Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-13

money, money at last. 1t is yours to do
what you will wish. Only come with us.
Then 1 promise you that he shall be
safe"
Il do not understand she faltered.
You do not mean that shall come back
once more and sing in the streets. that
shall give up"
You will give up nothing" Ambrose
declared. There is no need for it. For
every shilling that you spend now you
shall spend sovereign. For every car
riage that you own now you shall have
a dozen. You shall be a queen. You shall
woman. jewels and flowers and all the
Injuries which life can fashion. Only
you must come away to some other coun-
try: You must live near Chicot and me.
with no one to creep nearer your heart
If you do that he shall go free
And II l refuse?" she asked, with
sudden apprehension of the things that
were working in his brain. If 1 refuse?"
go TO this Monsieur Jacques Leblun. /
shall say to him: Walk little way
with me and / will show you the man
who wheeled my barrow from the Place
Noire In the clothes Of a workman. the
man whom we sheltered and whose
cape we planned. He is here. an aristo-
crat. rich man today. known and hon
ored throughout the country, and yet the
associate. once upon time. of herd of
assassins, the man who shot a gendarme
through the heart. the man who has
cheated French prison. the man whose
life has been a lie
She looked at him as though fascinated.
There was something of horror In her
dfstended eyes. 1T is a bargain. then,
which you propose?' she asked.
ut Is a bargain he admitted "Why
not? What other chance have I? You
threw me over like a discarded garment
without me. Why should i shelter my
self beneath false Illusions? To you l
am only Ambrose the dwarf, Ambrose the
poor cripple. who kept you and fed you
when things went awry. How else can l
win for myself few hours daily of your
presence, a few kind words. the glorious
knowledge that you are near? No other
way. Christine 1 know 1t well. and that
is why say that you. If you will, shall
buy his safety. You shall buy his safety,
or you shall sign his death warrant"
Christine shrank back in her chair. This
was more awful than anything which she
had feared.
Don't misunderstood me-" he went on
II ask for no more. to be no more to you
| than have been hitherto. I am. content
with that. II may seem little to you.
For me it makes life a heaven You
know it. You believe me. If you hest
backward. Ask yourself what has been
the text Of my life through the long days.
through the weary months, through the
| slow. crawling years. You. Christine! To
harm. to minister to your wants, to win
n poor word of gratitude or q smile. A
dogs life, perhaps Why not? What
other life is there for me? Come, what
do you say?'
do you mean," she asked, that IL
tell you that / do not wish to come away
with you. that I wish to stay here. that
have other thoughts and other hopes
do you mean that you will still drag me
away to be your companion, that you will
do this or betray him?"
Il do mean it," he answered, firmly IT
mean 1t so surely as you and l are now
speaking to each other words OF naked
truth"
"If refuse" she faltered.
IF you refuse he interrupted. Il
search for this Monsieur Jacques Leblun.
say to him, Come with me, and / will
show you the man you came here to
seek oh. know. and he knows that
know. He watches me. He watches
| Marcel. What do you say. Christine?
| What have you to say to Chicot and to
| me?''
]. Her head dropped into her hands. Il