The Washington times., 1913-03-13

YOU can hardly refuse to tell more"
"I' he stammered-- I'm already
married.
She gave little. stifled cry
whether of pain. or horror, or Of in
dignation he could not tell.
| I'm sorry. = he began.
Don't you think you might possibly
have thought Of this before%'
Are you in the habit of declaring
He couldn't answer.
Don't answer IL you don't want to.
I've no cal right to know. / asked
You don't understand he broke
out. suddenly. "The things 50
strange, so far off, SO dreamlike to
so it would SEEM" she put In.
| cruelty.
please hear me-"
Surely you must see am listening.
Mr.. whitaker
'It was several years ago-nearly
| seven. / was on the point of death. l
had been led to expect death within .
few months. In a moment of senti-
self married a girl I'd never seen
before to help her out OF desperate
| scrape she'd got into, meaning simply
to give her the protection OF my
| name.
"she was in bad trouble We never
lived together, never even saw one
another after that hour. She had
every reason to think me dead--as
should have been by rights. Nov.
| she Is about to sue for divorce. Now
you know just what sort Of con-
temptible hound ] am.'
After a long pause, during which
voice: Thank you"
She turned toward the house.
II throw myself upon your mercy.
DO you?" she said. cody, pausins.
"oh! forgive you. Mr. Whitaker.
My heart is really not quite as fragile
as all this implies" :
81 didn't mean that--you know I
that I won't bother yoI-with this mat
ter-again. I don't want you to be
afraid Of me-
II am not"
The words were terse and brusque
enough: the accompanying. swift ges-
| ture. in which her hand rested momen-
tarily on his arm, confidently. almost
affectionately. he found oddly contra
| dictory.
lief?" she said. with an abrupt change
of manner. swinging toward the north
lie shaded his eyes, peerins intently
encompassing obscudty from northwest
to southeast.
Not a suggestion" he said. dropping
his hand "If there was a boat on the
way. we couldn't help seeing her
"Then, there's no use waitingT'
"T'm afraid not. They'd hardly come
tonight, anyway. They'd be more like
iy to come over by daylight II they hap
pened to suspect anything amis' De-
Then, I think I'll go to bed. I'm
very. very tired. in spite Of my sleep
on the sands. That didn't rest me-
really"
"Of course"
And your
oh, I'm all right"'
..But what are you going to dor
why keep the fire going. I pre-
sumo" ,,
even worth while?'
He made a doubtful gesture.
II WISH" she continued Il wish
you'd stay in the house I'm really
been. you know. rather a narrowing ex-
perience. ANYTHING might happen IN
place like this
"oh! certainly" he agreed. somswhst somewhat
myself to know I was within call II
anything should happen to alarm you
They returned to the kitchen.
In silence, while Whitaker fidgeted
about the room awkward and unhappy,
sene lamp from the shelf above the
sink. assured herself that II was filled.
and lighted 1t. Then, over her shoul- |
der: nj
n,sb. = hope y? you don't mean to stay up all
'I-well. I'm really not sleepy"
"Oh! but you are," she insisted, calm |
Honestly: slept SO long down there
Please don't try to deceive me. III
know that slumbers like those-of ex-
haustion-don't rest one as they should. |
Besides. you show how tired you are In
every gesture. in the way you carry
yourself. in your very eyes"
You're mistaken he contended.
looking away, for fear lest his eyes
should indeed betray him. Besides. |
mean merely to sit up here to see that
everything Is all right
How should 1t be otherwise?" She
laughed briefly with derison, yet not
unkindy. This island is as empty as
last-year's bird's-nest. What could
happen to harm. or even to alarm us
or me?'
"One can't tell
81 can prophesy. then. and I'm not
in the least frightened. And. further
you're sitting up down here, fighting
off fatigue needlesly. More than that.
I shan't even try to sleep unless you
promise me not to exhaust yourself.
There's a corner room downstairs here
Tight at the foot of the stairs. If you
occupy it I shall feel more than secure.
Will you promise?"
He gave In at discretion. Yes.
promise.
LAS soon as YOU feel the least desire
to go to sleep you'll go to bed?" she in7
sisted.
Il promise"
Very well. then
The note OF determination faded from
her tones. She moved toward the ta-
BILE, deposited the lamp there, and hesi-
tated in one of her strange. unpresaged
turns Of diffdence, looking down at the
finger tips with which she traced a !