Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-07-22

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voted followers.
1t mattered not at all whether the re-
ports concerning him should be the
truth or garbled distortions. Either
would be fatal to his high ambitions
The public could never again respect
as their chief man who had been so
hoodwinked as to consort intimately
with notorious criminals, to receive
them into his household, to accept
them as his closest relations, 10 make
one of them his wife, whom, but for
timely exposure, he would have made
mistress Of the executive mansion OF
the greatest state of the Union.
Andrews complacency waXed as he
considered the fact that his enemy
could not escape out of the tolls
There could be no ingenuity sufficient
to eXtricate the captive of his plotting
Wainwright had only the option of alb
dicating from his position of leader
ship quietly and without scandal. abdi
eating absolutely for his lifetime or or
being forced out ANONYMOUSLY by pub
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to the utmost, but the ultimate effect
of all resistance could avail naught
Even at this moment. doubtless, he
was employing every resource OF his
excellent brain power In continuing
some method of self defense. Andrew
smiled at the thought Let the poor
prisoner of his wiles work his subtlest.
1t would only make the game more d.
verting, the end no less certain. The
struggles of this hapless fly within the
meshes Of the web gave greater zest
to the glee OF the remorseless, gioating
spider, which watched and waited con-
tentedly for an end that was certain.
The Master Mind confirmed his sat
isfaction in the triumph Of his schem-
ing by reviewing the events that had
led through sure stages to this cul-
mjpatiop. -His hea1 was again stirred
9Th the familiar steRHRg pain Of bis
loss a. be thought Of the btothef WHOM
he hed q loved, QntusEy done to
rhapSful death Yet somehoF. nov
IN thS bout Of his Victory, there @ss
something less poignant In his emo
ton than ever hitherto. Andrew mar
ysled ct this with a curious feeling Of
alarm over hts own lack Of sensibility.
He could not understand how the great
passion Of his life should be thus less.
ened. True, there had been Yeas In
tervening since nrst death broke In on
love and turned its vital forces into
hate against another. Yet the mere
passage Of time could not explain this
change, for his hate had not moderat-
ed In the same period On the con-
trary, 1t had increased even, never los
ing aught OF its viruience, rather add
ing always to It Still. Andrew puz-
zled over this startling problem. II
was inconceivable that I'm the moment
OF conquest the very motive Itself OF
all his struggles to this end should
show q weakening. Ii was fncon-
ceivable, indeed-nevertheless it was
true. The Master Mind felt sickness
Of heart as he searched himself anew
for some clew to an understanding or
the thing that had come to pass, for he
knew that somehow his own soul had
betrayed him.
The thoughts of the Master Mind
turned presently to Lucene. The sub
ject was strangely distastefnl TO him
now, yet he held TO 1t, as If its fasci-
nation were superior to will hitherto
indomitable He recalled his first pur-
poses concerning this girl, the project
of making her available as weapon
against his enemy. He had never fal-
tered in that purpose. His first plan
had been accomplished in its entirety
save the consummation, and that was
now at hand and sure beyond perad-
venture of doubt But, while the
primal intention had been thus achiev-
ed. there had been so much mOre-Oh.
vastly more, He had become the Gre
ator Of radiant personality where
had been only a very pretty. illiterate
waif He had caused the delicate fash
ioning Of woman refined and beauti-
full far beyond the ordinary. He had
found delight in his responsibility to-
ward her. He had had pride in n re-
suit that had not been save for his di-
rection. The gratitude of the girl
warmed his heart The warped ego
tism of the man did not permit him
accurately TO gauge the depths of his
injustice toward her in making her life
a pawn in his game of hate On the
contrary, be was able by some singu-
lar quirk of intelligence to take full
satisfaction for himself in all his ia
vors to her and TO disregard almost
completely the ultimate ruin Of her life
that must be his handiwork. He fail
ed utterly to appreciate his own guilt
toward her where the very develop
ment of her nature which he had
wrought would make her final grief
most dreadful. an anguish infinitely be-
yond the capabilities Of torment pos
sessed by Maggie Flint | have said
that he failed utterly. That is not
quite true. He failed. indeed, but not
utterly. Sometimes an instinct to-
ward the truth flashed on him. but he
shut his mental eyes to such illumina-
ton. He preferred the darkness rath-