Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-10-01
-, unpleasant looking fellows.

"An unpleasant one, l should say"
Llston commented.
well, rather. Shall L bore your
He turned to Stella.
She shook her head.
"These were given me by a Chinese"
Arkeld said, because in a little matter
l had served him. The trifles pleased
me. They breathe romance. This
he indicated the one he held-"contain-
ed at one time a very subtle poison.
Orientals are clever at crafty whisper
ings to death.
"This was given by a lover to the
woman who had betrayed him." Ark
eld's fingers found and touched
spring. 1.-THE head comes off, so, and
reveals a cavity. In the old days it
was filed with a deadly liquid, a sub
tie thing which rose In fumes and
waited the inhaler into oblivion and
DEATH"
Arkeld closed the thing with a snap
and replaced it on the chimneypiece.
by jove!" said Liston. He still held
the other model In his hand. Auto
matically his fingers moved, seeking
for the spring.
Godfrey" Stella spoke quickly
Tempest cried in her voice. do not
Her eyes met Arkelds She fell silent.
The only sound in the room was
made when Liston replaced the laugh
ing god on the chimney piece.
"Music-shalI WEI" Arkeld asked alb
ruptly.
you will play?'
Her fingers touched the keys as
though they shrank from sound. They
refused to follow the bidding of her
will
Il can't play tonight" she said.
She turned her head and saw Arkeld
lingering one of the models. which he
had lifted from the chimney piece.
She kept her head so, sitting stiff1y,
intent and watchful.
Arkeld's hand moved over the head
Of this little god of his. Suddenly he
held it toward ListOn.
81 should like you to have this. Keep
It in memory of tonight"
Thanks" ListOn said
StelIa's elbow jerked involuntarily
and touched the keys Of the piano.
The sound was sudden, leaping into
the room with sinister meaning.
She wanted to speak, but words elud-
ed her. She felt that she was cropping
In dark place.
She got quickly to her feet.
1--WE must GO" she said.
Stella made no excuse for suggesting
an abrupt departure.
1--WE must co. she said again.
Her manner silenced Liston, who in
clined to apologies, not realizing the
subtle evasions Of the hour.
Apologies still rose abortively to his
lips when he and Stella were sitting
In their motorcar, while Arkeld stood
bareheaded at the door.
Stella, leaning back against the cush-
ions, saw Arkelds face with the light
of a lamp full on it. Surely his face
expressed triumph.
She felt that she saw in his eyes all
that had been suggested, limited at, in
the room she had just left.
The jerk the car gave in starting was
akin to the jerk of her thoughts when
her eyes moved from Arkeld's face to
the Chinese god which her husband
held in his hand
Put it down." she said do not
hold it."
Listens mood was one of mockery
He spoke of nerves, jestingly.
Their hands met, struggling over the
little grinning god. To him the Skin
mish was frivoity; to her warfare of
moment. Her fingers moved quickly;
his slowly, teasingly.
He touched the spring, looking with
laughing eyes into the opening
Something harmless" he said. "a
letter.
Her fingers We're before his Selling
this paper. He still watched her with
laughing eyes.
"Arkeld's writingY
"No-nOt Arkeld's"
Her voice silenced the laughter that
was in him. Not knowing what it
was she read, he yet had a desire to
switch off the electric light.
All the time she read.
Let me share the joke" ListOn said.
She still read. There was contempt
in her ignoring of his voice. Her 81
lence stung him. He felt whipped.
The car jerked again, and her hands,
moving involuntarily, showed him his
own handwriting.
He saw a vivid sentence, something
familiar looking up at him from the
paper. 1t was a sentence he had writ
ten to-the other woman!
His hand went to the button, and
the inside of the car became darkness.
Silence and darkness wrapped these
two about. The darkness was like
something palpable, suggested pres
ence of evil.
The car stopped at the entrance to
their hotel.
Compromise.
might doesn't make right"
mo, but it most always makes good"