The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-07-14

amused reflection. and with a quick
glance at his motionless companion he
got up and slipped out into the street.
II was now toward evening aud the
great heat OF the DAY was broken. AT
a white walled villa on one OF the
broad he glIded through q
Moorish doorway into the passage. Be-
fore him lay the courtyard where two
women talked, their low voices nin-
Cling musically. AT last be came out
into the light. Hts u WAS In
imitable In It's suggested homage and
a hundred unspoken batteries.
Madame, It's Abou- Yakoud who
ventures before you" he said in his
soft Arab French. "Abou- Yakoud,
who has seen Mecca and who reads
Destiny as an open book. Give me
your hand. madame, For a little franc,
| Will tell you good aud evil--what
was and what IL 10 come"
Sylvia Arnaud started slightly and
turned.
You shall not cone In here" she
said ~impatently. and yet not without a
childish touch Of hesitation. Beg
ging is forbidden. Now be gone"
She tossed a handful Of money on to
the white stone nags, Each coin rang
out Ike a note Of jangllng laughter,
which still echoed after her as she
passed into the shadows OF the gate
day,
AbOu Yakoud bent and gathered the
nickel pieces from the ground, When
he looked up again be stood straight
and erect, aud the beard bad vanished.
"Gabrlelleg" he said softly.
She turned a little. The warm gold
OF evening was on her face aud soft.
ened the stern lines 10 u mild and
noble serenity
II know she said. Your voice
betrayed you, And then-sooner or
later I felt that you would come,
though FOR what purpose God knows"
Let us hope be does not" he an.
swcrcd sarionlcally. Il am here on
my wi business. uni my own busI-
ness has no sanctity about it, | must
keep control IL am to win through to
the things | want"
THE things you want she echoed
with deep sadness. What are they
now, StephenT
He knelt on the marble edge OF the
fountain and caught her hand.
"Gabrelle!" he repeated hoarsely.
Gabrielle"
She looked down at him, Her free
hand she laid quietly upon his.
you are cruel to yourself she said.
why have you come. Stepheny
God knows, bave lied so much In
all these CHASTITY years. Gabrielle. |
have He'd most OF all TO my own con.
science. have called you an episode
"A folly, | have heaped contempt on
you. on my memory of you. and al
ways you have risen Ms now-the one
pure thing that ! have loved. my one
virtue, my w fdel.ty-"
Hush, stephen, we have buried our
dead"
Won have-I cannot. I tried. At
first Il was remorse that would not let
ct the Knowledge that 4 have ruined
you dishonorel you"
THAT Is not true" she interrupted
proudly, NO woman-no man-has
ever been dishonored by one action.
Honor IL not a possession To be lost or
broken. II ia ourselves-what we ire
II you had dishonored me | should be
different, but | AIN not different. |
have grown strongcr-that Is all,
see clearer. | am happy"
Happy? Aud your name-your POI
sition~your peeplc-sll LOST
She smiled family.
Those gyiefs are Old and healed.
stephen, have a name and a posi-.
ton, They are my own. aud | am a
little proud OF them, | owe you my
knowledge OF myself and my own
strcngth-some hours rluSion. n broad.
or outlook. Il deeper understanding "
ntscr womcu's failures, Let that SUI.
tire hetN con Us"
Il cannot He snrang TIP with 4
Wild gesture OF protest. IT Is not re,
morse that haunts me. | am not the
NF1u IN feel remorse. I half loved and
half de~p.sed you. Then~that night
when | came back and found that You
knew BIZ f2r what | was~~a liar a
cheat, a common spy, to be bought aud
sold by every mainland had LETT me
on the very eve Of my a,ouement TO
yoa-then | knew my own madness.
From that hour wanted you"
It's too late, stephen" she said.
too late. hare buried my dead.
dear ! cannot call the dead 10 life.
We are free and we stand alone. We
must ~ our ways, Stephen"
Il won't plead, Gabrielle. | know
You better Then suddenly he turned
and stumbled hl!ndly into the dark.
ness q the passageway.
CHAPTER xI.