The Washington times., 1910-12-04
CHAPTER XIII.
What Carla Dared.


1T is a remarkable thing that the very
people whom We regard as the most
seIf-contained under trying CirCum-
stances are the very ones who. when
they do give way, lose all vestige OF
seIf-controI and plunge headfOremOst to
the opposite extreme The fires that
burned within the breast Of Cara IRE
vcr had hitherto only smOldered- They
had been confined within herself their
presence unsupported, and. therefore,
the danger of them was unheeded- But
when she had recovered from the shock
OF Lathrop's abrupt departure the
smoIdering embers burst forth into
flame and consumed her reason, her
Judgment, and her faith When she re-
turned the ring to Morris she did not
really doubt his IoyaTty TO her The
act was based mon her idea OF the
principle which. as she believed, was
Involved She had broken the engage
ment because he had refused 20 connde
in her. and for no other reason she
was not, in any sense Of the word. .
cCGuette. Nevertheless she had CO
quoted with him then for she had mad
nc suspicion, when she offered the mig
10 him. that he would accept II she
could not know anything Of the self
abasemeBt under which he hourly StTug-
gled since ne had taken that step down
ward, which. in his own opinion for
ever removed him from the realm II
which he had lived all his Iife-that Of
unqualified upTightnesS- Therefore his
calm acguiesCenCe in her decision pros
trated her, overwhelmed her shocked
her out Of herself into another being.
whom she had not known, whom she did
not recognize, but who now dominated
every impulse within her she had ask
ed for an explanatiOn-she had demand
cd it And al the time IN her own
heart she knew that there was Suf-
fcient one She had spoken naught
but tie truth when she said that she
was rot jealous She did not doubt nln
when he told her what he did her one
cause Of Indignation against him was
that he did not tell her all
Now, however, she saw things oif-
ferentIy- Her recollection Of the
scene distorted everything that had
been said or done out Of all TecO6-
nizabIe shape. and she discovered mo-
tIves which she had not imagined at
the time and fancied reasons which
were utterly unreasonable His re-
fusaI to explain further than he had
was now attributed 10 CUNT ana
shame His statement concerning the
purity Of CIarita Orte6a she now re
EaTded as 2 lie The high value that
he had placed upon her own love IoT
him had become a subterfuge. His
preteuse of mystery deEenerated to a
Contemplate deception. and with it
all she mCaned in pain while she as
sured herself that he no longer loved
her and convinced herself that he was
at heart reICtced because she naQ
severed the bond between them still,
she made no outward sign The nerce
warfare that RACED within found 10
visible expression, but she was trans
formed from a calm, serene. loving
woman. Astounding in faith into 4
hard, suspicious, relentless being VINO
saw only evil in the association OF
Morris Lathrop and CIarita Ortega-
So the demons entered and took pos
session OF CaTla Trevor After hours
of agO1iZed thought she determined
in course OF action, and she forth
with set out toward the COnSumma-
ton of her purpose with resolution
that was not 10 be denied shortly
before s o'clock on the night follow
ing her dismissal OF LatnrOp she VS.
tied Edua'S room. OutwaTdly as calm
and possessed as ever and she
even smiled COnIemptuOuSly when she
found her sister IN tears she knew
well the cause of those tears, but she
fcrbore any reference to them It
seemed TO her rather in the nature OF
presumption that Edna should thus
weep when she could not.
''I wish you to tell me again con
corning your encounter with that
woman at Morris apartment, she
said. without any hesitation
There is nothing to tell Edna re-
turned Il saw her there, that is all.
She had just as much right TO be there
as I had, and II would be just as con
sistent for you to think ii Of ne for
Cara smiled There was no sign OF
softening IN her manner, no hesitation
You are vehement. Edna" she said,
too vehement, 7 think. in your defense
Of mss OrteEa- Do you know the pres
eut sd dress of the woman whom you so
ably defendZ
ayes. / do. And III tell you one
thing. Cara Trevor" Edna went on.
spfrfteIIy- That address alone Is SUI
fcient proof that all your suspicious are
rT-o1rnrileSS Do YOU think. If the facts
were IS your Jealous Imagination paints
them, that he would take her 70 a place
IKE the MHIirZton2 That is where she
fE now Would he do that II there .WerS
any grounds for your suSpiciOns2 You
ought to be ashamed Of them-and OF
vourselft ! know a good woman when
see one, and II ever I saw one IN my
life II was when I saw Clarlia OTtega-
DO voU know what I did them I in
suited her 1 refused to be introduced
Ohl I played the grand lady better than
old Madam Savage could have done It
and 1 have been eating my heart out
with shame ever since Just as sure as
I live until tomorrow mOring I am go
ing I'd 20 the Wilmington and humble my
self with the most abject apology /
know how to make, and you VIII 90
well II YOU follow my example"
You are a very good girl, but very
silly one at times. Edna said Cara
with quiet scOTn- Il do not think that
We need TO proIOng this discussion
Good night
cl>a went out Of the room in the same
deIibe ate manner in which she had en-
tered Il leaving Edna disconsOiate- II
us raarlv 9 o'clock but Carla did not
hesitate She had made her plans and
she vas determined to carry them out
7lteS later. closely wrapped and yelled
The air was cold and keen. and she