Arizona republican., 1914-07-03
CHAPTER VIII.

(HAP1 Ell VIII.
An Armed NeutrdLtV
CURIOUSLY Hugo Loubeque watched the OPP
orator he settled back in his chair, al
most Immediately receiving the flash that mes
sage was on the way to him from some unseen,
unknown source. The brief fraction of second
etched every incident that followed clearly upon
his brain
Came long silver of light that seemed to
Judge the switchboard violently from its fast
enings, shaft that reached out and pierced him
through and through, binding him with its
bursting light-yapor. Then Loubeque felt him
self falling. falling into pit that seemed TO
have bottom. He vaguely conscious of
cries plying hands. being lifted and carried
somewhere, of low murmuring voices purposely
hushed, then heavy. black silence.
II hours before he could piece together
what had happened, bow he CHANGED to be in
bed what the cause of the terrible throbbing
pains upon his arms and torso Then the
wonder of Lucilles being with him, ministering
to him. drove every pain away and he watched
her from under cover of his heavy lashes as she
moved about the stateroom, quiet. COOL SYM
pathetic 1t had seemed impossible that Lucille
should ever be him, that she should come
back to him after all the years, that the days
at West Point with the eliminating horror of
that dismissal should be forgotten
He Strengthened in bed abruptly to
bring moan of anguish from his lips. In the
lassitude induced by his burns and the shock of
the forty years that past into the living
presence of the daughter OF the woman be had
loved at that time. And this was no more girl,
but woman, with all the capacity for love and
hate that ever woman had And she was his
enemy.
The impulse to speak with her, TO order her
away. strong upon him, but he conquered it,
the habit Of carefully planning before doing
anything coming to the fore again despite his
pain He must not show resentment of her kind
ly interest. must not hetray the fact that he
had papers for which she was looking. He must
be very certain of his ground with this girl for
a definite purpose was behind her strange board
ing of the liner the coincidence of her tending
him too strange to be unprecedented.
"You very kind" he smiled seeing he
had returned to consciousness. she softly crossed
the floor balancing herself against the motion
of the liner though she part of the
boat There was an explosion in the wireless
ROOM there not?"
You must not talk till the surgeon comes,'
she smiled. II must obey orders, you know, be-
cause | am only volunteer
a volunteer. You volunteered to help
stranger
But you are not a stranger" She smiled
curiously. wrinkling her in a delightful
way he remembered her mother to have had.
''You knew my name and that made feel
really acquainted when you were hurt There
was something penetrating in the eyes fastened
upon his own. something guileful about the sug-
gestive expression of her tones that put him in
stantlv on guard He closed his eyes again and
simulated slumber and then stealing
glance at her she sat opposite him. her pretty
brows bent in thought.
Day followed day with his faculties
fastened on the necessity for caution. curious
sort of friendship sprang up between them.
friendship partaking more of an armed neutral
it; without the formality of flag of truce than
anything else he could imagine. Without men,
tioning their mutual attitude both recognized
the enmity that must exist between them. both
knew the other was conscious of the others
thoughts.
Times there were when Lucille would find
herself wandering in memory fields, back to the
days at Manila. And times there were when she
would have to conquer the impulse to take this
powerful, sardonic, silent man she nnrsed and
shake the secret of the papers from him. Then
again she would be all compassion. her
heart CRYING out in it's innocence against the
bitterness that poisoned her patients heart and
soul. Something within her told her of the times
when his eyes would soften and the natural af-
lection within him would attempt to steal
through the shell with which his hate had en-
crusted him. And then she would fight down
with effort the impulse to throw herself upon
the better nature she knew he was making such
an effort to hide. to plead with him for the
happiness he had stolen from her, for the honor
of the man she loved.
Nature weakens the body that it may nour-
ish the soul. But with the alienation of Hugo
Loubeque's sufferings the old animosity and pur-
had undoubtedly sought the opportunity of ntirs-
ing him that she might defeat his purpose. She
was the daughter of the man he had spent his
life in working out complete degradation for
He must fight down the weakness which assailed
him when her resemblance to the Lucille of
forty years ago surged strong within him; he
must fight against her as he would fight against
anyone else. as he had fought against the very
world
And Lucille felt the change. felt it and re-
{ho IF he ctr n
papers. The spirit of the game was in her and
she yielded grudging admiration for the cum
ming of the man who, in his most acute
suffering managed to conceal everything from
her. Even in delirium his powerful brain resisted
her suggestions. her hints
Detective stories she had read and she tried
now TO bring the methods of those sleuths of
fiction to her aid. Strangely enough. though she
recalled their exploits well, these heroes seemed
febrile puppets when compared to the man she
nursed One story alone had impressed itself
upon her and she knew there was no chance to
use the ingenious method OF that one VINO haa