatcd q little
] further on the merits Of Double Eye"
| but IL was plain that she still shrank
I
/ est effort Of viii was she able 10 keep
/ up the conversation.
J Very shortly she excused herself on
/ the plea that she was shaken and tired,
and went 10 her OHn room
/ Morning. however. found her in much
! better spirits. I'm the clear daylight she
! could find h easy 10 scOn at The phan-
! tom dagger she had seen in Bodine's
! hand, and 10 ascribe IL to a mere hys-
/ terical attack Of nerves"
/ Her course, too. seemed much clearer
/ and less open 20 reprobation. With the
/ assurance from quarter she could not
I question that her predictions On Double
/ Eye stock could result only in adVan-
/ tage 10 Gabriel, she no longer felt such
/ weighty scruples against trlcking him
] Davis arguments as 20 her lack of re-
] spOnsibility for consequences gained
I added force.
/ There was another consideration too
| although perhaps she did not admit It 10
/ herself.
II she refused 90 carry on the de-
/ ception and impart 10 him her so-calIe
mystical communications Gabriel would
/ have no reason or excuse % visit her
/ any more and there was certain
pleasing excitement IN having the young
| millionaire at her feet, which she was
rot willing 70 forego.
No woman. much as she may deny
81. seriously objects TO being placed up
on a PEDESTAL" and that too quite fr-
/