The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-02-28

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forth. "or something rather like
1t has often before been purchas-
ed by some such trifle as lies
there before you.''
oh" she said, you mean the
pearl? You mean the Harvest
Moon? Yes, Of corse. What
shall we do with It, l wonder?"
do with it?" cried he. Wear
1t, of course. Wear 1t at your
wedding - and ever after. It'll
mako you famous" The tone
was harsh and jeering, brutally
bitter, but again she showed no
resentment.
"Oh. there won't be any we'd
ding" she said, speaking still in
her colorless, child-like tone =
but the eyes told! The eyes told
it all! did you think I'd go on
and marry Mr.. Soames now? oh.
no, indeed! You see, / love Jerry
Castle, and Jerry's dead and /
killed him." Then, after a little
space of vacant staring, she bent
over the Harvest Moon.
What shall | do with 1t, Lord
Ridforth?"
THE pearl is yours" said he,
but he began to watch her with a
new expression in his eyes.
81 don't want It," she said.
shuddering. There was a time
when ! would have sold my soul
for 1t and laughed over the bar
gain. Now-oh, / don't want It.
Il think" she said, II know
what to do"
She set sherry glass before
her and filled it from the little
bottle she found.
Miss Lindon dropped the Har-
vest Moon into the glass, and as
1t disappeared the man across the
table made a sound like an audi
BILE groan. Little bubbles,
streams of them, began. to mount
to the top of the glass, as If the
liquid in it were champagne, but
1t was not, it was vinegar. He
looked across the table at the girl
who sat there still, and his hard
face softened. He was a grim
man and ruthless, quite merciless
upon occasion, but there was
something In this deed that
touched a responsive chord in
him. A little woman could not
have done 1t.
"And now" she said, will you
do you think, Lord Ridforth,
that you could tell me more
about-him, any little thing, the
littlest?"
The man regarded her very
keenly and bent his head. Then
he told her all that he knew, or
could remember or thought 1t best
at that time to tell Of your Ger
aid Castle and of Castles awful
sufferings. He must have talked
quite steadily for an hour or
more. "And now we must-I must
go; but first" She drew to-
ward her the little sherry-glass
and looked down upon 1t. At the
bottom the liquid was clouded
and gray, but at the top 1t had
begun to clear. She rose to her
feet and Lord Ridforth rose with
her.
II drink" said Miss Lindon,
ito the memory of brave and
faithful gentleman who suffered
through me-and / drink in the
treasure he won for me. ! think
he would have liked it to be So"
She drank what was in the little
glass and afterward was still.
shuddering slightly, for the acid
must have burned her throat with
cruel strength.
II will go now" said Miss Lin
don, but Lord Ridforth stepped
quickly past her and stood before
the door. His face showed
strange excitement. He said:
"a moment, pleased" And she
halted, looking at him with dull
surprise.
81 came here" said the man,
full of bitterness and scorn and
hatred. j came here to face
woman whom | believed to be ut
terly selfish and heartless-hard
as iron. / ionged to make her
suffer as she had made poor Cas-
tie suffer, but had no hope of 1t.
IL want to say that I'm sorry.
want to say that I've learned
something. I've been suffering
here tonight as keen and as terri
BILE as any human suffering can
be. I've seen absolute despair
and I've seen great nselfishness.
Thank God, can reward It as It
ought to be rewarded. Miss Lin
don, part OF the story | told you
was a lie. q deliberate lie, agreed
upon between Gerald Castle (only
he has another name now) and
myself. Mo-! Wait, pleased Let
me explain. l did find him as
badly off as ! told you. He had
suffered all said and more, but
at the end Of my ten days nurs-
ing he did not die; he recovered
sufficiently to be put on board
ship for England"
Lord Ridforth halted there.
frowning anxiousIy. for the Rirl