The Mena weekly star., 1910-06-09

missed the attendants some time since with orders not to reappear un- less he summoned them, and they wero alone There was no likelihood of any interruption whatsoever. The man. who was leaning back in his chair bent forward when she opened the door. He laughed viciously. If she had reflected, she would have mar veled at the change that a few weeks had wrought in one whom she had hitherto deemed worthy of her affec tion, but she had eyes and thought for nothing except the business in hand.
 "So you've come out. have you?" he stammered triumphantly Come of your own free will You've found out have you, that I am master and you are coming to heel?"
 He whistled to her derisiyely. whis. tied as if to a dog!
 "Who is this?" asked the woman in voice carefully suppressed, yet which shook with wrath.
 She held the photograph in It's heavy silver frame up before him.
 That's my wife," he said equably. with no surprise or consternation We haven't lived together for some years,' he went on with drunken good nature. Tor I'd take you back to San Francisco and introduce you to her"
 Your wifel" exclaiped the woman in that same low. tenae voice. Then what am IT"
 My mistress" said the man. blunt iy. throwing the last shred of conceal ment and decency to the winds, and a damned obstrepefous one at that," he went on.
 Now, the woman believed in no Providence. but a trick got from her ancestry wrung the words from her lips.
 My God! My Godi" she whispered.
 You haven't any" sneered the man. You told me so yourself" He laughed. And I believed you. would have believed anything to get you"
 We'll there was no God the woman realized. but she would be her own god Her body shrank together a lit tie. her hands clenched The feline was uppermost. She could have sprung upon him, but she waited, waited for she knew not what.
 Whom the gods destroy" ran the ancient phrase, they first make mad"
 He rushed to his doom with blind folly.
 You needn't be jealous of her, my dear" he mumbled on. T used to think l loved her and we were mar ried. damned foolishness, as you might say. Sho can't hold a candle to you, If you are little touched" he tapped his forehead impudently-"in the up- per story"
 And this man, this degraded thing, regarded her as a mad woman There might be no God. but there was devil and he stood before her. There might be no heaven. but there was a hell and she was in it.
 "On second thoughts" he rambled on. T couldn't introduce you to her You aren't respectable and she is."
 He stopped and poured himself an- other drink.
 "Respectablei" he laughed. ITO hell with responsibility. We know better thing that thati Soul to soul, heart to heart, the union of equals without the trammels of conventional bonds for weaker beings Yes. that's what you said"
 And she recognized with horror that he was quoting her own words.
 But 1t doesn't go, you see. It's all very we'll in theory. but it doesn't work out in practice. The worlds got some ideas of It's own It's been holding 'em for good many 'hoi- sands of years and you can't c2anse 'em. You belong to me now. To hell with your equalityt You are nothing more nor less than my property. and mark you." he reached out a trem- bling finger and shook it at her. your salvation is with me. If cast you of. you go into the gutter"
 She wondered vaguely how much more of this she could stand and live.
 But don't be afraid he went on with a drunken attempt at reassur- ance, you are too fine and too hand some, even If you are cracked. for that-yet. I'm glad to see you've come to your senses"
 He rose heavily as he spoke and felt his way around the table hand over hand. He approached her. She let him do it. She shrank a little closer together every muscle tense for action. She was no longer woman: she was human tigress and her phil osophy was gone He was too drunk to see 1t. too incapacitated to take warning.
 That's right" he continued as he lurched nearer to her. Stay right there I'm. coming to you as fast as I can and when I get close to you, we'll kiss, and"
 He was by her side now. He strengthened himsek up with spas modic effort. released his hold on the table and stretched out his arms to- ward her And then she sprang at him. How she did 1t, she could never tell, but in some way her outstretched arms, grasping for his throat, struck him in the breast Unsteady on his feet. he went down as If he had been shot. Such was the violence of his fall that the momentum carried her with him. She fell upon him with all her