The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-02-01

hunted creature at bay. he glanced
over his shoulder. Seeing an open door
almost at his elbow. he resolutely drew
his wife after him into the room be-
yond. As he turned to slam the door
with vicious energy the tense, incisive
voice called out once more from the
head of the stairs:
Father
The door banged as II propelled by
the added energy of sudden fear.
An instant later David was dashing
up the stairs. three steps at a time.
She had started down.
Not just now. dearest" he cried.
Wait He wants to see your mother
first
Isis she safe, David-is he him.
self? oh, | must go down there. I
know / can reason
"She is perfectly safe"
Her head dropped, her lip quivered.
Then she quietly withdrew her hands
and sank to a sitting posture Oh the
step.
David dropped to his sweetheart's
side. His arm fell about her shoulders.
He whispered words Of encourage
ment and sympathy, his soul in every
syllable.
David" she interrupted, ut is so
good of you to say these things to
me, but-but-oh, can't you see how
impossible it is now? Go away, Da-
vid. Do you think that | can marry
,,axy9 Il xr-a bod ono,,rh hafnro
but nowi What am l that you should
take me to be your wife. You must
go away and forget
He drew her head to his breast,
smothering the heartbroken cry by
the fierceness of his embrace.
open your eyes, Christine. Look
at me- She looked up. utter desola-
ton in her eyes. Nothing On earth
can keep you from being my wife
nothing. | couldn't give you up"
ut cannot be, David-it cannot be!'
she moaned.
Meanwhile Thomas Braddock was
pacing the floor Of the library almost
directly beneath them. His wife
watched him in silence. 1t was the
first time she had seen him in FIVE
years. \ curious analysis was going
On in her perturbed brain. The change
In him, She could not take her eyes
from the haggard, heavily lined face,
so unlike the blithe, youthful one she
had loved. or the bloated, bestial one
she had feared and despised. She
marveled. This was net the vacillat-
ing, whisky willed man she had known
for so long; here was a determined
character. swelling with force. fierce
in the of a belated integrity
of purpose. No longer the careless,
handsome youth, nor the honorless
man. but a power! Whether that
power stood for good or evil it matter
ed not. He was a man such as she
had never expected him to be.
He stopped in front of her.
This is the first time | have ever
been asked into this house." he said,
lips curling in a bitter, unfriendly
smile.
Tom she said, taking a firm grasp
on her nerves. ''let us talk it over
quietly. Sit down."
He halted. Il can talk better stand
ing" he said grimly. He came up
close to her. She stood her ground.
looking him squarely in the eyes.
There isn't much to say, Mary. You
know me for what | am, and you
know who made me so. He's got to
pay, that's all. We won't 90 into the
past. It's not easily forgotten. | guess
we remember everything"
Everything" she said.
I'm not excusing myself. I'm past
that, and besides it wouldn't go down
with you. | did a lot of rotten things
while you and | were ploddin' along
through those last two years with the
show-you know what they were. But
it was whisky. | took money that
didn't belong to me-yours and Chris
tines. and Grand's, and tensions. l
did worse than that, Mary. | sold you
out to Bob Grand-you knew that too.
But I'm going TO try to pay up all my
debts-all Of EN-, in a day or two. I
W you my ugly. worthless life. I'm
going to pay you in full by ending it.
| W Colonel Grand for everything |
% " IL l. I'LL L IL 6OAuS ~
pay him, S % help me God. Don't in
terrupt. My minds made up. / came
here to ask you just two questions. l
want you to answer them. I'm going
to believe you. You neyer lie, l know
that
Il Will answer them, Tom
He hesitated, his gaze wavering for
the first time. IL hate to ask you
this first one, Mary" he said. Its a
mean question, but I've just got to
hear you say n %. Did you go to Eng
land with Bob Grand
NO
Here's the other. Did he give you
money TO live on, to educate Christine
with, abroad?"
mo"