Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
The Ring and the Man
Continued from page II
Continued from pase II

He marked them for the most important of the
morning papers. If you can deliver these
We'll chance the rest Ill send the Others out
by SomeS and Chaloner.
Have you any objection" said Haldane as
he picked up the batch of papers and buttoned
his coat, to my telling Eleanor?"
81 wish you would do You will confer
favor on me by doing it Immediately
:" will. Jovel wasn't it lucky that heard
this from my father tonight and came down
here to warn you about it? Goodby. Wen win
yet"
He wrung the others hand and darted from
the room. AS he stepped into his car num-
Der OF men turned into the street and APP
preached the house. There were officers among
them. but most of them were dressed in plain
clothes.
Hey. stop that carl" roared a deep
voice which Haldane recognized as that of
Connell.
Gormly's suspicious were justified. The car
had already fortunately started when one
two men leaped at him One of them gained a
footing the With one hand Haldane
threw the high speed, with the other he
showed the pistol in the mans face. The man
fell back. The car leaped suddenly forward.
The chance was gone
moment after Gornly himself came out of
the street door. The men were huddled in
front of the apartment house He could hear
Connell cursing terribly.
"Ah. chief" said he, unfortunately you
were too late. The first batch of copies has
gone by the hands of Mr.. Haldane in that car.
Good night, gentlemen
HE turned and walked back to the hallway
and took the elevator to his own apart
ment 1t was as he had said. The Chief of
Police recognized it. There was nothing fur
Their that he could do. His attempt to use
brute force had failed. For veal or the
secret was out He stood hesitating a few
moments. gave few orders, and the men left
the street. The remaining statements were
soon Transcribed and put into shape. Chaloner
and Somes set forth to deliver them to the
rious newspapers Gormly was left alone
He had put bold face upon the whole mat
ter He had taken the brave, the wise, course.
which after all was the only prudent course to
take He had not weakened under the ire
mendouS pressure of the situation for single
instant He had borne himself with amazing
GOODNESS and courage Yet the man was abso-
1utely stricken to the heart. What the effect
of the disclosure would be upon the campaign,
how the people would receive it, whether
the honorable reputation he had built up by
years of just and generous dealing would
vanish he could not tell: and. to be truthful,
at that moment these questions were not the
chief of those which filled his heart.
He asked himself how Eleanor Haldane
would receive the disclosure. and what effect
it would have upon her. Although she had
been overwhelmed by the revelation of her
fathers position, Gornly had learned from
young Haldane that he had not thereby for
fe1ted her regard. Indeed, he suspected that
when she came to look at the thing dspassion-
ately. when she realized that, loving her as he
had. he had nevertheless refused her; that he
had remained true to his duty in spite of the
fact that both her father and she herself had
proffered him the greatest temptation that can
come to man,-she might the more approve
of him. He thought that she might perhaps
even grow to love him out of the very whirl-
pool of sorrow into which he had plunged her.
He knew that, while she had repeated her
fathers offer, from some wild and quixotic
imagination that it was incumbent upon her to
save her father at any cost, she would have de-
spised him utterly if he had accepted. He
could not forget that she had kissed his hand
as they parted.
Now what difference would this make to her.
She had said several times that what she ad-
mired in him was his splendid record, his
blemished honor, his unspotted past. And
now what would she think?
He might have made his defense stronger
He might have said that the woman had shot
the man. He might have announced her aban
donment of him in the snow storm. her leaving
him to die. He might have pointed out that
he had assumed the guilt to shelter her; but
chivalry was strong in Gor1nly. 1t mis-
taken sentiment in this contingency, possibly.
He should have thrown it to the winds in such
an emergency; but he had told just as little
that would incriminate her as possible. He had
taken the burden on himself He did not care
for that. He had no regret as to that part of it ;
1~<,., a~,lx 20 t,,~0 F