The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-19
CHAPTER xvi-continued.

ut was made in Vienna" interrupted
Frederick, not without a strange thrill
of satisfaction in his soul, and before
you were married, I'd say On the
back of it is written: To my own
sweetheart Hungarian, Yvonne
says. There! Look at her She was
like that when you married her. God,
how adorable she must have been. To
my own sweetheart Ho hoi"
A hoarse cry of rage and pain bust
from Brood's lips. The world went red
before his eyes.
To my own sweetheart he cried
out He sprang forward and struck
the photograph from Frederic's hand.
1t fell to the floor at his feet. Before
the young man could recover from his
surprise, Brood's foot was upon the
bit of cardboard Don't raise your
hand to me! Don't you dare to strike
me! Now l shall tell you who that
sweetheart was!"
Half an hour later James Brood de-
scended the stairs alone He went
straight to the library where he knew
that he could find Yvonne. Ranjab,
standing in the hall, peered into his
white, drawn face as he passed, and
started forward as if to speak to him.
But Brood did not see him. He did
not lift his gaze from the floor. The
Hindu went swiftly up the stairs, a
deep dread in his soul
The shades were down. Brood
stopped inside the door and looked
duly about the library. He was on
no int Of
spoke to him out of the shadoWy cor
ner beyond the fireplace.
Close the door," she said huskiiy.
Then she emerged slowly, almost like
a specter, from the dark background
formed by the huge mahogany book
cases that lined the walls, from floor
to ceiling. You we're a long time
up there" she went on.
why is it so dark in here, Yvonne?''
he asked lifeIessly.
So that it would not be possible for
me to see the shame in your eyes.
James
lie leaned heavily against the long
table. She came up and stood across
the table from him, and he felt that
her eyes were searching his very soul
4 have hurt him beyond all chance
for recovery" he said hoarsely.
"Oh. you coward!" she cried, lean
ing over the table, her eyes blazing
81 can understand it in you. You have
no soul of your own. What have you
done to your son, James Brood?'
He drew back as if from the impact
of blow. Coward? If 1 have crushed
his soul, it was done in time. Yvonne
to deprive you of the glory of doing it. ;
What did he say to you about me?'
You have had your fears for moth
ing. He did not put you in Jeopardy,
ne said scornfully.
II know He is not a coward" she
said calmly.
''In your heart you are reviling me
You iudge me as one guilty sou
judges another. Suppose that I were
to confess to you that I left him VI
there with all the hope, all the life
blasted out of his eyes-with a WOUND
In his heart that will never stop bleed
ing-that I left him because I wal
sorry for what had done and coulC
not stand by and look upon the wrecl
had created. Suppose"
at am still thinking of you as a COW
ard. What is it to me that you ar
sorry now? What have you done t.
that wretched. unhappy. boy?"
He will tell you soon enough. TheI
you will despise me even more than
despise myself God! He = ht
looked at me with his mothers eye
when / kept on striking blows at hi
very soul Her eyes-eyes that wer,
always pleading with me! But, ours
theEh-always scoflng at me! For
moment faltered. There was a wav,
OF love-yes. love, not pity, for him
as 1 saw him go down before tn
words I hurled at him. 1t was as il
had hurt the only thing in all tn
world that love. Then it passed. H
was not meant for me to love. He wa
born for me to despise. He was borl
to torture me as l have tortured him.
You poor fool" she cried. her eye
gIittering.
Sometimes have doubted my oWl
reason" he went on as if he had no