The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-05-21

SSA4SA&S" ~>~~
answer would be.
eyes," she replied, after moment
She was startled. Her lips remained
parted. -
He watched her closely. "Has this
this secret anything to do with Chal
lis Wrandall?"
'tIt has," said she, meeting his gaze
steadily,
His hands clutched the edge of the
table in a grip that turned the knuckles
white.
Eetty!" he cried, in a hoarse whis.
per. "You-can't mean that you"
"You must go to Sara" she cried
hurriedly. Haven't told you that she
is the one
Were you In love with that internal
scoundrel?" he demanded fercely.
Sara knows everything. She viii
tell you"
Were, you carrying on an affair
with him while protesting to be the
friend of, his wife? Tell me that! Did
she find you out and"
ooh, Brandon, why will you per:
sist?" she cried, her eyes afame. %
can tell you no more. Why do you
glare at me as II were the meanest
thing on earth? Is this love? Is this
your idea Of greatness? Isn't it enough
for you to know that Sara is my loyal,
devoted friend; that she"
watt" he commanded darkly. SIS
it possible that she did not discover
your secret until the day you left her
house 80 abruptly? Does that explain
your sudden departure?"
"I can answer that" she said quiet
ly. "She has known everything from
the day met her. I have not said
anything, Brandon, to lead you to be
heve that I was in love with Challis
Wrandall, have I?''
His eyes softened. "No, you haven't
IL hope you viii forget what said
You see, knew Wrandall's reputation
He had no sense Of honor. He"
'Well, haye!" she said levelly.
He flushed. II am a beast! I'll put
It in this way, then: Was he in love
with you?"
"You are stiI unfair. shall not an
swer."
He was silent for a long time. "An6
sara's lips are sealed" he mused, still
possessed Of doubts and fears.
Until she elects to tell the story,
dearest love, my lips are also sealed.
love you better than anything else in
all this world. I could willingly Offer
up my life for you, but-well, my life
does not belong to me. It is Sara's."
3For heavens sake, Hetty, what is
all this?" he cried in desperation.
"I can say no more. It Is useless to
insist, Brandon. II you can wrest the
story from her, all well and good. You
will hate me then, dear love. But il
cannot be helped. am prepared
'Tell me this much: When you re
fused to marry Leslie, was your
course inspired by what &ad hap
pened in-in connection with Challie
Wrandail?"
"You forget that it is you that
love-" she responded simply.
"But why should Sara urge you tc
marry Leslie il there is anything"
flush! There Is the waiter. Come
to my sitting-room after breakfast.
have something to say to you. We
must come to a definite understanding
This cahnot go on
He was with her for an hour In that
pinched little sittingroom, and left he1
there without Yestige Of rancour In
his soul. She would not give an inch
in the stand she had taken, but some
thing immeasurably great in his make
up rose to the occasion and he went
forth with the conviction that he had
no right to demand more Of her than
she was ready to give. He was salts.
fed to abide by her decision. The
spell Of her was over him more com.
pletely than ever before.
Two days later he saw her off at the
Care de Lyons, bound for Interlaken.
There was a complete understanding
between them. She wanted to be quite
alone in the Alpine town; he was not
to follow her there. She had reserved
rooms at the Schweitzerhof, and the
windows Of her sitting-room looked
straight up the valley to the snow-cov'
cred crest Of the Jungfrau. She re,
membered these rooms; as young girl
she had occupied them with her father
and mother. By some hook or crook,
Booth arranged by wire for her to have
them again. not an easy matter at that
season Of the year. Later she was tc
go to Lucerne, and then to Venice.
The slightest shred Of hope was left
for Booth. Even though he might ac
complish the task he had set unto him.
sels-the conquest Of Sara in respect
to the untold story-he still had Het.
ty's dismal prophecy that after he
learned the truth he would come tc
see why they could not be married
But he would not despair.
Wen see," was all that he said in
response to her forlorn cry that they
were parting for ever. There was a
grimness in the way he said it that
gave her something to cherish during
the months to come; the hope that he
would come back and take her in spite
Of herself
He sailed from Cherbourg on the
first steamship calling there. Awake,
he thought Of her; asleep, he dreamed
bear struck him in the pit of the stom-