The Washington herald., 1915-05-14

remember that. little girl? Well,
| did not fight bravely. / did not figh
| fairly. | did not fight the mans figh
as you fought the woman's. But
| tried. Esther. I tried. And now
| ask of you. l beg you to fight with
me - shoulder to shoulder - YOU
| shoulder against my own
She felt the soul of her going out tc
this man who seemed. by his very voice
She swayed slightly toward him. Then
her hand reached up in half surrender
1t was no use lighting. She loved him
She loved
She shrank away even as she turned
The light that had famed high in hel
eyes died even as she turned them upon
him. For in the turning. her eyes had
encountered the hard, expressionless ones
of Alicia Knight. staring impassively al
the scene from beyond the shrubbery.
Lynn followed the direction of her eyes
and met those of Alicia Knight-those
eyes which would always come in be-
tween life and the fruition of his happi-
ness. an ever-present shadow so dense
and thick as to form an impenetrable
barrier.
Esther shrank as he would have re-
newed his plea. for he was fighting for
his very life now. He turned helplessly
away. He did not seem to mind the eyes
that followed him as he entered his car
and ordered the chauffeur to go toward
the landing stage where his yacht was
anchored. He did not care any more.
Some great change was going on within
him. some change he could not analyze.
He was dull, listless. He did not care.
He only wished to be away-away from
the woman who haunted him with those
eyes Of accusation.
He found his cabin curtly directing the
astonshed captain to put out imme-
diately to sea. When the skipper would
have questioned he found himself talking
to the night air. He shook his head won
deringly, but went about his work. still
pondering the change that had come over
the owner.
1t was only scant two hours later
that he was hailed by little. putting tug
that had been trying to overhaul them
the half hour gone. At the top of the
landing stage he waited for the passen-
ger the tug captain had told him wished
to board.
His eyes grew round with wonder as
Alicia knight moved past him. up the
stairs, across the deck and toward the
ca bin Yet a different Alica knight
than the girl who had so gayly queened
it over the entire christening party. a
girl who had come to the yacht another
evening.
He had heard something of the scandal
and had wondered whether it had any
thing to do with Lynn's altered manner.
And now he wondered whether he should
not detain the girl who moved so slowly.
so remorselessly across the deck toward
the cabin stairs. He started forward to
detain her when the owner came heavily,
YEARLY up the stairs. His listless. dull
gaze fell upon the girl and then he stag
gered back as from a heavy blow in the
face.
Capt. Judd moved away. some impulse
drawing him out Of range of the sight.
For long time the eyes Of the pair held
then the psssionately bitter cry Of Felix
Lynn sounded resonantly. appealingly
over the water.
For Gods sake. won't you end this
torture? Always those eyes and never
a word. Marry me. Be my wife
But end this torment-this hell on earth
you have created for me-"
Something in the voice halted the cap
tain. He could have told what il was
But there was An inhuman note in 1t.
a threat Of some great change, a hint
Of endurance stretched to the swapping
point. He waited for an answer but no
answer came.
Marry me. Alicia. I owe 1t to you
Marry me and"
Capt. Judd turned the corner Of the
wheel house barely in time to see the
silent figure of the woman. Then he
caught the slow. deliberate negative
shake Of her head. For a moment some
thing in the attitude of Lynn held him.
Then he sprang forward as, with a wild
curse. Felix Lynn snatched a deck chair
and dsrted upon the woman.