Evening star., 1909-05-09

| sides. l don't ask women questions which
may be painful to answer. Such l ask
| of men,
To this she spoke in a calm voice,
which made Athlyne uneasy. He could
not imagine what she was coming at
| but he felt that whatever it might be it
was out of the truth of her nature. and
that he must support her Her love he
never doubted. In the meantime he must
listen patiently and learn what she ..ad
| to say.
We'll. father. as you will not ask
must speak unasked. 1t is harder; that
| is all. The sheriff said that mutual in
tention was necessary for marriage. Let
me tell you that / had not then such in
tention. ! must say it, l have never
lied TO you yet. and ] don't intend to
begin now. Especially when l am enter
ing on new life with a man whom
love and honor. For if this marriage be
not good we shall soon have one that is
if he will have me- Athlyne took her
hand; she sighed joyfully as she went
on:
II certainly did intend to marry Mr.
Lord Athlyne when when he
should formally ask me: but / under
stood then there was some obstacle to
his doing SO. This now know to be that
forehand. But IL l did not then intend
that coming for a run in the motor
together was to be our marriage, how
can j by that act be married." AS she
paused Athlyne realized what was the
cause of that vague apprehension which
had chilled him. Col. Ogilvie was beset
by new difficulty by this new attitude
of Joy. If she repudiated intention such
would nullfy the marriage since Ath-
lyme had signified his intention of letting
riage. then there would be scandal. So
before beginning to argue with his
daughter on the subject of the validity
of the marriage. he thought it well to
Lri,, - ,f1 of = flYn -
fear. He commenced by intimidation
"Of course YOU understand. daughter
that IL you and Lord Athlyne were not
married through the accidents of your
escapade, there will be scandal from 1t :
there is no other alternative. In that
case, such pacific measures I have
now acceded to will be abrogated: and
the gentleman who was the cause of the
evil must still answer TO me for it, At
this threat Joy grew CHASTITY pale Ath-
lyme. wrung to the heart by it, forgot
his intention of discretion and said quick
ly and sharply:
THAT is not fair. Col. Ogivie She is
a woman-if she is your daughter and is
not to be treated brutally. You must not
strike at man through a woman. If
you want to strike man do so direct.
am the man. Strike me. how and when
Won will but this woman is nv Wfe-at
least she Is until she repudiates our mar
riage. But till then, by God, no man
not even her father hmself-shall strike
her or at her. or through her," Both he
and Joy were surprised at the meek way
in which the old man received his TRADE
But even while he had been uttering the
cruel threat both his conscience and his
courage had been against him. This the
man and the woman who heard could
from evidence. divine. But there was an
other cause of which they had no knowl-
edge. The moment after speaking. when
his blind passion began to cool, the last
words of his wife came back TO his
memory. BE good to her. and never
, forget that she can suffer most through
any one dear to her" Furthermore, the
recollection of Judys words as he was
| leaving clinched the matter: You hold
poor Joys life-which is her heart-in
| your hand.'' He began his reply To Ath-
| lyme truculently-as was usual to him.
but melted quickly as he went on:
"Hey-day my young bantam cock: you
| flash your spurs boldly. - But | don't
know but you're right. | was wrong. |
admit il, Joy, my dear. | apologize for
| IT,: and to you. too. sir. who stands ,Ip so
valiantly and so readily for your wife.
| am glad my little girl has such a de-
! fender: though 1t is and will be a sad
! thought TO me that ! was myself the first
! to cause its evidence. But keep your
hair on young man. Men sometimes get
| hurt by running up against some hing
that's quite in its right place. 1t $