The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-25

ming the gamut Of the fiercely varying
emotions.
Let me understand" he said. "You
knew l had taken the money, and yet
you did all these things to pull me out
and make the holdup success. Where
was your moral sense, all this time,
little girl?"
She made a. charming little mouth
at him.
lam Joan, and the Joans don't have
any moral senses-to speak of-do
they? That's the way you are writing
| it down In your book, isn't it," Then.
with low laugh that sounded some
unfathomed depth Of loving abandon
ment: 1T was a game; and played
it-played 1t for all l was, worth, and
] won. You are free; free as the air,
, Kenneth, boy. II Broffin should come
| here this minute and put his hand
| on your shoulder, you, could look up
and laugh in, his, face. Are you glad
or sorry?"
His answer was the answer of the
man who was, for the time being, mel.
p, ther the moralist nor the criminal
With swift outreaching he drew her
to him, crushed her in his arms. COW
cred her face with kisses.
81 am glad-glad that am your
lover" he whispered, passionately
God, girl! but you are woman to die
for! No, not yet"-when she would
have slipped out Of his arms-believe.
me. Margery; there has never been
anyone else-not for a moment. But
thought it was Raymer, and for your
sake and his 1 could have stepped
aside. That is the one decent thing
l have done in all this devilish bust
ness. Are you hstening"
She had stopped struggling. and was
hiding her face on his shoulder. He
felt her quick little nod and went on.
!. Since you know the one decent
thing, you must know all the horrible
things, too. A dozen times have been
a murderer in heart"
} She looked up quickly.
mo, boy, I'll never believe that
i. never!"
wait" he said. 1T was there this
evening-iust little while ago. Miss
Farnham and Galbraith were not the
, only ones had to fear; there was an
other; the teller who got here from
New Orleans on the seven-forty-five
: train. You didn't know about him, die
you? He came, and an old newspaper
. | friend of mine was with him.
! stumbled upon them on the Sidewalk
in front of the Winnebago house; ant
, Broffin was there, too. We were intro
| duced, the teller and l, and Brofiin wa,
so sure he had me that he got hi
handouts out and was opening them.
Margery shuddered and hid her fac
/ again. "And IL didn't know!" sh'
gasped.
i Luck was with me again." he cor
i tlnued. johnson didn't remembe
! me; refused to do 50 even whel
i Broffin stopped him and tried to tel
i him who l was. I had q pistol Il
i my pocket, and 1t was aimed at Brofir
\ If he had made a move to take me
I should certainly have killed him.
j She sat up suddenly.
il "Give me that pistol. Kenneth-giv
4 it to me now!"
"I can't" he confessed, shameface,
81 ly. when 1t was all over, smashe
q the pistol with q stone and threw
j. away"
81 She drew a long breath. "Is tn,
n all?" she asked.
II "All but one thing; the worst
them all that day In the ban
II vault"
III The daughter Of men buried her ia,
NJ on his shoulder again at that. Don't
: she begged. "You couldn't help
] boy; l made you do it-meaning {
II. There! and said that wild hors
should never drag it out of met"
Again he said. wait" and cover,
ne the shining head on his shoulder wi
caressing hand. 1T wasn't low
ng then. little girl; that's what 1t brea
nd my heart to tell you-it was just ma
". ness And it wasn't clean; you
N: got to know that. too
ca. She nodded her head violently.
we know" she murmured; 81 knew 1t
of the time, and that was what ma
me cry But now its-it's differel
len isn't it, BOY? now you-are-"
you have heard 1t all, Margel
wn You know what i thought l was, a
yht
nit VINO. nave ."'"'" o~s
no. afraid am just common crook, al
oto all; there doesn't seem to be stat
ing room anywhere else for me. 7
every living fiber Of me, the good q
49,, the bad, loves you-loves you'll"
80 what do care for anything els'
she flashed back. you are you, X
. na meth, dear; that is all know. and
80, l care for. If you had stolen all
~. money in the world. and had killet
,'ia dozen men to make your getaway
as would be just the same. Only"
,n, "Only what?" he demanded Jealous
1T would be just the same to 4
up. but-but. Oh, boy, dear!
wed will never, never be the same to 20
hao II don't understand" he ST
new mered.
leIe "Some day you will. You call "
sne self a crook-man, man! there Il
i q crooked drop of blood In you! d.
VII know? You persuaded yourself
you had a right to take this mon
perhaps you did have; l don't
lseo you didn't When l see anythin
jill, want, l reach out and take 1t, II ca
and guess most people would, II
rely | dared But Won are different: you