Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-07-02
CHAPTER vn.-(Continued.)


o7lol" she said. 81 will not go.'
"You will not ?" He swung round upon
her sharply, frown darkening his face,
the tenderness dying from his eyes. you
will not? You mustl'
81 will mott cannotl" She clutched
the edge of the car, feeling herself sway,
pitifully conscious, gratefully conscious,
Of his hardened wrathful stare, his angry
voice. Oh, let him only be angry and
not tender again, she thought She could
resist the one, the other must break her
down utterly. But how soon he lost his
patience. if-if she had been going how
quickly she would have laughed him into
good temper again. Once more the sen
sation of amusement was in her as she
met his bright, irate eyes. II will not
GO" she said. "If loved you"
IF you loved mel"
"If / loved you twice as well as 1 do"
she said, trembling but firmly, "still
would mott could not go!''
"And if / loved you only one-tenth as
well as l do" he retorted, 81 would break
fifty such chains as the one that hold5
me to get you! Not come? You must
You are going to make me & Lretty lit
IIE 6pCSCA dDO0E NdIy oAN POI SiHSy sup
BOSS. You may spare yourself the
trouble. Part-you and II Can either
of us 90 back, do you think, and pretend
that the last ten minutes have never
been?"
"We must" Verona answered family
1--WE have both been false, both been to
blame--nothing can alter that; but no
one need ever know" Once more she
tried, and once more Roberts name
would not pass her lips.
"You are pledged and of your own free
will No one can offer to play fast and
loose with promises. We have no right
to make others-to make Laura suffer"
"Will you come 2" he said.
mol" she answered, very white.
"I'll ask you this once and no more.
Will you get into that car now, and
come away with me to London and mar
ry me?"
mo, will not I have said so. L
cannotl"
She bent forward, hiding her face in
her hands upon the cushions of the car,
cold, faint, shuddering; she felt as
though in denying him her very life
must 60 from her. She had expected and
dreaded a repetition of his passionate
pleading and caresses, but none came.
Standing with her face hidden she heard
him walk away. How long an interval
had elapsed before she heard his return
ing footsteps she r"ver knew, it might
have been hours-'ar agony seemed an
old thing. He spoil her shoulder, his
voice hard, cold, mechanical
"The fog is moving a little I think"
he said; sit looks as though it might
reach us presently. But there is no sign
of it lifting-it grows denser if that can
be. You had better get into the car.
Oh, don't be frightened"-this in re-
spouse to the involuntary movement she
made as she looked up-"I'm not going
to try to kidnap you'll You come willing
ly or not at all But there is no sense
in your taking a chill by standing shiv-
ering as you are doing. You will be
warmer with the rugs round you"
She was shivering, and shivered still as
she mutely obeyed him, hardly daring to
cast glance at his stern and darkened
face. One word and she could utterly
transform it, could be in his arms again,
could see before her the absolute happi
ness of being his wife. But she dare not
she dare not She set her teeth, sit
ting rigid and dumb as he tucked the rug
about her. Only as he was turning away
did she venture to speak.
you will be cold, too" she faltered.
ut is chilly now, and will be worse if the
fog lasts. What shall you dor"
Il shall walk about and smoke-dont
mind me-" he answered curtly.
The fog continued all night. After
wards Verona wondered whether she had
slept at all, had forgotten for even
moment her cramped limbs and her in
rrl II IL
truth sat as it seemed to her. wide-eyed
through the creeping hours, watching the
tall dark figure pace to and fro within
few yards of the car, only hopelessly
turning her head now and then towards
the vast woody curtain that shut them
IN like a wall
The eastern sky was shot with streaks
of the coming morning when it began to
waver and grow thin; by the time the
treacherous green waste of the morass
was vaguely visible it was broad day
light. little longer and the road could
be seen through the smokelike white
winding its way across the moor. The
Ylscount came to the side of the car
We may venture to 60 now, | think"
he said briefly "The road is clear
enough to follow"
She silently moved to make room for
him. and he took his place beside her. 1t
wrung her heart to see his face, haggard
and angry and gray; she did not remem
Der her own white cheeks and followed
eyes. As he laid his hand upon the wheel
he looked at her, speaking the words
which she had shrinkingly felt that he
would speak
Verona, even now it is not too late!
Once more-will you Gomez"
She shook her head, she dared not
trust her voice. Without another word
he turned and started the car. Neither
had broken the wretched silence when he
brought it to a standstill outside her
garden wall.
She staggered as she stood up; she was
liant for want of food, stiff and exhaust
ed with her long vigil. He lifted her out,
holding her for a moment. AS she looked
at him, faltering doubling whether she
dared offer him her hand, wondering