The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-29
CHAPTER XVII.


NINA moved toward the door.
but her husband ran and inter
~ cepted her.
"Watt a minute. Yeu cant ~
that way" he said determinsdly. you
are my wife, and you can't leavO here
without some explanation"
"I've no explanation to nake," she
retorted coldly. "Ysu WIN please let
me go. rye done my part and Ne my
right to leave"
"I tell you I won't let you 60 Hntil
you tell me the truth. What happened
with Williams. and hsv "a yea In.
duce him to agresr'
you've ne right to ask that. The
price I paid for that setter 10 none
of your business. You set that price
at the highest possible figure q WOMAN
can pay. Now, how I barsatneA or
what paid is none Of your aftatv."
'It h my affair. I want to knew,
and will knowr
"Whsn you sent me to that man,
Zoe Brooks. told you that II I made
the bargain was to make It aloae,
and that I should never be asked. You
agreed. rve carried out my part. You
carry out yours. gave you yosr FREQ.
dom. You give me mine"
There n only one reason why you
should leave here now, and that is Will
nams. Are you going back to himr
She stepped back from him and
swept him with q look Of cold dAedain.
'If there was one thing left for you
BILE cad you've done 1t noww she ex-
claimed. when you sent me to VIII.
liams thought you'd sunk a. low az
you could, but I see I was mistaken
There was a depth that even in my
disgust, my loathing OF you, l. never
imagined existed. But now you've
reached It. don't hate you. just
pity you"
A CLEAN Of fury glowed in his eyes
under this nerciless castigation, and
he moved toward her menacinsly.
'Thats not the answer 1 want" he
said harshly. you're QuibbliAg. Tell
me the truth about Williams"
You'd better let me CO."
you'll tell me the truth about VIII
liams before you leave this room!" he
shouted. 'Make up your mind to that
now, because that's Just the way it's
going to be!'
She realized that she had gone too
far in her denunciation, that his anger
was dangerous and that he would stop
at nothing, not even blows, not even
murder. he was white. his teeth were
set, and on his quivering face was an
expression Of ferocious determination
that warned her that she must tenn.
porize and appear to give in to him.
VERY WELL" she assented. turning
from tho door; III that's the way its
going to be I'm perfectly willing"
"Then answer me-"
II intend to do that, but I Intend to
do something more than merely an
swer that question. If you doa't mind
we'd better sit down"
She motioned him TO a chair and
between them.
TN the 6rst place." she wsat on
very calmly, I'm order to relieve your
mind might tell you that have done
nothing tonight which can reflect upon
me az q good woman. I had No inten
tion OF doing any such thing. 10 fal
as can and out, you are the saiy per
son who had my degradation IN mind
and was willing that It sho1d happen
If it resulted In your escaping the con
sequences Of being q thief"
what DO yoa msaAr
Il mean that Captain Wy1fAns did
not have the slightest idea q pattias
a price on your freedom toward which
in any way would have to contribute
You seem to Be the only one who
thought that I. with all AsiA pre-
cious, was q fair ngure to S1eT. Had
p 1 gone, had he demanded, had 1 sub
mftted and brought back that paper
and given myself to you again, ~ well
as your freedom, you would have beeu
content0d and happy"
'You know that's not true, HAma, v
he protested. The white heat Of his
ire had been dulled By her QuietAess
and little By little he was becoming
cowed.
II know It u true. Joe, and % do
you. I wanted to 60 to mother with.
out having all this talk, but new that
we have to talk let's be fFNak with
each other and with ouESeivss. And
you ty to appreciate the tx1tA "a
much ~ you are able. To bsgiA with
1t seems that have been GlOAe In nOt
realizing how worthless you are Ny
father when We were to be married
warned me net to take y01 unless ]
thought you indispensable to my hap
piness. You know that every one sisS
put Il little more bluntiy. But
thought lOvsd you-Fm sure did
Now II seems uttsrSy beySod belief
But then It must have besa 1--we.
mistook yOOr sG0tism for q despe,
sentiment q determination Of purpose
and thought In my giriiaA way tina,
the thinNU Ysu preaehed about OOetal