Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-06-10

You must keep him awayr" SHE
cried
Andrew shook his head.
II fear | can do nothing"
For a minute. there was silence be
tween the two. Lucene fought TO re-
gain her self control. for she knew that
she would need all her powers 10 meet
this crisis In her life.
Does he know the Blounts?" she
asked
II am afraid So" Andrew replied AZ
prehensively. "ln fact I'm almost Ger
tnin."
"rhen-then he might tell Cortland
that they She broke OF the sen
tence with a moan.
Yes" the man agreed simply. But
he continued after a moment. thought.
fully. there Is one chance-Just one
You might meet him tonight when he
comes, and try TO dissuade him"
sneer twisted her lips.
only money could do that
Andrews comment was instant:
"Then give il to him"
She answered hopelessly.
ut would take great deal Of money
TO get him 10 go away without theft
from house like this When | met
him first | didn't know the sort of man
he was. | learned .afterward They
talked about him In the reformatOry
He has "A good reputation-among Grim
inals.
andrew drew bin case from his
pocket
Il have here he said. Just little
less than $1,000. That should suffice 20
The girl shrank back.
Il am afraidr she whispered.
Think" the Master Mind command.
ed. with a note Of stcrnness. Think
what depends upon it," His voice
dropped "Luconc. If YOU do not fail
tonight your troubles will be over"
she shook her head slowly i'm dreary
negation.
NO. she answered forlornly. they
viii never be over. have learned the
lesson at last. You were wrong In
what you tried 10 teach me. | know
Il now. when it IS too lcte. should
have followed my conscience" She
threw herself back and sat huddled In
utter detection. 1T would have been
better" she murmured brokenly. al
most inaudibiy. better for Cortland
ana me. If we had never met again"
The Master Mind perceived that for
the time being her feeling had carried
her beyond his control. He waited pa
tiendy until the violence of her grief
should have spent itself. Then after
a tine ne assailed hef ruthlessly from
a new po.nt of attack The very diff
Guilty Of his task provoked him to
hHrsher endeavor unweakened by sym
putty.
"Lucenc." he said earnestly. IF il
were to become necessary in order to
save your husband from public dis
grace you would be willing 10 do some
thing otherwise wholly repulsive to
your every instinct. would you notT
Inc girl opened her eyes and looked
up at him with a new questioning of
dread in her gaze IF there were nc
other way to save him from disgrace
You would even pretend TO 60 away
with this fellow Creegan. wouldn't
youf" There was a long pause. in
which she continued to stare AT him
with an ever increasing horror as a
vague understanding of his meaning
crept into her consciousness Wouldn't
you? mean r 1t should be absolutely
necessary I'm order 10 stop Creegan's
mouth why with ten words 10 the
newspaper reporters about you aud the
Blounts he could ruin yotn husbands
whole political career Think. Lucenc
Is your love strong enough TO rise C
that supreme height of martyrdou
Yourself i'm silence. but so blacken YOU
character that he would gladly let YOU
90? Is your love so strong. LuceneT
There was no answer The distract
! ed girl remained covering under q
/ crushing weight of horror And yet
! despite the despair that famed in heI
/ breast. some secret prompting stirreC
| her toward acquieScencet That single
word "martyrdOm" had set her spiri
fermenting for sacrifice. In the hear
of her was the eternal yearning of th'
woman to give where she loved. th,
maternal instinct of total self abncga
ton for the sake of the one beloved
The willingness to yield all. To suffer all
10 dare all. TO live or die for that be
loved's good. Subconsciously alread,
she realized the truth that she woul'