The Washington times., 1911-04-13
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
Milady of the Mercenaries
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
A.
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE

thatll be telling you what had on my
mind concerning Adele
Better not, your excellency?
| And for why?"
| "Oh-I might not care to hear.
| ~ was thinking that you would.
| He stopped short. His tone had been
| of disappointment, and now he made
| pretense to restrain the words. The
would go no further, for the present. she
| said:
zone cannot always tell
| No" he agreed promptly.
Silence. At length she spoke again.
Its not like Barry Malone not to
lis too late you are. Adele. The
words are gone
Back to me heart, Adele"
T, She caught at her breath: the elan of
his voice brought memories none too
sweet. The time had been when its
soothing blandishment had been to her
as dear as life. This might become
dangerous to her after all; she won
dered at her weakness. But as she won
dered the face of another man came be-
tween them-that man whose sole ca
ress had been blow upon her mouth; +;
and at that, as her lips smarted anew
with reminiscent pain, she was strong
once more. This Malone was nothing to
her but means toward an end; but he
was speaking, and she must give atten-
ton to his words II she would win.
What had he been saying? What had
she missed?
I'm not asking you to take me as
man whose life has been blame
DO you think me a good woman?"
she interposed quickly, to gain time.
She had plainly missed something Of
i've no reason for thinking other
wise, Adele
You forget"
I'm forgetting nothing. You mean
Paris? Perhaps tbs the memory of-of
you what I do. Let be; let the sleeping
dogs lie. 'Tis not the past that concerns
US; we've lived our lives for right or
Of ena1S If for tbe wTong BUT Teys goS
be man and woman, Adele. face to face
in all honesty-are we not?" Abruptly
he ceased speaking, and gripped her
naked shoulders with hot, dry hands
with grip that hurt; and he forced her
eyes to meet his. Are we not, Adele?
All, If the lips of you are too surprised
to tell me, It's in your eyes that / must
read me answer; and I read Yes.
almost frightened affirmative, and he re-
laXed his grasp somewhat II ask you
to marry me, but tits little I have 10
offer you in exchange, beyond me love,
nfe-and that also is great. But there
are millions in gold, Adele, waiting for
us in Paris-if you will but have me!'
And-and yod think my love is to be
bribed, Barry?"
She shook his hands from her, and
clasped her own with a force that sent
the nails into the firm flesh. The affair
had taken turn unlocked for, indeed,
pected him to offer, in truth; but love
with the sacrament of marriage! Yet
why not? Why need she keep faith with
that nest Of vipers. the Revolutionary
Junta? Why should she not become this
mans honored wife? Well she knew
that the Junta would turn upon her,
once she had ceased to be Of use; and
she was weary, ah, so weary, Of the
profitless life. the days Of strenuous
coveted the marriage lines that should
cloak her with respectability: there is
no woman, however hardened, who does
not. And marriage with Malone of
Anahuac would give her not only that.
but rank and position and wealth-the
gold that was the goal Of all this striv-
ing. If she did not then love him, once
she had. and madly; she might love him
Curtice; and he was lost to her. why
not? Why not?
There need be no hasty decision, after
all; the turn of events would count for
much. And at present, whatever cause
she should choose to espouse-Malone's
or the unta's-she might not dare to
refuse the president. She must lead him
TO DeleVe that she would bind herself
to him for life, she must simulate a love
for him which time had had no power
to obliterate-a love overwhelming
knowing barriers neither of civil nor Of
moral laws.
Supremely the maaster OF self, she
gave him her heavy-lidded eyes again,
infusing Into their shallow depths of
gray lambient promise, knowing that
thus she tortured the man, with infinite
womanly insolence she kept him on the
rack of wordless suspense
Barry" she said at last you are
honoring me. Believe me. am CRATE
full"
Then I am to go?" His words fell
heavily, hopelessly.
No. Barry; you are not to CO."
You mean-you will"
II am woman and may not guide
my heart. You have had II always I
viii for the love that bear you. Barry.
(The Continuation OF This Story WIN
he Found I'm Tomorrow Issus