The Holly chieftain., 1916-12-22
CHAPTER xx-cent,nusd.


Smith did not take the extended banda.
Her own were clasped before her.
Il have come 10 plead with yos.
Madame Aruaud-not to Judge"
aid II promise you-if I tell Jon
that ] win do all that lies in my
powsr~
Then my srfand 10 accomplished"
sylvia's hands dropped. It struck
her that this woman had . mean soul.
coarssnsd With rough contact with the
world. She could not rise to the high
attitudes Of forgiveness and reconcile
alton. She could only grasp the ma.
terial things Of life. Sylvia caught .
glance Of her own reflection In the
glass opposite. and she saw how ethe-
real her own beauty had become. After
all. beauty u the outward and visible
sign. Suddenly her name was called
roughly yet piteously-and her eyes
sank.
That's my husband" she said
gravely. "Even in his delirium he Il
always calling for me. The dying are
sacred, are they notf We must for
give them as we forgive the dead"
yea" Gabrielle assented.
Il must 60 to him. But I will do
what ! have promised. IL will atone
Tor him. Perhaps 1t may soothe him
comfort him to think that the wrong
be has done has been righted-don't
you thinkY'
"Perhaps."
But Gabrielle Smith did not seem
to see the extended hand. There was
q hard line about the fine mouth, and
without greeting-almost AZ though
goaded BY an impatient contemplate
went out Of the open French windows
into the brazen glare Of the afternoon.
Sylvia Arnaud watched the slight up-
right figure vanish into the archway
beyond the courtyard. She was vague
" disc0ncerted-like an actress left
suddenly without her cue-and be-
meath the tranquil consciousness of vir.
tue there stirred the old hatred. the
old mistrust.
In the sickroom all was still again.
The blinds were drawn, and in the
green-tinted shadows Desires face
showed like white light. She went
softiy over to his bedside and sat
down. looking at him. His eyes were
closed and he appeared to sleep. A
cold wonder crept over her. He had
changed so completely in those few
months Of their married life that the
change ceased to be terrible. This
was not the man whose feeting. un-
known fascination had caught her rest
less fancy-not even the man she had
grown weary of. He was nothing
mere husk Of something that had once
been. Still, as she sat there and looked
back on those months. many things
became triumphantly clear to her. She
understood why she had grown weary,
and why WEAKNESS had changed to
nausea. He was bad man. He had
slnned; he had let another suffer for
him. and had pursued his victim with
relentless hatred. Her woman's In
stinct had recognized the evil and had
passed Judgment. Beside him Rich
ard Farquhar's figure cleaned in the
hmelight of her tmagination-a cheva-
ner OF the old school, quixotic and
romantic. But she did not love him.
Perhaps there was even somewhere In
her vague contempt-at least. a
slightly patronizing pity strengthened
by che knowledge that now his saliva.
ton was in her hands. Her thoughts
passed on from him to the implacable,
ruthless man who had come back. to
her out of the jaws of death, and to
whom she was going with the sur
render OF her whole self. And as she
thought Of him invisible hands tore
down thu veil, and she saw the mic.
ture that he had painted of her-saw
1t and shrank from it even though she
knew that 1t was the insignia of his
power.
Desires eyes opened. They rested
full on her face. and in their recogni.
ton, their pathetic, helpless worship
she regained herself and the heights OF
Der virtue. She bent over him.
Are you better, Desire?"
"Sylvia." His hand groped feeblz
for hers. She touched it kindly. She
would not reproach him. She was for
giving him. He was going to die
And then she would be free. She did
not think Of her freedom. It was like
hidden pulse--beating persistently
feverishly.
Il heard you call" she said. us
there anything want? The nurse will
be back In moment"
He caressed her hand with an in
finite tenderness.
''They are going to shoot him a
ho cofd voru unptlv