Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-17

serve you, take your purpose for my goal
your life for my empty existence, / will
give you all l can
Stanief's firm clasp closed.
Agreed. Soft que soft.
And Allard repeated the promise as
seriously:
BE what may.
The whistle of passing tug. laboring
with its train of scows. drew the CORE
spending blare of the yachts siren. In
voluntarily Allard started. his overstrain-
ed nerves shrinking. Stanief smiled.
Let Rome howl. John. I may call you
John. since we commenced so? Indeed l
must, after giving you that name In pub
lie. You are mine now, and all America
cannot take you. Rest so far: 1t is one
Of our old sayings at home: A Stanief
guards his own" >"
His own! The long loneliness snatched
the phrase greedily: worn out. Aliard
submitted to protection without resent
ment A student of men, Staniefs eyes
smiled. behind their ashes as he con-
tinued. more lightly:
But now for details. You take the
place Of my secretary, whom l dismissed
this afternoon and saw on board train
for Albany. very much against his Will
and very badly frightened. I have order
ed his rooms prepared for you His
things are there, and 1 imagine you will
probably find some of them you can use
until your own arrive in the morning. l
will send Petro to you; his ideas are con-
fined to doing as he is told. and I shall
tell him that my invitation left you no
time for packing. or course you Will re-
sumo your own name.
Allard drew back aghast at such a
proposition.
MY own name
why notY' Stanief demanded. Gould
anything be more safe? Masquerades
are always dangerous and to be avoided.
John Allard's unquestioned history, his
journey abroad from which he reappears
as my secretary. defy all investigations
where an assumed name and past could
only arouse doubt. II you were chal-
lenged now as the escaped prisoner, your
safest course would be to give indignant
ly your own name, proving 1t by your
Allard has stepped back upon his stage.
Write to your brother, If you choose;
pick up your old friendships The last
three years simply do not exist for you:
knot the past and the future together
and let the marred strand 60
The logic was unanswerable; with
ouivering breath Allard took back all he
had resigned for ever.
You are right he yielded and bent
his head to hide what flashed on his
lashes.
Stanief touched the bell and rose.
You are tired, and have much to ar
range. No doubt" the dark eyes were
amusedly expressive Monsieur Allard is
familiar enough with yachting not TO be
bored tomorrow. You will find Vasili
cheerful companion, Rosal also. Mario.
show monsieur his rooms and send me
Petro. And tell Capt. Delsar that shall
have pleasure in receiving him. Good
night. John"
Good night. your royal highness.' was
Allard's reply but his straight eloquent
glance carried its message to the others
heart.
Alone at last in the coquettish suite set
apart for him-the 1ewel-box luxury OF
the yacht here manifested In azure and
silver daintiness-the great reaction seized
Allard. So few hours since he was Le-
roy; it was hard to grasp this reality.
He was weary to exhaustion, but some
thing very near fever drove him to the
round window, which swung back at his
touch and let the wet. sweet air rush in.
Leaning there, the very chaos of his
thoughts left physical torpor.
Petro aroused him an hour later-vaud