The Ely miner., 1913-07-25
CHAPTER xxl.-continued.

Don't go to your mothers" she
cried, following him up the hall, for
tonight, Dominick, please. And don't
tell her. I beg. l pray Of you. don't
tell her till tomorrow"
Her manner was so pleading, so
imploringly insistent, that he turned
and looked somberly at her. She was
evidently deeply in earnest. her face
lined with anxiety.
This is the last thing I'll ever ask
of you. | know I've got no right to
ask anything, but you're generous,
you've been kind to me in the past,
and it'll not cost you much to be kind
just once again. Go to a hotel, or the
club, or anywhere you like, but not
to your mothers and don't tell her till
tomorrow afternoon"
He stared at her without speaking,
wishing she would be silent and leave
him.
I'll not trouble you after to-mor-
row. I'll go. I'll get out. You'll never
be bothered by me any more"
"All right" he said, 'Tll go to the
club. Let me alone. that's all, and
let me co.
"And-and," she persisted, you
won't tell her till tomorrow, tomorrow
afternoon?"
He had entered the parlor in which
the Chinaman had lit the lamps, and
opening the desk began hunting for
his papers. To her last words he return
oH hA IL
him and stood in the doorway, leaning
against the woodwork of the door
frame
You won't tell her till tomorrow
tomorrow, say, after three?"
He found the letters and drew them
out of their pigeonhole.
"All right" he almost shouted. "T
won't tell her. But, for Gods sake,
leave me alone and let me go. If you
keep on following me round this way
/ won't answer for what I'll do"
You promise then" she said, ig-
noring his heat. You promise you'll
not tell her till after three?"
He turned from the desk, gave her
look of restrained passion, and said,
Il promise" then passed by her as
she stood in the doorway and walked
to the stair-head. Here his valise
stood, and snatching it up he ran
down the stairs and out OF the house.
Bernice, hearing the door shut, re-
turned to her room and went on with
the work of sorting her wardrobe and
packing her trunks. She did it de-
nberately and carefully, looking over
each garment, and folding the choicer
articles between sheets of tissue pa
per. At midnight she had not vet
finished, and under the blaze of the
gases, looking very tired, she went on
smoothing skirts and pinching up the
lace on bodices as she laid them ten
derly on the trays that stood on the
bed, the table, and the sofa The
night was far spent before everything
was arranged to her satisfaction and
she went to bed.
She was up. betimes in the morn
ing. Eight o'clock had not struck
when she was making last tour of
the parlor picking up small articles
of silver and glass that she crowded
down into cracks in the tightly-packed
trunks. At breakfast the Chinaman,
an oblique, observant eye on her,
asked her what he should prepare for
lunch. Conscious that if she told
him she would not be back he might
become alarmed at the general de-
sertion and demand his wages, she
ordered an even more elaborate menu
than usual, telling him she would
bring home a friend.
She breakfasted in her wrapper and
after the meal finished her toilet with
the EXTREMIST solicitude Never had
she taken more pains with herself.
Though anxiety and strain had
thinned and sharpened her, the fever
of excitement which burnt in her tenn
porarily repaired these ravages. Her
eyes were brilliant without artificial
aid; her cheeks hot dry crimson
that needed no rouge The innate
practically of her character asserted