The Washington times., 1913-06-17
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY.

behaved so dissracefully to you about
Douglas looked up eagerly. The thing
| had always puzzled him.
mo. Why?"
Because he had orders from Emily
her address and hidden you go and see
her. You never went. So she wrote
Drexley to give you no encouragement.
II was your punishment. You were to
GO to her."
Il don't believe it," Douglas declared
hotly.
Then you don't believe me-" Rice
said quietly. "for on my honor / tell
YOU that I have seen the Letter."
! Douglas leaned his head upon his
hand.
"Pm SORRY" he said, wearily. II be-
, lieve absolutely in you, but / beieve
also in her. There must be some mis-
understanding"
Rice rose up. Douglas had paid tne
bill long ago. A waiter. overcome VITA
the munificence of his tip. brought tnem
their hats and preceded them, smiiins,
street. and the fresh air was grateIui
to both of them. Rice passed his ar"
through his companion's.
II want you to give just an hour'
he said-''no more:
Douglas nodded; and they III .1naqe, maGs tasI and
way through maze ot oqoo -.
streets southwark. At last Rice
stopped before a house in a terrace OF
smoke e-begrimed tenements and leo .ne
way inside. They mounted night attor
fight of stairs. pausing AT iast ps.o,e -
a door on the topmost floor. Rice tnrew
It open and motioned his companion :"
follow him in.
II was a small chamber. bare ano
paunt, without ornament or luxury.
without even comfort. The furniture
was the poorest of It's sort, sne scrap
of carpet was eked out with HnoieuIt
from which the pattern had long peen
worn. There was only one thing which
could be said In its favor-the room
was clean. Rice leaned against the
mantelpiece, watching his companion 8
face.
"Mv friend" he said. II have brought
YOU here because / wanted you 70 see
my home. Shall / tell you why! Be
Bare and empty. comfortless, with
never a bright spot nor ray OF hope.
There is nothing here to dazzle you, ls
there? Ali that you can remark In It's
favor is that II is toleraoly clean-all IN
my life that can lay claim 10 Is tnat l
amount of self-respect. This Is my hfe,
my present and my future. 1 wanted
you to see II.
Douglas was puzzled. He scarcely
knew what to say. but instinctiveiy he
felt that Rice's purpose in bringing him
here had not yet been explained. So
ne waited.
II have told you," Rice continued. "of
Drexley and Of poor young Silverton. I
have told you that there have been
many others. have told you that she
even tried to do you III that you might
be numbered among her victims. Nov
I tell you what as yet I have told no
man. I. too. was once the most pitiful
of her slaves"
"You?"
A sharp staccato cry broke from
Douglas lips. He had not expected
this. Rice was suddenly an older man.
The careless front he showed to the
weary. elderly. 1t was a rare moment
with him. "I made a brave start" he
continued. like you. Some one took
me to her house. / made an epigram
that pleased her: / passed at once into
the circle of her intimates. She fat
tered me. dazzled me, fed my ambition
and my passion. / told her Of the girl
whom ] loved. whom ] was engaged to
marry. She was on the surface sympa-
thetic; in reality she never arterward
let pass an opportunity OF making some
scathing remark as to the folly Of a
young man sacrificing a possibly bril-
liant future for the commonplace joys
Of domesticity.
81 became even as the rest. Ny head
was turned: my letters to Alice became
less frequent: every penny of the money
I was earning went to pay my tailor's
bills and to keep pace with the life
which. as her constant companion.
was forced to live. All the while the
girl who trusted me never complained,
but was breaking her heart. They sent
for me-she was unwell. had promised
to take Emily upon the river and she
declined to let me off. / think that
evening some premonition Of the truth
came to me.
1--WE saw a child drowned-I watched
Emily's face. She looked at the corpse
without a shudder. with frank and
brutal curiosity. She had never seen
anything really dead-it was quite in
terestinR. Well. I hurried back to my
rooms. meaning to catch a night train
in to Devonshire. On the mantelplece
was a telegram which had come early
I'm the morning. Alice was worse-their
only hope was In nv speedy coming.
daahsd into n hanaom but on tha