The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-06-11
BOBBS-MERRICC CO.

tack on Keatcham; he summoned
every look, every motion of Janet
Smith; in one phase of feeling he
cudgeled himself for a wooden fool
who had been absolutely brutal to a
defenseless woman who trusted him;
he hated himself for the way he would
not see her when she looked toward
him; no wonder at last she stiffened,
and now she absolutely avoided him
But, in a swift revulsion against his
own softness, he was instantly laying
on the blows as Justify because of his
incredible, pig-headed credulity. How
absolutely simple the thing was! She
cared for this scoundrel of an At
kins who had first betrayed his en-,
ployer and then tried to murder him.
Very likely they had been half en-
gagged down there in Virginia; and he
had crawled out of his engagement;
it would be quite like the cur! Later
he found that just such distinguished,
charming woman, who had family and
| friends, was what he wanted; 1t would
be easy enough for him to warm up
had met her and run in a bunch of
plausible lies that had convinced her
that he had been regular angel in
plain clothes; hadn't done thing to
Cary or to her. Atkins was such a
smooth devil! Winter could just pic
ture him whining to the girl, putting
his life in her hands and all that rot;
and making all kinds of a tool of her
why, the whole hand was on the
board! So she was ready to throw
them all overheard to save Atkins
from getting his feet wet. That was
why she looked so pale and haggard of
a morning sometimes, in spite of that
ready smiles of hers; that was why her
eyes were so wistful; she wasn't
| false woman and she sickened of her
squalid part. She loved Aunt Rebecca
and Archie-all the same, she would
turn them both down for him; while
as to Rupert Winter, late of the United
States army, worn-out, lame, elderly
idiot who had flung away the profess
sion he loved and every chance of a
future career in order to have his
hands free to keep her out of danger
where were there words blistering
enough for such puppy-dog folly! At
this point in his jealous imaginings the
pain in him goaded him into motion;
he began furiously pacing the room,
although his lame leg, which he had
been using remorselessly all day, was
sending jabs and twists of agony
through him. But after a little he
halted again before the easement
window
The wide. darkening view; the
great, silent city with its myriad
lights; the shining mist of the bay;
the foothills with their sheer, straw
colored streaks through the forests
and vineyards; the illimitabe depths
of star-sown, violet sky-all these
touched his fevered mood with a sud
den calm. His unrest was quoted, as
one whose senses are cooled by run
ming stream.
You hot-headed sOutherner!" he up
braided himself, don't get up in the
air without any real proof"
Almost in the fitting of the words
through his brain he saw her. The
white gown, which was her constant
wear in the sickroom, defined her fig
ure clearly against a clump of Japan
plum-trees. Their purplish red foliage
rustled; and an unseen fountain be-
yond made a delicate tinkle of water
splashing a marble basin. Her face
was hidden; only the moonlight gently
drew the oval of her cheek. She was
standing still, except that one foot was
cropping back and forth as If trying to
find something. But, as he looked, his
face growing tender, she knelt on the
sod and pulled something out OF the
ground. This something she seemed
to dust of with her handkerchief
he could not see the object, but he
could see the flutter OF the handker-
chief; and when she rose the white
linen partly hid the thing In her hand.
Only partly because when she passed
around the terrace wall the glow from
an electric lantern. in an arch. fell full
upon her and FURNISHED a long, thin
blade of steel
He looked down on her from his I'M
lighted chamber; and suddenly she
looked up straight at the windows of
the room where she thought he was
sleeping; and smiled dim, amused,
weary, tender smile. Then she sped
by. erect and light of foot; and the
deep shadow of the great gateway
took her. All he could see was the
moonlight on the bluish-green lawn;
and the white electric light on the
cleaning rubber-trees and dusty
palms.
He sat down. He clasped his hands
over his knee. He whistled softly
little Spanish air. He laughed very
gently. My dear little girl" said he,
Il am going 10 marry you. You may
be swindled into helping a dozen muir
derers; but am going to marry you!"