The Washington herald., 1914-06-28

An iHtofTbptoo ApPout.
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OR long time, Lucille did not
NAN trust herself to speak. Her eyes
l fearfully sought the room which
~ had started to press down upon
- i her and was still suspended mid
way of ceiling and basement floor.
N~% Then she looked at the outstretched
palm of the man who stood, so
Af coolly smoking there in the door
~ way. She clasped the packet Of
papers to her breast, her eyes dart
ing a defiance to him, a defiance which ne al
fected to ignore entirely. ..
''The papers, Miss Lucille, If you please"
Again that insistent, mildness Of tone which she
knew there was no successful resisting.
For the feeting second she wondered what
would happen did she refuse, wondered what
diabolical thing might enter his brain when he
found himself defed. A glance at the room
which had started to descend upon her drove
the thought away as quickly it brought a
shudder through her slender frame. Slowly, re-
luctantly, she held out the packet TO him, watch
ing him furtively as, with the utmost courtesy,
he bowed and placed it in his breast pocket.
Slowly he conducted her up the stairs. In
his private he motioned her to a chair,
seating himself at the desk.
II am not going TO threaten you again" he
said quietly. Il wish you TO know that this is
the last time you can interfere with my plans.
Also I wish to congratulate you on your perse-
verance and cleyerness in the art of disguise.
You have" he added with a smile, made 1t
necessary for the servants to place the sign re-
garding agents and beggars over the back en-
trance But, Miss Lucille L stood and watched
you from this very window, hoping that you
would gain access TO the house because knew
exactly what has happened would inevitably oc-
did you succeed. Child, can you not be made
to see what folly il is-this fight against me?"
Mr.. Loubeque," she said softly have you
never grieved that it is impossible for the finer
feelings you are continually suppressing to be re-
turned because your ambitions are cruel and
base? I do not like to wage this constant war
with YOU; do not like to battle with the man
who has been kind to me, in his own way,
that could love him as another father. But you
would take from me, for whom you were will
ing to give up life itself TO spare one Pang
Of physical anguish, everything that life holds
dear You would ruin my father; You would
wreck my sweetheart's life. You would keep me
apart from perfect happiness, after l have mere
" peeked through the door of that happiness
only to have it slammed shut in my face. Can't
you that 1t is you who must go down to de-
feat? Can't you see that Love such supports
a frail girl to battle with you I have done
will not be downed by the most powerful man?
Can't You that l cannot stop even if do
sometimes grow very tired and sick at heart
and prav to this soul of mine TO let me lie down
for a little while and rest? Rest-Rest-" She
broke off with sob of the most acute distress.
There is such word rest for me. Always
it is 20 on-go constantly go until it
seems must fall along the wayside. But do
not fall, have never fallen and, If you will
honestly retrace the path of our conflicts since
first they started, you will find, will that
what I have said is true because-though the
papers in your possession now-I have
from you constantly. have always and I
shall always continue to win. And you know it,
Mr.. Loubeque, for can see it on your face
now"
Like one inspired she was as the halting
tones of her plea changed to those of passionate
conviction, certainty that expressed itself in
words tumbling from the tongue with utter
abandon, words that seemed to come from other
Ups than her own And Doubeque looked
back at the beautiful figure of the girl, he was
surprised to that suddenly she seemed TO
har nbor rrod Sha%4 4ha c1io o4 Oh, d,-6o ho5
come board the Empress from the hydroplane
of the army aviator and whom he had always
recalled the veriest child, whom he disliked
to with. felt ridiculous allowing her to OBJ
trude upon his plans for instant, had sud-
denly become a woman Of such capacity for love
and hate as even he himself did not have. He
read 1t in the gorgeously glowing eyes, the
mantling cheeks the quivering lines of her
countenance well as her form
As swiftly she changed, the mood melting
back to the one he had always associated with
the memory of her mother the girl he had loved
and whom he still loved as fondly in the old
days of Filtration Walk at the Point from which
he had been expelled. Swiftly she came to his
side, placing her hand upon his shoulder, her
voice low and tender again. like the signing of
an April breeze through the greening baby
leaves.
"You think you are working for Hate and
al the time you are working for the same rea
son that am-you working because of Love.
You cannot deny it even to yourself. You know
it. You are working to revenge yourself upon
the one who won the woman you loved from you.
You know love and still you would take it out
of the heart of the child of that woman. Can
you not see what a frightful wrong you are do
ing. Can you not see what perversion of love
is this thing you constantly seek to do? Can you
not"
Lucille could feel the mans shoulders tremb-
hing, could mark the tremendous effort he made
St self control She was almost ready to plead
with him for a return of the papers. to give up
his entire life work and count it failure, con-
hdent that he well along the road to doing
so when a rap sounded on the door.
For some reason which she could not define,
a shudder ran through her at the sound. She
seemed TO recognize sinister presence close by.
There was something individual about the light
tapping sound that she could almost identify.
She glanced at Loubeque and her heart sank as
she the wave of emotion she had bred with
in him had passed that he was again the icy
fndefatigable international spy.
Come in" he called briskly.
r CHAPTER XXXXI.
LoEbeqHe Loses HIS Temper.