Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-22
TILE Nj ]CKER By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
| IL WlIA\<lNAIC Author Of the and STORIES

denied much longer, other than through
the agency of a mighty Will
Love she thought It but the eyelights
~ love and lust are twins between which
II takes much worldly wisdom to diner-
entiate, and Barbara Harding was not
worldly wise in the ways OF sln' -.
Miss Harding" said Theriere, in voice
that he evidently found 1t difficult to con-
troll do not ask me now how you may
repay me L
But what he would have said he checked.
with an effort of will that was alnost
anpreciable to the eve, he took a fresh
grin upon himself and continued:
"T am amply repaid by being able TO
serve vou and thus to retrieve myself In
your estlmatlon--I know that you nave
doubted me; that you have questioned the
,ntegritv Of my acts that helped to lead
nm 10 the unfortunate affair OF the Lotus
When YOU tell me that you no longer doubt
that YOU accept me as the friend would
wish to be, l shall be more than amply
repaid for anything which 1t may nave
been NV good fortune to have been able
10 accomplish for your comfort and safety
"Tbeu I may partially repay you at
orca - exclaimed the girl with smile, FOR
can assure you that you possess my
friendship to the fullest, and with IT, Oh
course NV entire confidence. II Is true that
7 do,bted YOU at nrst-t doubted every
one connected with the Halfmoon Why
shouldnt I? But now l think that l am
able to draw a very clear line between my
friends and my enemies. There Is but one
upon the right side Of that hne-you, my
friend and with an impulsiye little gesture
barbara Harding extended her hand to
| Theriere. -,,.,.
n was an expression almost sheepish
| that the Frenchman looked at the proffered
| anvcrs There had been something In the
| T,ani, avownl of confidence and friendship
| which smote upon a chord Of honor In the
mans soul that had not vibrated In response
| TO a chlvalrous impulse for many long
veara 1t had all but atrophied from disuse.
Then, of a sudden, the second othcer % 0t
| the Halfmoon Strengthened TO his tull
| height. His head went high, and he took
| thc small hand of the girl in his own
| strong brown one.
"Miss Harding" he said, "T have led a
| hard, bitter life. have not always done
| those things of which I might be most
proud; but there have been times when |
| have remembered that / am the grandson
| Of one of Napoleon's greatest field mar
| shals and that l bear n name that has
been honored by mighty nation What
| vou have Just said to me recalls these facts
| most vivldly to my mind-hope, Miss Hard
| ing, that you will never regret having
| spoten them" To the bottom of his heart
| the man meant what he said at the time
| for inherent chivalry is as difficult to sup
press or uproot as is inherent viciousness.
THE girl let her hand rest In his for a
|
his truth and honesty and cleanness
which revealed what Theriere might have
been had fate ordained his young man.
| hood to different channels. And in that
| moment question sprang all unbidden
| and unforeseen to her mind: question
| which caused her to withdraw her hand
quickly from his. and which sent slow
| crimson to her cheek
| Billy Byrne. slouching by, cast bitter
| look of hatred upon the two
The fact that he had saved Theriere's
| life had not increased his love for that gen.
tIeman He was still much puzzled to ac-
count for the strange idiocy that had
prompted him to that act: and two OF his
| fellows had felt the weight of his mighty
fist when they had spoken words of rough
praise for his heroism.
Billy had thought that they were kidding
| him.
To Billy the knocking out of Theriere and
| the subsequent kick which he had planted
| in the unconscious mans face were true
| indications of manlness. He gauged such
matters by standards purely Grand Ave-
| nuesque.
Now II enraged him TO SEQ that the girl
| before whose very eyes he had demon
| strated his superiority over Theriere should
| still look with favor upon the officer.
| Then the mucker, unseen by the officers,
approached the girl. In his heart were rage
and hatred. and as the girl turned at the