Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-30
CHAPTER XIX.-Continued.

CHAPTER X1X.-Contlnued.
Rats" interrupted Miss Warren. in
| elegantly. eve let you preach to me in
| the past. but never again. We've the
same blood in US. Bunnie. If 1 We're a
man I dare say I'd do the most terrible
| things-although I've never dreamed of
| anything SO fercely awful as this
| 81 should hope not" he sasped.
| So come now. tell me everything.
Does she pet you and call YOU funny
names and ruffle your hair the way l
| doo''
| Bernie assumed an attitude of military
| erectness. Its bad enough for me to
be reprobate in secret he said, stiff1y,
| 'but l shan't allow my own flesh and
| blood to share my shame and gloat over
| it"
The girls essential innocence. her
| childlike capacity for seeing only the ro-
| nance of a situation in which he him.
self recognized real dishonor, made him
! feel ashamed, yet he was grateful that
| she took the matter. after all. so lightly.
| His respite. however. was of short dura-
ton. Failing to draw him out on the
| subject which held her interest for the
moment. Myra Nell followed the beckon-
ing of a new thought Fixing her eyes
meditatively upon him, she said. with
mellow satisfaction:
1T seems we're both being gossiped
| about, dear
You. What have YOU been doing:"
he demanded in despair.
| ooh, I really haven't done anything.
but it's nearly as bad There's report
that Norvin Blake is paying all my carn1-
val bills. and naturally it has occasioned
talk. OF course, [ denied it; the idea is
| too preposterous.'
| Bernie, who had in measure recov-
cred his composure. felt himself paling
| once more.
''Amy Cline told me she'd heard that
he actually bought my dresses. but Amy
| is a catty creature. She's mad over LIE
Compile, you know; that's why encour-
age him. and she wanted to be queen.
too. but Ia la! she's SO skinny! Well,
was furious, naturally Miss War
rem paused. quick to note the telltale
signs in her brothers face. Bernie
! she said. look me in the eye! Then-it
| is true"
| Her own eyes were round and Mortified.
her rosy cheeks lost something of their
! healthy glow; for once in her capriciOus
| life she was not acting.
Il never dreamed you'd learn about 1t. y
| her brother protested. "When Norvin
asked. me if you'd like to be queen l for
bade him to mention it to you. for I
| couldn't afford the expense. But he told
you In spite of me. and when I saw
your heart was set on It'll just
couldn't refuse I allowed him to loan
me the money!
Bernie. Bernie.' Myra Nell rose and
turning her back upon him. stared out of
| the window into the dusk of the evening.
| At length she said. with a strange catch
in her voice, You're an anxious comfort.
Bernie, for an orphan girl Another mo-
ment passed in silence before he VEN
| tured:
"You see, I knew he'd marry you
sooner or later, SO it wasn't really
loan He saw the color flood her neck
and cheek at his words but he was un-
prepared for her reply.
'Ill never marry him now; I'll never
speak to him again.
why not?
Cant you understand? Do YOU think
I'm entirely lacking in pride? What kind
Of man can he be to tell of his loan, to
make it public that the very dresses
which cover me were bought with his
money!? She turned upon her half
brother with clinched hands and eyes
which were cleaning through tears of in
dignation. II could kill him for that!'
HE didn't tell,'' Bernie blurted out.
HE must have. Nobody knew it ex-
cept you-' Her eyes widened; she
hesitated. ''You:" she gasped.
discontinue Myra Nell was his divin-
ity. and to confess his personal offense
against her, to destroy her faith in him.
was the hardest thing he had ever done.
spare himself. At the cost of an effort
which left him colorless, he told her the
truth.
I'D been drinking. that day of the
quarantine. I thought I'd fix it SO he
couldn't back out
Myra Nells lips were white as she said,
slowly, measuring him meanwhile with a
curious glance:
well. reckon you fixed it right
enough; l reckon you fixed it So that
and went slowly upstairs. past the badly
done portraits Of her people, which
stared down at her in all their ancient
pride. She carried her head high before
them, but, once in her room, she flung
herself upon her bed and wept as If her
heart were breaking.
Fortunately for Norvin Blake's peace
Of mind he had no inkling of Bernie's
indiscretion nor of any change in Myra
Nell. His work now occupied his mind
to the exclusion Of everything else. While
anxiously waiting for some word from
Oliveta he took up with O'Neil the in
vestigation of Joe Poggi, the Italian de-
tective. Before definite results had been
visit from Vittoria Fabrizi, who ex-
planned that she had risked coming to
see him because she dared not trust the
mails and feared to bring him into the
foreign quarter.
''Then Oliveta has made some prog
ress?" he asked, eagerly.
YES"
Good. Poor girl. it must be terribly
nara IeF 10 play SUCH d part
mo one knows how hard it has been.
You would not recognize her. she has
changed Her love. for which we
were so deeply thankful has turned into
bitter hate. 1t was a long time before
she dared trust herself with Maruf11, for
always she saw the blood OF her father
upon his hands. But she is Sicilian; she
turned to stone and finally welcomed his
caresses. All! that man will suffer for
what he has made her endure
Blake inquired. curiously, docs he
really love her?"
Yes That is the strangest part Of
the whole affair. 1t is the one good
thing in his character. the bit of gold In
up. Perhaps If he had met her when
he was younger love would have made
him different man. In her hands he is
like wax: he is simple. childlike; he
fawns upon her: he would shower her
with gifts and attentions: yet underneath
there is that streak of devilish cunning"
what has he told so far?"
much that is significant. little that Is
definite. We have pieced his words to-
gether, bit by bit, and uncovered his life
an inch at q time. 1t was he who paid
the blood money to Di Marco and Bolla-
thousand dollars"
"A thousand dollars for the life Of Dan
Donnelly!"
The countess lowered her yellow head.
"They. in turn, hired Iarubio, Norman
do and the rest The chain Is COM
plete.'
"Then all that remains is to prove it.
link by link. before arresting him"
lis not Oliveta's word sufficient proof?"
NO" Blake paced his office silently.
followed by the anxious gaze OF his
Ill rlaA