Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-08
THE NET.
By REX BEACH.

(Copyr3gh& 1872, by Rex Beach.)

begun and lack the courage to face it."
Il have been waiting. 1t will always
/ be SO, countess. l shall come from
across the world whenever you need me. !"
She smiled listiessly. You are very
good. I knew you were waiting. 1t
seems SO strange to know that he is
gOne," her voice caught, her eyes filled.
then cleared without overlooking, "and
| that the world is moving on again In the
| same way and only am left standing by
the wayside. You cannot walt with me,
however. You must move on with the
rest of the world You had planned. to
go home. and you must. for you have
your work and it calls YOU"
| "Please don't think OF it. I shan't leave
you for long time. I promised Mar
| tel
''You promised? Then he had reason to
suspect?'
| ''He would not acknowledge the posi-
| bility, and yet he must have had q pre-
monition.''
"Oh, why will men trust themselves
| when women know! II he had told me-
if he had confided his fears to me,
could have told him what to do"
81 couldn't leave now, even IL wished
You understand? It isn't finished with
me yet
'The law will not need you." she told
him. bitterly. ''The law will do nothing
The task is for other hands"
After q pause he said: Il had news
Then, at her quick look Of inquiry. he
| went on: Nothing serious, hope
nothing to take me away. My mother is
ill and has cabled me to come
"Then you will go at once, OF course?
mo. I've tried to explain to her the
situation here, and the necessity OF my
remaining for time at least. Unless
she grows worse. 1 shall stay and try
to help Neri in his search
| 1T is great comfort to have you near
for in you l see part of-Martel You
were his other half. But there are other
aching hearts, it seems. That mother
calls to you and you ought to go. Be-
sides, / must begin my work.
| What work."
| She met his eyes squarely. ''You know
without asking. Neri will fail; no Italian
could succeed: no one could succeed ex-
cept Sicilian. I am one"
She nodded. Certainly. Who else car
do it,
| But. my dear signorina. think what
that means. They are dregs; there is the
Malta to reckon with. How will you &c
about it?'
II will become one Of them, IL neces-
| sary.''
He answered her in a shocked voice:
mo, no! You are mad to think Of 1t"
/ d
have resources She took him by the
arm as she had done that first time when
the thought of Martel's danger had
reused her. Il told you no power could
save them: no hiding place could be SO
secret, no lies SO cunning that I would
not know. Well. Those soldiers have
failed and will continue to fail. But. you
| see. they did not love Martel. I shall
live for this thing
''If you feel that way 1 shall make you
I nefn If TO O
an active personal part in this quest and
I will assume your place. We will work
| together but you will direct, while l face
| the risks
sure to fail. / thank you. but my mind
is made up"
! IF it becomes known you will be in
great danger. Think! Life is before
you and all it's possibilities. Please let
other hands do this"
1T is useless to argue" she said. firm
| ly. Il am like rock. l have begun al
| ready. and l have accomplished more
| than Col. Neri and his carbneers. l see
Aliandro coming now and I think he has
| news. He knows many things of which
| the soldiers do not dream, for he Is one
of the people. You will excuse me?''
''Of course. butt can't let You under
take SO dangerous task without pro-
test shall come back, If / may
| He rose as the old man shuffied down
| the path and went in search of the
Donna Teresa, for he was determined to
offer every encouragement in his power
| to what struck him as an extremely rash
| and perilOuS course.
| In the hall of the manor house he en-
countered Lucrezia and stopped to speak
| to her.
| You would do a great deal to protect
| the countess would you not?" he asked.
Eyes, signore. She has been both a
! sister and a mother to me. But what do
You meano
Blake explained briefly his concern. but
| when he had finished the girl surprised
him by breaking forth into furious de-
| nunciation of the assassins.
I'VE demand blood to wash out blood. :
she cried. II curse them and their souls,
living and dead in the. name of God.
who made my father; in the name OF
Christ. who died for him; in the name OF
the holy saints. who could not save him.
In the name of the whole world curse
them. May they pray and not be heard.
May they repent unforgfven and lie I'M
buried. May every living thing that
their eyes. May their women and I'M
born children be afflicted with every un-
clean thing until they pray for death at
my hands"
he went out in search of Nine. Fazello.
| with Lucrezias parting words ringing
| ominously in his ears:
IF we die we shall be buried: IL we
| live. we shall give them to the hang
man."
From Margherita's aunt he got but lit
, tie comfort or hope Of assistance.
"Oh, my dear boy. I agree with your
every word," the old lady said. But
what can / do? I know better than you
what it will lead to. but Margherita is
| like iron-there is no reasoning with her.
| She would sacrifice herself. Lucrezia.
even me, to see Martel avenged. and if
she does not have her way she will burn
herself to ashes. AS for Lucrezia, she is
demented. and they do nothing all day
but scheme and plan with Aliandro, who
is himself as bad as any bandit. l have
no voice with them; they do with me as
they will" She hid her face in her
to think-we were all SO happy with Mar
tel!''
Realizing that the old lady was power
less. Blake returned to the garden and
tried once more to weaken the girls reso-
luton, but without success. It was with
q very troubled mind that he took the
train back to San Sebastiano that after
noon.
AS he alighted at his destination the
station master met him with telegram.
Even before he opened it he guessed it's
contents and his heart sank Was he
never to escape these maddening ques-
tons of duty-never to be free to pursue
his hearts desire?
1t was a cablegram and read:
Come quickly. Kenear."
He regarded it gravely for moment
striving to balance his duty to Martel
and the girl against his duty to his
mother, but his hesitation was brief He
stepped into the little telegraph office
with the mandarin tree peering in at the
did not try to deceive himself: the mere
Pa ri that DR. Kanear had hoeu sum-