The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-13

 THE MAN WHO ROSE AGAIN= ...... by...... s JOSEPH ROCKING Copyright, 1909, by George IL Doran 5 Company 5

Never until then did he realize the meaning of what he had done. Even in the hours when he had regretted his wager most, he never felt its pur- port as he felt it then. Her words burnt him like hot iron, but he still spoke quietly.
 "You put the case unfairly" he said; cit has never occurred to me in that light.''
 '"Then give it your own version" she said, "tas I said, it will be inter esting.'
 He tried to speak, but could not. He tried to think of some means whereby he could put the whole sor- did business in more favorable light, but his tongue refused to obey his will. Nothing but the horrible naked truth as she had put it ap- peared to him.
 She looked up at him scornfully.
 "You do not answer" she went on in the same quiet, bitter tones. "You admit, then, that I was the subject of a wager, the wager being that you could satisfy my ambition, and that therefore I could be won as your wife. Of course I feel greatly -honored. Who would not? I be- lieve that I was suggested by this other-gentleman Then being thought a fit subject for a wager, my price being a hundred pounds, you get to work to gain admission to this house. Well, refuse to be utilized in such a way. That is all, think. am sure we need not detain you longer"
 ''No, no, it is not all," said Lei cester. t'It is not fair to me that I should make my explanations before others, but you compel me. I must admit that I did participate in this vile business; but I was not my self that night. I vas"
 ''Yes, you were drunk" said John Castlemaine; Ego on."
 'I confessed the truth to you"
  eyes on Olive. "I told you that this habit had grown upon me; but never since-since that night-you remem- ber-have I tasted a drop. But yes, and you knew my reputation; concerning those things I never de- ceived you"
 Olive was silent.
 ''It is true I believed that women were all base, and selfish, and sor- did," he went on. "Yes, I did, and I did not hide my views. Then when Purvis and Sprague challenged me I confessed my willingness to put them the best and noblest woman they knew of, and-''
 They chose me- said Olive. "I am greatly honored."
 T did not know you then" said Leicester; ''my acquaintance with women had made me believe that all of them were what I said"
 And yet you were willing to mar " one of then,' she said quietly.
 NO, I would not he cried. II simply wanted to prove my words. I would never have married such a woman"
 'But you would seek to win her. and after you had won her you would discard her. That is even worse than the other.''
 "Yes, yes," he said bitterly, q de- serve it all, doubtless. Yes, I was intoxicated if you like, and made a wager that would win you as my wife. I did not know you. and I believed that you were like all other women. I was told that it was com monly believed that I should have a brilliant career, and I believed that the prospect of being the wife of a successful parliamentarian would be sufficient to gain your consent to be- ing my wife. Yes, I will confess the whole truth. I believed YOU to he like the rest of the world; but I did not intend to marry you. I intended to gain your consent, and"
 And then drag my name into an- other drunken orgie," she said. and her eyes flashed fire. My name was to be handled about in the clubs l was to be mentioned as one who had proved the truth of MT. Radford Leicester's exalted views, I was to be pointed out as one who was to be won for a wager, and then discarded when the wager was won."
 Mo-" he cried. "Loathsome as was the whole business, it was not SO bad as that. We bound ourselves that no words of the affair should leak out, not one word. Only three men knew of it beside myself. You know who they were, I daresay. Two of them proposed to you and had been rejected, the other. as you say, was Winfield here. Whatever had happened, no one would have known had they not told. One of the other two has told you, which I do not know as yet; but I will know mind that. Perhaps you will tell me?"
 Olive was silent.
 "Well, that does not matter Il shall find out, yes. I shall find out and then| He laughed bit+er11,