Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-01
THE HEART s;
OF A WOMAN )
BY ,
BARONESS ORGY
) Copyright. 1911. BY George II. Doran
Company


CHAPTER XXXI.-Continued.
Presently the cab drew up and Col Har-
ris jumped down.
Il won't be longer than l can help" he
said. viii you be all right?"
Yes, father, dear" she replied, 'Tll
be all right. Don't hurry
She saw her father disappearing through
the wide-open door. above which q globe
Of light shone yellow through the fog.
She remained huddled up in her furs. for
she felt very cold. Her feet were like ice.
her very marrow. Few people were to be
seen in the narrow roadway and only an
occasional cab ratified past.
From the embankinent close by came
the cry of news vendors rushing along
with late editions Of the evening papers.
A church clock not far away slowly
struck six, but she held no count OF time.
A kind OF drowsiness was upon her. and
the foggy atmosphere, coupled with In
porific.
She may have waited years. or only q
few minutes; she did not know, but pres
emily her father came back. His pres
ence there under the Intel Of the door
seemed to have reused her from her tor
por, as If with swift. telepathic current.
AS he stood for q moment beneath the
electric light, adjusting the collar Of his
coat, she saw his face quite distinctly;
its expression told her everything. Luke S
arrest was imminent. 1t was but ques-
ton Of q few hours. moments. perhaps.
II am going to Exhibition road at once.
he said. speaking quickly, like man
deeply troubled.
And without waiting for her assent,
which was a foregone conclusion. he gave
the chauffeur the address: Fairfax Man
sions, Exhibition road" and added, drive
as fast as you cam.
Then he jumped in beside Louisa. The
taxicab moaned and groaned while s. 1t ma "a,
once more at prohibited speed.
ut is" she said. simply, "only ques-
ton Of time, suppose?"
1.-THE warrant is out" he replied. CURLY.
amy moment now the police may be at
his door,"
uncle Ryder is convinced of Luke's
guilt?'
Absolutely
Beyond that what does he say?"
THAT unless Luke chooses to make a
bolt of it. he had better plead guilty and
intense provocation. But he thinks Luke
would be wise to catch the night boat for
Calais"
They'd get him back on extradition.''
tom says they won't try very hard.
And If Luke keeps his wits about him
and has sufficiency Of money. he'll be
able to get right through to Spain and
from thence to Tangiers. With money
and influence much can be done, and Tom
says that IL Luke will only get away to-
the blame and all the responsibility OF
having allowed q criminal to escape. It's
very decent Of Tom." added the colonel,
thoughtfully. ''for he risks his entire fu-
ture.''
But the sorely troubled father did not
tell his daughter all that Sir Thomas had
told him In the course OF the brief inter-
view.
In effect the chief Of the criminal in
hesitation department. had. aad given or'ei
"A ticket to anywhere via Calais at
once-or a revolver
And he added, dryly:
Il see nothing else for it. The man has
practically confessed
But this Col. Harris would not admit,
and SO the two men parted. Louisa 8
father. thinking great deal of his friend.
but still more of his daughter, wanted
above all things to have final talk with
Luke.
Louisa in the meanwhile sat silent in
the corner Of the cab.
She was trying to visualize this new
picture: Luke-a fugitive from Justice!
The taxicab was making slight de-
tour as Whitehall and the Mall were
closed for road repairs. The chauffeur
was driving round by st. Martins lane.
At one OF the theaters there q popular
play was filling the house night after
night with enthusiastic crowds 1t was
only half-past now, and in q long queue,
extending over two hundred yards away
from the pit and gallery doors of the
lucky playhouse. patient crowds waited
for the evenings pleasure.
People were going to theaterS, they
laughed at farces and wept at tragedies.
Was there ever such tragedy enacted
inside a theater as now took place in the
Luke-a fugitive from justice! Money
and influence could do much! They could
enable q wealthy criminal to escape the
consequences OF his own crime! They
could enable him to catch express trains
unmolested, to fly across land and sea
under cover of the night, to become,
Cainlike. wanderer on the face Of the
earth, without rest and without peace.
Could they prevent him from seeing
ever present at his elbow the grim angel
of remorse. holding in one hand the glass
wherein relentlessly flowed the sands Of
time. and in the other the invisible sword
vengeance? Could they prevent his hear
ing the one word. Nemesis?
Luke-a fugitive from justice! Accused
of crime which he did not commit, self
convicted, almost self-accused, and fleeing
from it's consequences as he would from
remorse!
And people went to theaters, and laugh
ed and cried. People ate and danced and
sang. News vendors shrieked their wares,
the latest sensational news; the gentle
man criminal who had money and infiu-
ence and with their help evaded the grip
Of justice.