Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-09

n mine to be despised! Say bsze the
word to madden me with hsppdneso-and
I will dare the world for you'll will send
Tor this poor fool who
With a supreme effort Cynthia wrested
her hands away and stepped back. slanc-
ing about wildly Tor some avenue or
flight. But she was cornered. hedged In
q corner Of the saloon, with no way out
save that barred by the confidently OK
tended arms OF the Brazilian.
Of resistance. making nothing OF her
hunted and desperate look. Peres stepped
closer. smiling insolentiy.
Nor Cynthia pleaded. wildly beating
down the hands that sought TO renew
their grasp. "Please-I beg OF YOU
Perezs smile became more maddeningly
presumptuous. With his innamed csun-
tenance within a foot OF hers subjecting
her to the indescribable offensiveness or
his greedy eyes. the man lowered his
q familiar undertone.
What precisely IL was that he said Gym
fhia never recalled. There followed q
brief moment, when her senses seemed to
reel. stunned with the enormity OF the
affront.
Then. quite automatically, as one con-
forming to a law OF nature. she closed
her hand and struck him in the face
with all her might.
With a low, animal-like cry he started
back.
Incredulous. holding her breath. she
saw the stamp OF her knuckles whiten his
flushed fiesh then. in his rage the
blood receded. leaving his countenancs
repellently livid, flash out In scarlet
against the gray pallor. above the purple
shadow of his shaver beard.
For the space OF thirty heart beats he
seemed COMPOUNDED by the effort to as
simulate the amazing. the unbelievable
fact that he had been repulsed and struck
by a woman. His eyes were blank and
lightless with establishment. while Yet he
was shaken by purely insensate fury
the instructive reflexion OF shocked nerve
centers and the reaction OF a disturbed
subjective poise.
Cynthia herself. acutely tremulous in
appalled, contemplation OF her handiwork,
saw him lift a hand. quivering like that
Of an aged and palsied man. to touch the
spot where she had struck him; as II to
assure himself he did not labor under
some wild hallucination.
But in another breath the broken cir
cult OF his amour propre reciosed: With
a half-snarling smile that showed white
CLEAN of teeth and with q quick. 1.-THE.
catlike movement wholly unacceptable. the
Brazilian returned to the attack-swing-
ing an arm round Cynthfa's waist and
catching her close to him.
You little devilr' he said. his breath
hot and hateful on her cheek. you
witch. You know your vaiue-eh? You
intend that I shall realize It
A very demon OF evaporation seemed
to possess Cynthia for . time. Without
real comprehension of what she did. she
fought Perez like q mad creature. cry
ing out in a voice whose hoarse accents
rang with an inhuman note even In her
own ears. while she beat his face wildly
with her soft. unskillful. Intellectual
hands.
She was only dimly conscious OF the
blows she was raining upon him i'm her
blind frenzy. and as vaguely OF his de-
termined but futile efforts to gain con-
troll Of her wrists and hold her to him
yet more strongly. For in the midst OF
it all Cynthia found herself abruptly free
and leaning back against the wall. torn
by hysterical impulses to laugh ana
scream and weep in one and the same
instant, while - thwack! thwack! - Nine.
Savaran's cane. welded by that lady
herself with gleeful abandon. fell again
and again upon the shoulders OF the per-
secutor.
meath the belaboring. then seized an in
slant when she paused to single out a
fresh spot for punishment. and with .
plant movement shot beneath her arm
to freedom by the head OF the companion,
way, where he paused, with fuefut
backward look and laugh, rubbing his
singing shoulders.
al deserved that" he called back. ap-
parently without resentment; "any man
who
"Brute," cried Nine. Savaran. malig-
nant. Door. Vagabond!'
"The next time Til have you put In
irons when / want to prosecute my
amoursv he persisted. Laughing mock
ingly Really, sonora, you're nothing
but a bully to set upon q poor. DEFENSE
less
"Muckworm," rasped madame, starting
toward him and brandishing her for
midable stick "Out OF my sight. ver-
mini"
But Perez eluded her by q discreet
flank movement to the deck, making his
exit with a raffish and derisive swagger.
Don't delude yourselves" he teered
them through q port. as he passed art
II warn you I'm q determined and des-
perate slave of love. I'll have my way
yet. ."
.To be continued tomorrow)