Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-12

ypuH ms u lltTf = ever lKGlY 10 /
be a time when ! don't want you. I was
half beside myself for want OF you then"
She moved forward, he put his hands as
n to stop her You mustn't, you
mustn't" He drew himself a little more
erect. "Margery. I'm going TO be mar
ried."
us that true? Is 1t quite, quite cor
tain tina you're going to he marrie1?'
ITS either that or jail"
you are sure-perfectly sure?'
absolutely. Clarke Is here; he wants
his money; he'll take a warrant out If he
doesn't get 1t soon. | can only get il
f~rom-her."
There was such an accent on the pro-
%noun-I knew it from the look which was
on his face. l could see she WINGED.
81 know; I've heard all about her. l
don't know what to advise you to do.
| You know you will be committing a great
sin-if you marry her" l noticed that
both parties seemed to avoid mentioning
her name. II know you Cecil. your
weakness and your strength l do not
think you Will ever cease to love me
II am as sure of that as that you and !
are standing here; it's the only thing OF
which | am sure, You are part and par
eel of my life, of my very being"
That being SO, do you think you ought
to m~arry-hpr, even to save yourself?"
IT'S not only to save myself-it's to
save you. If I don't marry her I shall hs
tent to Jail-there's no alternative. Then,
when / come out. as likely as not 1 shall
marry you"
"Well-what them" The smile which
! lighted up her face was one which. my
instinct told me, only comes to the wom-
mn who holds the wort well lost for love
Her question made hin flame into anger.
What then? Everything then! Mar
gerry, you shan't marry a jailbird-you
shall not. If I'm to be branded as a felon,
TFt 49, -n-I --I
to our children-never, never. AS God Is
my witness, you shall not be a felon's
wife. So the thing resolves itself into
this: If 7 don't marry this woman I shall
I become a jailbird-Clarke will make me
one, ~then-youll be such a temptation to
me, Margery. I've been tempted once and
I've fallen, but what was that temptation
compared to you? III not dare to risk It.
SO It's good-by, Margery. I've no right
to kiss YOU; the mere thought of your
lips against mine drives me mad. I'm
going-Im going to marry that woman
and I'm going to her now"
And apparently he went-he positively
ran. And the girl never turned even to
! follow him with her eyes. but remained
stock still where he mad left her: then
did as he had done-looked out across the
night-black sea.
1 sat still and watched her till I could
bear 1t no longer; then I went to her and
said:
will you come with me, please, While
I speak to some friends" She glanced
at me as she might have done at a ghost;
I do not think she quite realized that 1
was a creature of flesh and blood. So I
reached out and took her by the hand and
said to her again: II think I can help
you If you'l come with me while I speak
to some freinds."
She did not utter a sound, or try TO. l
think her heart was broken. She Just let
me take her by the hand and lead her
where I would, she moved as II she were
! a docile child. I saw. in the distance, that
Mr.. and Mrs. Curtis We're still where |
had left them; so I placed her on a chair
within sight, and l said. as II had been
speaking to a child:
"Sit there, please, and don't move; in
a few minutes I hope I'll be able to conn
to you again with some good news"
She sat down witt meek and heartren-
ding obedience-she was such a picture OF
misery l could have cried, but I bore VI
till got to Mr.. and Mrs. Curtis, even
though l believe there was something
moist in the corners of my eyes. 1 got
to the heart of my subject without any
sort of preamble.
you know, Mrs. Curtis. I told you thai
, 7 was a teacher of the deaf and dumb
, and that I could tell what people are say
, ing by watching their lips
"Of course you did, my dear. This Is
my husband, who has just come TO ms
from New York City. Fred, this Is Mis-
Judith Lee, of whom l was speaking &c
you. She's a very wonderful young WON
! an, and | hope she's going to be my very
} dear friend"
did not wait for Mr.. Curtis 10 speak
I lust went on. I could see he was be
. ginning to look at me viii a sort o.
wonder.
8 II Just saw you and Mr.. Curtis talk
ing, and I saw him sa. to you that witt
{ some of the money he had Just been max
ing he would like to set some fellow, who
= wasn't quito a bad one, on his legs. ano
I give some woman. who was very much in
need of it, happiness. Well, know just
such a pair, and II he meant 1t I car
give him a chance of doing, right now
exactly what he said he wanted to do
, They looked at me. and they looked a.
= each other. which l did not wonder at
I was so hot and eager, so very much ir
, earnest.
Mr.. Curtis asked, with something in his
voice which made me wonder II he was
, quizzing me, but I did not care If he was
I who are your deserving couple. Miss
Lee?'
, Then I told them all about It, in Just a,
l few words as l could. and as close to tn
| point as I could get them. 1t did m,
? good to see how quick he was at gettins
at my meaning. ! believe that before
l Hdu Hlllsutu ne uIlutlS Nppi II III just 81
at what I wanted him 10 get. The quiz
zical note was still in his voice when h,
/. made what, from an Englishman, would
f. have seemed a simply amazing speech
, but which seemed to come quite naturally
l from him,
l IF fifty thousand dollars-that Is, ter
thousand pounds sterling-would do FOL
8 this lady and gentleman what you wan
!, to do, you can have the cash tonight, or
one condition, Miss Loe-that YOU don
= say from whom il comes, You're to re
gard that as your secret and mine"
In about three minutes 7 went tearing
h.. off after Mr.. Armitage. | found him sit
, ting at a table in a corner OF the restau
rant. a MISUNDERSTANDING glass in from
of him and a most dismal expression on
; his face.
M Armitage, / want you TO come WITH
| me at once. on business which Is to you
t almost a matter OF life and death"
: He looked at me as If amazed. which
, was not odd. fancy J seemed pretty ex'
f cited, and my acquaintance with him was
e of the slightest. But | gave him no chance
, to talk. Almost before he knew it, | was
, sailing down the room with him at m
D side. | believe Mr.. Armitage did ask
Q some questions. but he got no answers;
4 ! took him at such a pace To my hote
1 that he had not time to ask many. l haC
A arranged with Mrs, Curtis that she shoulc
I carry off tho girl to her private sitting,
5 room. AS l opened the door, with thu
, young gentleman in tow, she came out
4 and she slipped into my hand what
knew to be a wad OF notes. Then
. showed Mr.. Armitage into the room. and
' when he saw the girl and the girl ga "
e him their faces were a study.