Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-03
"Cherub
 DeVine" By SEWELL FORD Copyrighted by Mitchell Kennerley
CHAPTER VI.
By SEWELL FORD
Copyrighted 1909 by Mitchell Kennerley

still long before midnight, but
 the Cherub continued to sit in the library, smoking and meditating.
 He had trick when watching an un-
 steady market of tearing pieces of pa per into small bits and throwing them away. He was doing this now, and the eastern rug under his feet looked as if it had been visited by a stage snowstorm. He was aroused by an odd noise It sounded as if some one was dragging a heavy object down the stairs.
 Looking out through the door hang ings, he could see the lower half of the staircase. For moment he waited, and then there appeared the Countess Vecchi tugging at a dress suit case which was evidently well filled. She was dressed as If for the street, with light silk dust coat over her black gown and jaunty straw hat on her head. When she saw the Cherub she seemed startled and shrank back guiltily.
 "Oh," she exclaimed, Fl did not expect to find you here. am going away"
 Are you? Do you generally start alone and in the middle of the night" The Cherub had walked out into the hall.
 TT don't care to talk to you about it, Mir. Devine I am going away, toll Vn lnnIyn1 ac if they might fill with tears at any moment.
 All right, all right" he said sooth- ingly. You needn't talk about it,"
 The Countess Vecchi allowed the suit case to slide to the floor, and then she faced him resolutely.
 "Mr. Devine, l have found out all about you"
 "Mer
 "Yes. I know why you are here,'
 Good! You know blamed sight more than l do then"
 Ut. is useless for you to try to keep up the deceit any longer. Mir. Devine. My father has confessed the whole wretched story. He told me at first that you were merely here on some law business, but when heard that you were entertaining your friends here, just as you would in your own house, l demanded to be told the truth. And now I know. Oh, know it all! This is your house. You own it, Somehow or other you have tricked p,u fo pt,t Af nd beau-ti-ful ho-o-ome is yours. Dare you deny 1t? Come! Isn't it so?"
 The Cherub bowed his head in meek submission.
 = Then" exclaimed the countess. "you nre not only wicked man. but you are deceltful, cruel! 1 despise youl You-you are"-
 Just what else he was the astonish- ed Cherub was never to know, for ct that point the denunciation was in- terrupted. The threatening flood sub merged the brown eyes. and the count ess, sinking down on the bottom stair, leaned against the carved newel post and sobbed tempestuously into the ample sleeve of the silk coat.
 . s"Oh, say, now" he protested. "See here. won't you? didn't mean 1t. take it all back. honest. do. Come. now; let's talk 1t over. Oh, stop it! Do stop itr'
 To the Cherub's urgent entreaties she paid not the slightest heed. I
 She grasped the suit case and mo n: nifty as it was possible to assume with a heavy weight dragging down one arm. At the door she made a deter mined attack on the bolts Stupidly the Cherub watched her as she tugged away vainly.
 You had better wait until morn. ing, hadn't you?" he suggested.
 To this she made no reply. but showed and pulled at the stubborn bolts until she was forced to give up Then, just as he had thought her beaten, she went promptly to one of the French windows in a front room, turned the catch and stepped cut on the veranda. Mir. Devine followed,
 "I do not wish for your company, Mir. Devine."
 "I suppose you don't, but I'm going just the same. I'll get my coat and hat"
 As he ran back into the hall he | heard the countess leave the veranda. | up an opera hat and rain- coat, he hurried out through the win. dow after her She was easily over taken, for the suit case acted as brake.
 You'd better let me carry your bag" he said as he overlook her, but the offer was ignored. and the repulsed Cheub fell back pace. Thus they started down the narrow graveled path which wound leisurely course in and out among the shrubbery to- ward the main road
 See here" he said sternly as he stepped forward beside her; you must let me take that bag"
 "I shall not! don't need your"- she began bravely enough, but the Cherub had already lifted it from her numbed fingers.
 'I know you don't" he said, but i txrn hng