Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-05

Marry me. and the papers are vo,,...
your father can hold up his hend .sstssi
and you I will surround with ever,, ~ III
ury, every consideration. Refuse -
ana VIII destroy these papers-and senS
your father to a felon's celi" "o
AS he spoke. he drew from his poct...
an oplong, white envelope and nouriehss
Billie often wondered afterward bow
| she could have retained her self.noi,. :"
| that supreme moment; how she could -.
and smile as she looked at this rernorsa
| less mani ~
Tell me-" she said softly, purno,o,.
| evading the answer that his last .ss
tence would demand, when did Won aras
see me? Was II on board the Gotbios,
Helderman looked about him N n,ot.
sure no one was within earshot before ~
answered. ~
mo, child 1t was weeks before tbst
| timei Your precious blue bucLis "a
| still more precious Sophie, first led mo a.
your feet. had picked up clues "a an
Ballantyne estate in Paris, when so.
| phle-"
"Then she was not-good to me" ~.
girl said, with a little cry.
Sweetheart, all women are tricksters--
and most menl"
you think that am one7"
you could not help It, II YOU tried
| child-being a woman! But II wss
Sophie who first told me that your fatbss
had obtained possession of his bIua
| buckle. 1t was Sophie who planned ths
attack upon your father in the streets of
Paris, hoping to get o reward from mel
Helderman uttered these confessions as
| calmly as though he were discussing tba
weather. He seemed bent upon impress.
ing the girl with his power, his resource.
He was not afraid of her. They were
alone. II she repeated these confessions
to others, he had but TO deny.
Billie was completely overwhelmed; and
in the midst of her depression she re.
| membered with little pang that she had
| resented IL when Craig had carried his
poirt and made her dismiss the girl His
| intuition had been keener than hers
there, but then he could never have known
| how apparently devoted the girl was:
how much she had meant in those days Of
| anxiety and loneliness.
sophie was In your employ, then"
| Helderman laughed.
"One cannot take too many precau.
| tionsI he said.
| But you did not come over on the sama
boat with me because you wanted to see
me; 1t was because of the blue bucklel
And yet you call that lovel"
ut was both, will be honest. But each
time saw you 1t was you alone of whom
/ thought. The buckle only represented
so much money. Money?-bah! / make
1t by the handful and fling it into the
street agalnl 1t is only the means to an
end-but II shrinks into nothing beside
you, you, your
1t would be impossible to describe the
| subtle changes of emphasis with which
| he uttered the last words. The man was
| speaking in deadly earnest; and the girl
looking at him could not dssemble the
fact that he loved her. But with all his
passion Helderman was still the man Of
| craft, who said everything deliberately
even these apparent confesslons-with
! some definite object in view. Just now
| he wished to demonstrate to her how
carefully he had planned to bring her
| within his power and how useless it was
for her to struggle further.
| You speak of me as though were the
only woman in your life," she said slowly,
almost reproachfully. yet 1 know that
there has been another-and is at present
who is constantly being mistaken for
me. or 1 for her"
You mean Miss Arany. l suppose" he
said lightly. Yes, 1 needed her, just as
needed Sophie; and L took her away
from her liGge lord i'm Vienna"
OH Billie cried aghast "She-shs
| was the wife of another man-and she
| loved you! You loved her and took herr
That Is my way" Helderman exulted!
II take all desire! 1 go straight ahead
where ordinary men falter, Yes, / loved
1reno Arany once, and she has been very
useful to me. But-no longer! have
| loved no other woman since | first saw
you. You are white star; you burn
| clearly with all the purity and beauty of
| heaven. love YOU alonev
Heldermans face was white; his nands
were clenched. Billie gave one startled
look at him. then turned and let her
head sink down upon her bare arms He
terrified her. She did not doubt his
! assertion for an instant
"You-you cannot love! You do not
know what the word means!" she cried
She started up, one desire possessing
her. making her forget for the moment
the purpose with which she had asked
Helderman to call. She wanted to get
away from him; out Of the reach of his
dangerous, overwhelming passion.
Little princess, you cannot go! You
| asked me here! l came determined TO
win you. 1 mean to have your
He uttered the words without noise
or hurry, just with that dreadful, mex
orable purpose OF his that had made him
feared I'm the world of business.
He had stepped In front of her, and
his hands clasped the soft roundness OF
her arms, She jerked away from him
and retreated to the desk, pressing her
handS upon IL.
I'm coming up! I just arrived! Just
a minute!" called her fathers voice from
the hall.
Helderman laughed.
Little white dove, do you think that
I am to be frightened by your childish
tricks? Let your friend-your father
keep on arriving; 1 am already here
Sophie told me all about him. Phone.
grapns-eh2 Concealed in niches-ehl
Worked by button. Now Sophie is
gone and you are alone in the house,
but for, a superannuated old soul who
cannot count for much. Yet do not
want TO frlghten you. I mean to win
you, dearest! You must come with me
willingly! And remember, your fathers
honor Is in your keepingg
Helderman's voice had become almost
gentle. Even In her fear, Billie wondered
at the varied phases of this extraordinary
man. Ho was fairly hypnotic in his
power to influence a less powerful mind
IL could not love you'll 1 have no
faith in you!" she cried, shuddering.
''You should have-now that have laid
bare my heart, even my villainy to youg"
no protested.
'You admit. then, that you took the
bonds and papers OF the Ballantyne es.
tate when you had no right TO themf
she said. her firmness returning.
CONTINUED TOMORROW