The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-20
pAppOT&0
o1 /dam \
HApOLD MACGpAIH( "a
Auhor9f 1heCarpctIromB omBqSdad>sR
The Place Of Hpngmoons, etc. ~
CONTINUED
0ooNohcHr az 1Xc a0aA(zx0NuL OQnl9LfY


thing he could have done, for it re-
laxed the nerves of both of them.
! Elsa smiled, smiled and forgot the
substance Of all her rehearsals, forgot
| the letter of credit, warm with the
heat of her heart Il am a pagan"
she confessed.
And l am a barbarian. ought to
be horribly ashamed OF myself"
| But YOU are not?'
| For moment their eyes drew. Her.
/ were like dark whirlpools, and he felt
himself drifting helplessly, irresist
IDLY. He dropped his hands upon the
| rafting and gripped; the illusion o.
tii.lting a current was almost real tc
him. Every fiber In his body cried out
against the struggle.
mo. not In the least" he said, look.
ing toward the sunset. Fighting is
riff-raff business, and I'm only a riff
raffer at best"
| Rather, aren't you Paul Ellison.
brother twin brother. of the man I
said was going home to marry?"
How far away her voice seemed!
The throb in his forehead and the dull
ache over his heart, where some of
the siedge-hammer blows had gone
home. he no longer felt
Don't deny it. 1t would be useless.
Knowing your brother as | do, who
could doubt it?"
He remained dumb.
Il couldn't understand, just simply
couldn't. They never told me; in all
the years have known them, in all
the years have partly made their
home my own, there was nothing Not
trinket. Once | saw a camera pic
ture. / know now why Arthur snatched
1t from my hand. 1t was you. You
were bending over an engineers tri-
pod. Even now should have doubted
had l not recalled what you said one
day on board, that you had built
bridges Arthur couldn't build any
thing stronger than an artists easel.
You are Paul Ellison"
Il am sorry you found out"
"Why?"
Because I wanted to be no more
than an incident in your life, Just
Parrot & Co."
Parrot & Col"
1t was like caress: but he was too
dull to sense it, and she was uncon-
scious of the infection. The burning
sunshine gave to his hair and beard
the glistening of ruddy gold Her
imagination, full of unsuspected poetry
at this moment, clothed him in the
metals of viking. There were other
whirlpools besides those in her eyes,
but Elsa did not sense the drifting as
he had done. It was insidious.
An incident" she repeated
Gould l be more?" with sudden
ferceness. Gould l be any more in
any woman's life? | take myself for
what / am, but the world will always
take me for what l have done. Yes,
| am Paul Ellison. forgotten, hope,
bySall those who knew me. Why did
you seek me that night? Why did
You come into my life to make bitter
ness become despair? The blackest
kind of despair Elsa Chetwood. J.
Elsa! Well, the consul is
right. | am strong man. | can go
out of your life, at least physically.
l can say that | love you. and can
add to that good-by!"
He wheeled abruptly and went
quickly down the gallery, bareheaded,
without any destination in his mind,
with only one thought, to leave her
before he lost the last shreds of his
self-control.
1t was then that Elsa knew her
heart. She had spoken truly. She
was pagan-for, had he turned and
held out his hands. she would have
gone to him. gone with him, anywhere
in the world. lawfully or unlawfully.
Elsa sang. When Martha came to
help her dress for dinner she still
sang. 1t was a wordless song, a mel.
ody that every human heart contains
and which finds expression but once.
Elsa loved
Doubt, that arch-enemy Of love and
faith and hope, doubt had spread its
dark pinions and flown away into yes
terdays. She felt the zest and exhila.
ration Of bird just given it's free
dom. Once she slipped from Marthas
cunning hands and ran out upon the
gallery.
ELSA, your waist!'
Elsa laughed and held out her bare
arms to the faded sky where, but a
little while since, the sun had burned
pathway down the world. All in an
hour. one small trifiing space of time,
this wonderful, magical thing had /
happened. He loved her. There had
been hunger for her in his voice, in
his blue eyes. Presently she was GO
ing to make him feel very sorry that
he had not taken her in his arms,
then and there.
Elisa, what in mercy's name DOS
sesses your
Il am mad, Martha, mad as March
hare. whatever that isl" She loved.
People will think so, if they hap
pen to come along and see that waist.
Please come instantly and let me fin
ish hooking It. You act like you did
when you were ten. You never would
stand still"
Eyes, and l remember how you used
to yank my pigtails. I haven't really
forgiven you yet"
Il believe it's going home that's the
matter with you. Well, for one shall
ha ola -