Evening star., 1909-05-03


my own daughter? What shall say to
You who, though you had not the courtesy
to even acknowledge the kindness shown
you by her parents. came behind my
back when 1 was far away, and stole her
from my keeping? Who took her far
| away, to the risk even of her reputation.
Risk! Risk! When I find you here to-
gether. alone and almost naked in each
others arms! Gods death! that 1 should
have seen such a thing-that such
thing should be- ~ Here his hot
wrath changed to ice-cold, deadly pur-
pose, and he went on:
You shall answer me with your life
for that He paused, still glaring at the
other with cold. deadly malevolence
Athlyne felt that the hour of the forlorn
hope had come to him at last-he had
been hot through all this seeming cool
ness at de Hooge's spruit His self-con-
troll could. he felt. never be more deeply
tested than now. and he braced himself
to It, He had now to so bear himself
that Joy would suffer the minimum of
pain. Pain she would have to endure
much pain; he could not save her from
it. He would do what he could that was
all that remained. With real GOODNESS he
met the icy look of his antagonist as he
| said. with all the grace and courtesy of
which he was naturally master:
"Sir, answer for my deeds with my
life. That life is yours now. Take It,
how and when you will! AS to answer
Ing In words. such cannot be while you
maintain your present attitude. 1 have
tried already to answer-to explain"
Explain, sir! There is no explana-
| ton"
Pardon met Athlyne's voice was
| calm as ever; his dignity so superb that
the other checked the words on his lips
as he went on:
There is an exclamation tn he made
! and made 1t must be. for the sake of
OF another. / deny in no way your right
OF revenge. / think l have already told
you that my life is yours to take as you
WILL But a dying man has, in all civil
lized places, right to speak to the court
which condemns him. Such a privilege is
| mine l claim tiff you will force me to
say So And let me add. Col. Ogilvie,
that | hold it as part of my submission
to your will. We are alone now and can
speak freely; but there must be a time
It Will be for your own protection from
the legal consequences Of my death
when others, or at least one other will
know OF your intention to XIII. 1 shall
speak then If l may not now" Here the
colonel. whose anger was rising at beng
SO successfully baff1ed, interrupted him
with hard cynicism.
Conditions in an affair of honor! To
be enforced In court of law, l suppose"
He felt ashamed of himself as he made
! the remark. which he felt to be both un-
generous and untrue. He was not sur
! prised when the other answered his indig-
nant irony with scorn:
mo. sir. No law. Not any more ap-
peal to law I'm my defense than there has
been justice In your outrageous attack
on me. But about that l shall answer
| you presently. In the meantime l ad-
here to my conditions Aye. conditions;
| do not hesitate to use the word"
Col. Ogilvie. through all the madness of
| his anger, realized at that moment that
the man before him was a strong man.
as fearless and determined as he was
| himself This brought back his duty of
good manners as first installment of his
self-possession. For few seconds he ac-
| tually withheld his speech. He even
bowed slightly as the other proceeded:
Il have tried to explain. ''' My fault
was In venturing to ask lady to
come for ride In my car. 1 had no in
| tention OF evil. Nothing more than a
| mere desire to renew and further ana
! friendship which had. from the first mo-
ment of my knowing her-or rather from
come very dear to me. 1t was selfish
wish, l know: and in my own happiness
at her consent l Observation-Disclosures
forgot the duty I owed to her father. For
that I am bitterly sorry, and 1 feel that
| owe to him a debt which I can never.
never repay. But enough Of that. :
That belongs to different category, and
| 1t has to be atoned for In the only way
ny WHICH ali HOHOTdDie man can atone.
AS l have already conceded my life
to him. I need can say no more But
from the moment when that lady stepped
into my car my respect has been for her
that which l have always intended to be
given to whatever lady should honor me
by becoming my wife. Surely you. sir.
as yourself an honorable mana husband
and q father-cannot condemn man for
speaking an honorable love to the woman
to whom 1t has been given. When l have
ted hot lit
was a fault I have said all that ac-
cept as misdoing - =" He folded his
arms and stood on his dignity. For a
few seconds Col. Ogilvie stood motionless,
| silent. He could not but recognize the
truth that underlay all the dignity of the
other. But he was in no way diverted
by it from his purpose. His anger was
in no way mitigated: his intention Of re-
| venge 1essened by no whit. He was mere
ly waiting to collect his thoughts so as
to be In position to attack with most
deadly effect. He was opening his lips to
speak when the other went on though
he had but concluded one section or divi-
| sion of what he had to say:
And now, sir, as to the manifest doubt
you expressed as to my bona fdes in
placing my We In your hands-your ap-
prehension lest l should try to evade my
responsibility to the laws of honor by an
appeal In some way to q court of law.
Let me set your mind at ease by placing
before you my views: and my views. let
me tell you. are ultimately my intentions.
have. tried to assure you that with the
exception of waiting to ask your consent
to taking certain passenger for
drive my conduct has from that mo-
ment been such as you could not find
fault with. | take 1t for granted that
you-or no man-could honestly resent
such familiarities as are customary to.
and consequent on, man offering mar
riage to lady. and pressing his suit with
such zeal as is, or should be. attendant
on the expression of q passion which he
feels very deeply. Even while he was
speaking his subconsciousnese was struck
by his own GOODNESS. He marveled that
he could Simultaneously with the fearful
effort necessary to his self-control and
with despair gnawing at his heart. speak
with such cold-blooded preciseness. As
is usual In such psychical stresses, his
memory took note for future reference
Of every detail.
His opponent, on the contrary, burst
all at once into another fit of flaming pas
sion. Athlyne's very preciseness seemed
to have inflamed him afresh. He thun-
dered out:
"FamiIiarities. sir. on offering marriage.
Do you dare to trifie with me at a time
like this? When but few minutes ago
1 saw you here in this lonely place. at
this hour Of the morning after night Of
absence, undressed as you were, holding
in your arms my daughter. undressed
also. 80 Gods death! sir, be careful or
you shall rue it, He stopped, almost
choking with passion. Athlyne felt him
self once more overwhelmed with the coo
wave of responsibility. Joy! joy!
Joy!" he kept repeating to himself az a
sort of charm to keep off evil To let
go his anger now might-wouid be fatal
xA hnr hoor 1AA 80 1T.