Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-06-19

his temples. Lois arms we're about
Freneau and his about her. Royce
heard her saying: =
AT midnight by the pavilion, near
the soldiers monument. I'll be there.
Don't fail me-"
Royce dropped the curtains noise
lcssly and stepped back as David ap-
preached, talking briskly. Royce was
thankful for the sound; it would give
the vulgarly guilty pair time to separ-
ate and spare David hideous knowl-
edge, at least for the time being.
Royce and David entered, and Lois
greeted her husband warmly. Royce
sickened at the sight. He would not
speak; but he refused Freneau's hand,
Freneau, trifle jolted, said that he
had dropped in to inquire about
Gloria. After few minutes he left.
Royce said he would go along, as he
had something to discuss with FIRE.
neau
He told David that he would see
him later, and for very pity did not
look him in the eye.
But he gave Lois meaning look
of wonder at her evil recklessness.
Then he followed iFreneau with wrath
boiling in his heart.
Without waiting for an invitation,
he jumped into Freneau's car, and as
soon as it was under way Royce burst
forth:
"You Internal hound! You couldn't
play fair IL you tried, could you? And
you wouldn't, would your But now
you've got to give up Gloria and get
on the other side Of the globe or
you'll wish you had never been born.
know what you are up to and | ,ad-
wise YOU not to undertake it. | mean
1t. warn you that | will stop at
nothing to rpevent you from wreck
ing both Of those homes"
A spark OF manhood flickered yet
in Freneau's soul, and he attempted
to explain in some part his own help
lessness, but Royce cut him short.
The facts as he had seen them per-
mitted no explanation.
"Of course you won't listen; you
want Gloria yourself. You are only
too anxious to get me out of the way
But don't let your jealousy drive you
absolutely insane"
Royce stopped the car and got out.
I've warned YOU" was his parting
|shot
| All the rest OF the day Royce pom
dered over where his own duty in
tn ematter lay. He could not tell
Gloria what he had seen. The shock
might have thrown her back into a
fever. He could never bring himself
to smirch her love and young faith in
his rivals honor He could not put
the responsibility and the horror of
full knowledge on his friend David,
nor cast the burden on David's old
father. It was not Royce's nature to
shift responsibilities on other should
ers. There seemed to me only one
way: He alone knew everything; he
alone must save the Stafford family
from scandal. But howl
| He tried to clear his brain by for
4 getting. He took up medical book
for study, but between his eyes and
the page came vision Of Freneau
as a leering Satan. 1t laughed and
Knocked at him, seeming to say:
Il will destroy Gloria and Lois and
David. and you cannot stop me-
Royce jumped up and closed his
book, a look Of set purpose coming
to his grim face. 1t was nearly mid.
night when he took from the drawer
OF his desk table a revolver and
slipped it into his pocket,
| When Royce met David, David
had not told him that he was leav-
ing town for week, David was not
sure what would happen, and Lois
. was the only one he wanted to de.
ceive, She was so buisly dipping him
that she had no thought OF his re.
turning the compliment II was diff.
cult for him to play the part he had
assumed, and If she had been more
on the alert she would have seer
the constraint in his manner,
She played her own role with the
. ease Of long practice. There was
nothing sincere about her except hei
10y in David's departure. She thought
, that nothing in the world could have
been more opportune. But She
] wanted to make sure that no accident
| befell him. She did not want him tc
. miss that train.
She went to the Pennsylvania sta,
ton with him, acting the heart
. broken, deserted wife with ali he,
! art. She bade him gooyby at III,
gate and when he went down stair,
/ to the train underground she still
. would not leave till she saw the roof.
! of the cars move offsinto the tunne
{ and the porter who carried David.
{ baggage come back. Then she felt /
{ safe and she departed from the sta
{ tion with sigh Of deep relief.
!. II she had been a little less i'm
: patien. she would have seen Davit
a return through the gate after tn,