The Detroit times., 1914-03-02

Iowh undoing. Fay Clayton had turnet
to the Oldest and the most pitiful ex
ciise Of weak men and emotiona
women--fate. For the moment she
was willing to believe that inexorabl,
fate In the person of one Max Lusl
had laid its heavy hand upon her. ant
tate could not be denied. But, =
least. fate had come supplied with
plenty OF money--enough Cor her owI
Immediate needs, and q substantial
balance to leave to her fellow-lodgers
When Doris returned to the apart
ment late that afternoon Fay told hel
at once Of her dismissal from tn,
company and Of her proposed visit Il
her friends In the country. Con
fused - her mind was. Il assumed {
certain degree OF craftiness With .
| nns regard to the details OF her plan,
she He'd to Doris. and her story wal
believed.
The next morning she went down
town and made the purchases which
earlier In the day, Lusk had assured
her we're essential to the ocean voy
age, but not for q moment was the
girl more than half-conscious Of what
she was doing. Over and over again
she saw In qnick succession Lusk's
gray, putty face bowling himself out Of
the door, Fielding % no fell uncon
scious across the table 1t Stnart'l
party. and Stuart himself. with his
virile thick-set frame, bulldog jaw
and sympathetic appealing eyes.
II was two O'Clock when she had
finished her purchases. and with her
arms filled with bundles. was hurry
Ing on her way to the subway station
at Times Square. Just % she passed
the Knickerbocker. Stuart came out
OF the hotel md met her face to face,
II was impossible to avoid him. and
30 she stopped. her head lowered, and
her cheeks on fre.
such a days shopping.' he
laughed, "ycu must have come into .
legacy
Fay glanced at him and then down
at the parcels. Somehow, II seemed
impossible to lie to this man, and.
aftsr al, what dinersnce could II
make now?
mo. not . legacy" she said. I'm
going abroad tomorrow. I'm going
abroad to Bremen, and Paris, and
Monte Carlo. Congratulate me-"
Stuart was holding . cigarette be-
tween his fingers, but ct her words
he let Il fall to the pavement, and
then carefully stamped out the IRE
with hia heel.
DO You mean" he asked. "thst you
are married?"
Fay looked at him with scared con.
fused eyes. and shook her head.
no" she said, I'm not married.
Just . trip abroad and
Paris. and Monte Carlo"
Stuart tapped the pavement slowly
with his stick, glanced 1t Fay. and
then back ct the hotel. and then ct
the high bill-boards over the shops
across the street.
You're sailing tomorrow" he
said, with his unseeing eyes now fixed
on the packages under her arm. To
morrow he repeated, 1T seems 10
soon"
From q world OF worldly knowledge
Ms mind was cropping about for Z
word, an argument, . story that would
put to rout this tragedy. People were
passing them, jostling them, ~ they
stood facing each other on the crowd
ed thoroughfare. Somehow he re-
sented the sun shining from q clear
blue sky. and the noise Of the traflic
and the rumble Of the cars fairly bel
lowed In his ears. Surely In the
archives OF his full happy life there
Was something. some moral, some
word Of hope. that he could offer the
mind Of this girl, standing
before him. that would
uoAkA hAv Anxx <hfu0~ The. ~~~11~~
we're. Was there no experience In
his whole life that fitted him to hold
4 brief for virtue and clean living?
He saw woman. who, In his heart, he
jared for tremendously, soul. - yet
pure, clad In blue serge, and white
gloves and patent leather shoes.
bound straight for hell-hell surely
n this world and whatever hell the
next world provides--and yet he
found his tongue was dry and pow
erless. Weakly he put out his hand,
but his voice was unnaturally high
and resonant.
'Good-by." he said. 'and good luck
10 you. But. good God, will nothing
stop you? You're the one thing in
his rotten town that I'd have gambled
on. Id have staked my life on you.
Let me come and see you this after.
noon. tonight. any time--let me talk
TO yOu, before you 60. won't you?'
With frightened unsecing eyes. Fay
tried TO look into his. She slowly
gathered her bundles under one arm
and put out her hand to take the one
held out TO her. but. somehow. their
hands never met. and
the crowds of the street came be-
tween them and carried them apart.
All the arrangements for her depar.
ture Fay had learned BY telephone
from Lusk. and the next morning
found her lying on the lounge In her
stateroom. dry-eyed. miserabIy un.
happy, nervous wreck Of her former
self. II was not until the big boat
was well on It's way down the bay
that she found the physical strength
and the courage to venture on deck.
To her great relief there was no one
near. and so she leaned on the rail
and watched the high buildings OF
New York slowly disappear through
the gray mists of the winter morn.
ing. Whatever evil the future might
bring her, thank God, that was over, !
The great towers--the emblem of
huge industries--the blaring show of
wealth and prosperity. that blotted
out the weak and poor under the
shadow Of its ostentatious splendor. |
were fading before her tired weary
eyes. At least she had made good
her escape before the big cruel city
had completely crushed her poor
pretty body into oblivion.
Good morning" she heard a cool
pleasant voice saying to her, and look.
ms over her shoulder. she saw Jimmy
stnsrt standing ct her side.