El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-06-29
Chapter 80.
Chapter 80.
s SHTHY so sad, fair lady?' Ralph
w Morton demanded teasingly.
He had driuan hi. -


! w Morton demanded teasinglv.
/ He had driven his auto
/ mobile close to the steps Of the Hale
/ home. Just above him stood Constance
| Aedford, clipping the dried blossoms
: from a Yeranda box Of plants So alb
! sorbed did she appear to be, in her task,
| or her own thoughts, tRt until he
| spoke she had betrayed no conscious
ness of Ralph's presence. When he
! greeted her she lifted her head and
| looked at him coldly.
Good morning." she returned
Edith will be down in a moment"
She bent again over the flower box
While the man watched her, half
amused, half vexed. He had for some
time suspected that at least one mem
Der Of the Hale household disliked him.
The fact that she wished to avoid him
did not daunt him now. It was too
bright a morning for one to be down.
cast, and he was progressing too IA
vOrably in Edith's regards for him
to be uncertain OF his standing.
But you haven't told me yet why
you look so depressed" he persisted
with an ingratiating smile.
But the smile was lost on Constance,
for she continued her work without
looking up.
IF I am depressed" she said, you
must place the blame on the world, not
on me"
But it seems like a pretty good old
world today" Ralph protested. TT
surely can't be as rotten as you seem
to think 1t is. Constance"
ooh, the world itself is all right"
responded the girl, brushing the soil
from her finger tips But some Of the
people in it are very rotten as you
phrase it"
Her eyes met his as she spoke and
the man found himself slightly dis
concerted by her grave gaze To cover
his embarrassment, he spoke unthink-
ingly.-
A Boomerang
Present company is always except
ed in that Indictment. Of cOurseZ' he
rejOined inquiringly, still smiling
'As you please" Constance replied
There is an old maxim. with which
you are doubtless familiar, about a
guilty conscience needing no accuser-
Whether it applies in this connection
or not you know better than L
Pm afraid I don't quite understand
you, Constance" Ralph said with a
ring of defiance in his voice
She did not answer at once, but
stood looking out over She sunny
stretch of lawn robin scurried
across the grass and her eyes followed l
it The man watching her could not I
know that she was noting the beauty !
Of the spring morning and at the same !
time remembering how, in spite Of all /
the lovely things in life, one man was ]
fault Of his own. The remembrance OF 7
this gave her courage to speak out a /
part of what was in her mind as her 6
eyes returned 10 her questioner's face
Pm afraid that you understand me .
only too well Ralph" she said quietly.
Il say afraid because I love my cOu- /
sis Edith, and also because on a morn /
ing like this I feel that all the world
all my world, at least-is clean and /
honest
And by that insinuation you mean /
what?" the man challenged angrily. |
This girls yelled illusions spurred 1
him on to learn the worst of her sus-
picions-
Just what you think I mean" Con-
stance continued in a steady voice. Il
do not believe that your hands are
clean in the affair about Tom Morton
since you press me for further infOr-
nation Nor do believe that you have
acted the part that an honorable man I
should act I would not have said
this Of my accord. Ralph. but since you
insist upon questioning me, must be
honest"
The man flushed. then grew pale.
That is, please remember. only your
personal opinion, dear lady" ne par
ried with attempted ightness- "Of ]
course you have a right TO ii, no mat
ter how uncomplimentary it may be
to me. I have known for some time
that you disliked me-were working
against me. But when you are older /
and wiser, you may not be so ready to |
make use Of a WOman's privilege Of |
insulting man, unpublished. Never
the less" he concluded with a sudden |
Outburst of resentment and rage. Il !
should like to see the man who would J
dare say such a thing to me-"
If that is really your desire" Con- |
stance replied, her voice and lips quiv- |
ering slightly, why not call on Tom, |
Ralph2 He would perhaps be less po- /
lite in his speech than I have been, !