The Madison journal., 1915-07-17

nut foot outside of these premises?" ?"
she asked, wide-eyed. He nodded his
head. my keepers? Who are they
to be? The old men of the sea"
Your keeper will be the thing you
call Love-" said he.
DO you expect me to submit to
this"
He held up his hand. 81 expect you
to remain here until | return, Therese.
I did not intend to impose this condi-
ton upon you by word Of mouth.
was going away without a word, but
Won would have received from Mr..
Dawes a sealed envelope as soon as
the ship sailed. 1t contains this YER
dict in writing. He will hand it to you.
of course, but now that you know the
contents it will not be necessary to"
And when you do come back am
I to hope for something more than
YOUR pardon and a release?" she cried,
with fine irony in her voice.
81 will not promise anything" said
he, slowly.
She drew a long breath and there
was the light of triumph in her eyes.
LAYING her slim hand on his arm, she
said: Il am content, James. ! am sure
of you now. You will find me here
when you choose to come back, be it
in one year or twenty. Now go, my
man! They are waiting for you. BE
kind to them. poor souls, and tell them
all that you have just told me. 1t Will
make them happy. They love me, you
see"
Yes, they do love you," said he, put
ting his hands upon her shoulders.
They smiled into each others eyes.
'GoOd-by, Therese. | will return"
"Good-by, James. No. do not kiss
me. 1t would be mockery. Good luck
and-God speed you home again"
Their hands met in a warm, firm clasp.
Il will go with you as far as the door
of my prison."
From the open door she smiled out
upon the young people in the motor
and waved her handkerchief in gay
farewell. Then she closed the door
and walked slowly down the hallway
to the big library. She was alone In
the house save for the servants. The
old men had preceded the voyagers to
the pier. Standing in the center OF
the room, she surveyed this particular
cell in her prison with a sort of calm
disdain.
"He has taken the only way to con-
quer himself" she mused, half aloud.
He is a wise mana very wise man.
l might have expected this of him"
She pulled the bell cord, and Jones,
who had just re-entered the house,
came at once to the room.
Yes, madam"
when Mr.. Dawes and Mr.. Riggs re-
turn from the ship, tell them that l
shall expect them to have luncheon
with me. Whats all, thank YOU"
Yes, madam"
by the way, Jones. you may always
set the table for three"
Jones blinked. 1t was a most un-
usual order. He had been trying to
screw up his courage to inquire what
his mistress plans were for the i'm
mediate future-whether she intended
to travel, should he dismiss the serv-
ants, would she spend the heated term
in the mountains, ETC., etc. He, as
well as the rest of the servants, won
dered why the masters wife had been
| left behind. Her instructions, there
fore, to lay three places at the table
took him completely by surprise
knocked the breath out Of him." as
he expressed it to the cook a few min
utes later. She had never been known
to take meal with the garrulous old
men. They bored her to distraction.
according to Celeste. And now he was
ito lay places for them-always! 1t
was most extraordinary!
A cold. blustery night in January,
six months after the beginning of
Yvonne's voluntary servitude in the
prison to which her husband had COM
mitted her. In the big library, before
roaring fire sat the two old men,
very much as they had sat on the De-
cember night that heralded the ap-
proach of the new mistress of the
house of Brood, except that on this
occasion they were eminently sober.
On the corner of the table lay long,
yellow envelope-a cablegram ad-
dressed to Mrs. James Brood.
Its been here for two hours and
she don't even think of opening 1t to
see what's inside" complained Mr..
Riggs, but entirely without reproach.
Its her business, Joe," said Mr..
Dawes, pulling hard at his cigar.
Maybe some ones dead" said Mr..
Riggs, dolorously.
Like as not" said his friend, "but
what of it?"
What of it. you infernal-but, ex.
cuse me, Danbury, won't say it. It's
against the rules, God bless 'em. But
l will say that If anybody else had
asked that question I'd say he was a
blithering, unnatural fool. II any.
bodys dead, she ought to know it."
But supposing nobody is dead"
protested Mr.. Dawes.
There's no use arguing with YOU. {"
She'll read it when she gets good
and ready. At present she prefers to
read the letters that just came from
Freddy and Lyddy. What's a cable.
gram compared to the kind of letters
they write? Answer me, Joe."
Foolish questions like that.
Haven't you had letters from them
| Ynn,ya heen ficklad 70 aaa4h -. ., =.