The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-10-25

could realize and understand it. Out
of the same mouth, was said of old
proceeded blessing and cursing, and
from these same lips came truth and
falsehood; but the power of the truth
to influence this woman was as moth.
ing to the power of falsehood She
could never have loved him, she now
knew a better man had won her af-
fections, a nobler being claimed her
heart; but il he had told the truth re-
garding his relationship to Newbod's
wife and then had completed it with
his passionate avowal of his present
love for her, she would have at least
admired him and respected him
You have not told me the truth"
she answered directly; you have de-
liberately been false"
Cant you see," protested the man
drawing nearer 20 her, how much l
love you?"
ooh. that; yes l suppose that is
true; as far as you can love any one
l will admit that you do love me-"
80 far as l can love any one?" he
repeated after her Give me a chance
and I'll show you"
But you haven't told the truth
about Mrs. Newbold. You have calum.
mated the dead, you have sought to
shelter yourself by throwing the bur-
den Of a guilty passion upon the weak
err vessel; it isn't manlike, it isn't
Armstrong was a bold fighter quick
and prompt in his decisions. He made
another effort to set himself right. He
staked his all on another throw of the
dice, which he began to feel were
somehow loaded against him.
You are right" he admitted. won
dering anxiously how much the woman
really knew. 1T wasn't true, it was
a towards act, l am ashamed of it.
I'm so mad with love for you that |
scarcely know what | am doing, but
I will make a clean breast of it now.
l loved Louise Rosser after a fashion
before ever Newbold came on the
scene. We were pledged to each 9th.
jealous of other girls
And had she no right to be?"
"Oh, l suppose SO. We broke if off
anyway and then she married New
bold, out of pique l suppose, or what
you will | thought I was heart-brok.
en- at the time, it did hit me pretty
hard; it was five or six years ago; |
was a youngster then, | am a man
now. The woman has been dead long
since; there was some cock-and-bull
story about her falling off a cliff and
her husband being compelled to shoot
her. | didn't believe it at the time.
and naturally | have been waiting to
get even with him. | have been hat
ing him for five years, but he has
been good to you and we will let by
cones be bygones. What do l care
for Louise Rosser, or for him, or for
what he did to her, now! ! am sorry
that l said what l did. but you will
have to charge 1t to my binding pas
sion for you. | can truthfully say that
you are one woman that ] have ever
craved with all my heart. will do
anything, be anything, to win you"
1t was very brilliantly done; he had
not told a single untruth; he had ad-
mitted much, but he had withheld
the essentials after all. He was play
ing against desperate odds, he had no
knowledge of how much she knew, or
where she had learned anything. Ev-
cry one about the mining camp where
she had lived had known Of his love
for Louise Rosser, but he had not sup
posed there was a single human soul
who had been privy to its later devel.
opments, and he could not figure out
any way by which Enid Maitland could
have learned by any possibility any
more of the story than he had told
her He had calculated swiftly and
with the utmost nicely, just how much
he should confess. He was a keen
witted clever man and he was fighting
for what he held most dear, but his
eagerness and zeal, as they have Oft
en- done, OVERRIDE his judgment, and
he made another mistake at this jane
ture. His evil genius was at his ell.
bow
You must remember" he continued.
that you have been alone here in
these mountains with man for over
a month; the world
What, what do you mean?" ex-
claimed the girl, who indeed knew
very well what he meant. but who
would not admit the possibility.
IT'S not every man., he added,
blindly rushing to his doom, that
would care for you or want you-aft-
err that"
He received a sudden and terrible
enlightenment.
you coward" she cried, with up
raised hand. whether in protest or to
strike him neither ever knew, for at
that moment the door opened the Sec
ond time that morning to admit an
other man.
CHAPTER XXI.