Bonners Ferry herald., 1916-10-06

Are you ISleulnB, MI. l4OWts
YES, yes, | am listening. | heard
everything you said. Sower was cash
Tered. | am not surprised His profess
sion was his tragedy He would have
made an admirable company promoter,
but the task of being an honest gen
tleman was too much for him. You say
he has committed suicide Have you
come all this way to tell me of poor
Sewers more or less providential es-
cape, Mr. PrestonT"
The young man crimsoned, but an
swered steadily.
"You were his friend"
A faint ironical smile crept over
loves suffering features.
81 was Sewers partner" he said
quietly. "You were Farquhar's friend
You chose to act with us against him
of your own free will. There was a
compact, an understanding. The whole
scene that night was a farce, a little
play-acting with you as an unconscious
actor. Farquhar intervened. He blum
dered recklessly, but he spoiled our
plans"
| You Scoundrel!
Eyes, | am a scoundrel," Lowe said
simply; "but do not trouble to murder
me. That would get you into difficult
ties, and it is not necessary" He
touched himself lightly on the chest.
81 have something here which will fin
ish me off in a month or two-less
pleasantly than you would do. That
is why l care not at all how much or
how little you know. The partnership
is ended-and am going out OF busi-
ness" He laughed sardonically and
turned back to the window. The crowd
beneath had broken up and fallen back
on either side beneath the trees of the
avenue, and from the distance there
sounded a dull rhythmic beat and the
ominOus rattle of drums THE Legion
has returned" Lowe said quietly. "Do
you want to see the saddest sight on
earth, Mr.. Preston?'
The young man drew nearer, re-
uctant yet fascinated. His hands were
no longer clenched He was looking at
the gaunt figure leaning negligently
against the window edge as at some
thing monstrous, incredible.
Have you no conscience-no re-
morse?" he said.
"Oh, yes, Mr.. Preston, a great deal"
''Then pity my remorse. For Gods
quhar did that thing-help me to un-
derstand."
The boyish passionate pleading
caused Lowe to turn a moment. He
smiled, and that faint glimmer of half
compassionate understanding was a
light falling deep into a turgid stream
revealing many sunken. forgotten
things.
"Farquhar sacrificed himself" he
said. "He resigned because Sower
wished 1t. That seems incredible. But
Sower held the reins. There was an
old tragedy which he used for his own
ends-the tragedy of his fathers death
and of Captain Farquhar's disappear
ance."
The roll of drums was close at hand,
and a woman's note of laughter fut-
tered up birdlike from the somber-fow-
ing tide of sound.
Lowe turned back to the window
you see, Sower miscalculated," he
went on. HE was a Jew from God
knows where, and he lost his sense of
patriotism. He did not understand
this red-hot love of ones birthplace
He did not understand the reckless
temperament OF the man with whom
he was dealing. Are you beginning to
understand, Mr.. Preston?"
"Yes, l am beginning to under
stand" Preston said duly. And then?"
"Then history repeated itself-not
in incident. but in character. Robert
Sower tried to be the honorable gen
tleman; he tried even. strange as 1t
may seem. to gain Farquhar's friend
ship. He failed, and then-you re-
member that scene at the card tables Z?
That decided him. Blood and instinct
were too strong. He turned and used
his power"
Lowe stepped out on to the balcony.
and bent forward with his elbows on
the rail, watching the dense company
of chausseurs force their way through
the restless crowd. The clash OF the
band was already fainter. The chas-
seurs rode now in silence. and once
more the dull monotonous tread pre-
dominated, strangely, persistently
ominous. You know where Farquhar
is?" Preston said imperatively. You
know what has become of him?"
'Perhaps-I am not sure"
''If you know remorse you must wish
to atone" Preston said hoarsely.
"A scoundrel, at the end OF his days
work, has much to atone for" was the
abstracted answer. "I have chosen
my atonement, Mr.. Preston. All atone
ment is inadequate. but mine shall be
made-for my greatest wrong at what
ever cost" He broke off. "The Le-
gion," he said quietly.
Preston did not speak, silenced
against his will by the scene beneath
him. The dancers from the hotel had
swarmed up to the long lines of hang
ing lanterns at the edge of the garden.
A clown climbed uDOn the stone gate