The Mena weekly star., 1916-07-20
Continued from Last Week. }
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Return.

Hotel de France a newly-imported Zigeuner Kapelle was playing the waltz from Hoffman's "Erzaehlun- gen" Sylvia Arnaud, red and gold Carmen, danced joyously to the slow graceful strains, and her partner smiled down into her face, upturned and bril- liantly lovely in its sheer ecstasy of living
 Look at that queer old lady with the white wig! Is she masque? And that funny, gray little thing beside her! call them the Proprieties. What are they doing here|
 "How should I kncw?" Sylvia re- turned with sudden irnpatience.
 As they passed cn Mrs. Farquhar turned and touched Gabrielle on the arm.
 Sylvia has just seen us," she said. q have spoiled the evening for her. It was worth while coming. She tried to laugh at me with that young fool, but she couldn't She is beginning to be afraid If Richard dies I shall haunt her till she goes mad"
 Tn the courtyard of the hotel two more or less intoxicated pierrots danced a cancan to the delirious plaud- it's of an audience themselves over come by the heat and passion that hung heavy in the night air. Sylvia Arnaud clapped her hands like a child
 The noise of the dancing and music reached the lighted room that faced ant on tho avanuA At his aiaoA hv fine window stephen Lowe seemed plunged in his own thoughts. and the man in evening dress who stood with his clenched hand on the table stamped impatiently.
 Are you listening, MT. Lower"
 "Yes, yes, I am listening. I heard everything you said. Sower was cash tered. I am not surprised. His profes- 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 Sower's more or less providenttal es- cape, MT. PrestOnT
 The young man crimsoned, but an- swered steadily.
 You were his friend" A faint ironical smile crept over Lowe's suffering features. T was Sower's 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 blun- dered recklessly, but he spoiled our plans"
 You scoundrelr'
 'Yes, I 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. q have something here which will fin- ish me of in month or two-less pleasantly than you would do. That is why I care not at afl how much or how little you know. The partnership Is ended-and I 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 earth, MT. Preston?"
 The young man drew nearer, re- lucta1t 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 conseience-no re- morse?" he said
 "Oh. yes, Mir. Preston. a great deal"
 "Then pity my remorse For Gods sake-if you know-tell me why Far quhar did that thing-heIp 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 turgiG stream revealing many sunken, forgotten things.
 "R lrquhar sacrificed himself" he said. "He resigned because Sower wished it. 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 anee"
 The roll of drums was close at hand, and a woman's note of laughter fiut- tered up birdlike from the somber-fow- ing tide of sound.
 Lowe turned back to the window.
 You see, Sower miscaiculated." he
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