The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-08-06
(Continued.)

"Why bother 10 nnu any Douy SAL
rata wheeling on him, exasperateG
aUhv not dine there with Agath
,opsq 1t will not be the first time,
fancy
DWbat do you meanP' he said fierce
r. rpder his breath. The color ha,
sft his face. too, and In his eyes Leili
aw for the first time an expression
hat she had never before surprised
bany eyes except her husbands.
aWbst do | meanT' repeated Leila
y mean what l say, and If you dom
understand it you can find the key t.
NJ fancy. Nor shall l answer to yoI
hr nv guests. invite whom l choose
NJ siward is one, Mr.. Plank is an
ether. Sylvia, If you care to come
Nal be delighted"
81 do care to come" said Sylvia
ger heart was beating violently; hel
ayes we're on Quarter.
III you 60" said Quarter, showing
the glimmering edge of teeth under his
heard, you will answer to me for it.
Il will answer you now, Howard.
am going with Mrs. Mortimer. What
have you to sayY'
"Tll say it tomorrow" he REPLIED.
eontempIdtlng her in a dull, impassive
manner as though absorbed in other
things.
Say what there Is 10 be said now y
,be insisted, the hot color staining her
cheeks again. do you desire me to
free you? Is that all? l, will II you
wish"
mo. And l shall not free you, Syl-
Via. This-all can be adjusted in
tme."
AS you please" she said slowly.
In time" he repeated, his passion
less voice now under perfect control.
BE turned and looked at Leila. All
the wickedness Of his anger was con-
centrated in his gaze. Then he took
bis leave of them as formally, as pre-
cIsely as though he had forgotten the
whole scene, and a minute later the
big motor car ran out into half cir
Gle, backed, wheeled and rolled away
through the thickening dusk, the glare
Of the acetylenes sweeping the desert
ed street
Into the twilight sped Quarter, head
bent but his soft, dark dashed eyes Of
woman fixed steadily ahead Every
energy, every thought was now bent
to this newest phase of the same ques-
ton which he and fate were finding
simpler to solve every minute. OF all
the Injuries he permitted himself open
y or furtively, one-the rarest Of them
all - his self denial had practically
eliminated from the list, the luxury of
furnishing where no end was served
save that of mere personal satisfac-
ton. The temptation of this luxury
now presented itself, and the means
Of qualification were so simple, so Sc
cret, so easy to command, that the
temptation became almost duty.
Siward he had not turned out of his
way to injure. Siward had been In
the way, that was all. and his ruin
was to have been merely an agreeable
oincidence with the purposed ruin Of
Electric before Inter
ounty absorbed the fragments. But
mere was new phase. Mrs. Morti-
mer whom he had expected to use.
and II necessary sacrifice, had sudden
Y turned vicious. And he now hated
uer as coldly as he hated Major Bel
Wether for betraying suspicious of a
SIMILAR nature. AS for Plank. fear
Ind hatred of him we're becoming ha-
ned and contempt He had the means !
u Checking Plank If Mortimer did |
10Y drop dead before midnight. There
Sylvia. Long ago, whatever !
y liking Of affection. of passion he
iad ever entertained for her had
iuieted to indifference and the I'M
'mouOnal contemplation of a future
arranged for. Now of
'uuden this young girl he had bought
''ne Knowing what she sold and what
le was paying for-had become ex"
"Sed to the infection Of suspicion
Vucerning himself and another WON
IA woman unmarried and of his
Nn caste and numbered among her
wn friends
Anu he knew enough of Sylvia to
~" that If anybody could once
louse her suspicion nothing on earth
'uiu induce her to look into his face
sam !, Suppose Leila should do so
us evening?
certainly Quarter had several mat
- TO ponder over and provide for
~ H'si and foremost OF all to pro-
We 'or his own security and the vital
VeSslty Of preserving his name and
!. C0aran'cr untainted. In this he
: p. deal with that miserable judge
q !'"d betrayed him; with MORT
81, Who had once blackmailed him
' '"' n'N was temporarily In his
''' WITH Mrs Moytimer. who God