Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-10
CONTINUED Prom Last Issue.)
CHAPTER VII CONT.)

full for the sound: it would give the
vulgarly guilty pair time to separate
and spare David a hiGeous knowledge.
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 a trife jolted said that he had
dropped in to inquire about Gloria After
a few minutes he left. Royce said that
he would go along, as he had something
to discuss with Freneau
He told David that he would see him
later, and for Very pity did not look
him in the eyeg
But he gave Lois a meaning look of
wonder at her evil recklessness. Then he
followed Freneau with wrath boiling in
his heart. ....7 -.... s-.
Without waiting for an invitation, he
jumped into Freneaus car, and as soon
as it was under way Royce burst
forth: .
you internal hound! You couldn't
play fair If you tried, could you? And
you wouldn't, would you? 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. 1 know
what you are up to and 1 advise you
not to undertake it. 1 mean it. / warn
you that 1 will stop at nothing to pre-
vent you from wrecking both of those
homes" .. III.
A spark of manhood fiickered yet in
Freneau's soul, and he attempted to
explain in some part his own helpless
ness but Royce cut him short. The
facts as he had seen them permitted no
e1 PLANTATION. -,.-.
"Of course you won't listen; you want
Gloria yourself You are only too anx-
ious to get me out of the way. But
don't let your jealousy drive you abso-
lutely insane" ....
All the rest of the day Royce ponder
ed over where his own duty in the mat
ter lay. He could not tell Gloria what
he had SEEN. The shock might have
thrown her back into 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. 1t was not Royce's
nature to shift responsibilities on other
shoulders. There seemed to be only one
way: He alone knew everything; he
alone must save the Stafford family
from scandal. But how?
He tried to clear his brain by forget
ting. He took up a medical book for
study, but between his eyes and the
page came vision of Freneau as leer-
ing Satan. 1t laughed and Knocked at
him. seeming to say:
81 will destroy Gloria and Lois and
David. and you cannot stop me-"
Royce jumped up and closed his book,
look of set purpose coming to his
grim face 1t was nearly midnight
when he took from the drawer of his
desk table a revolver and slipped it into
his pocket. -...-. .-....s..e
When Royce had, met David, David
had not told him that he was leaving
town for a week. David was not sure
what would happen, and Lois was the
only one he wanted to deceive. She was
so busLy duptng him that she had no
thought of his returning the compli-
ment, 1t was difficult for him to play
the part he had assumed, and if she
had been more on theA alert she would
have seen the constraint in his manner.
She played her own role with the
ease of long practice. There was moth
ing sincere about her except her joy
in Dayids departure. She thought that
nothing In the world could have been
mpre opportupe. But she wanted to
make sure that no accident befell him.
she did not want him to miss that train.
She went to the Pennsylvania station
with him, acting the hearbroken, de-
serted wife with all her art. She babe
him goodby at the gate and when she
went down the stairs to the train under
ground she still would not leave till
she saw the roofs of the car move off
into the tunnel and the porter who car
ried Davids luggage come back. Then
she felt It safe and she departed from
the station with a sigh of deep relief.
If she had been a little less impatient
she would have seen David return
through the gate after the train had
pulled out. David making sure that she
had not caught sight of him. took hrs
miserable doubts with him to one Of
his clubs.
Judge Freeman found him there, and
noting his expression, asked him what
had kept him from taking his train
When David saw his father-in-law the
smoldering of his trouble burst into
flame. He snatched the anonymous let
ter from his pocket and was on the
verge of showing it. But he withheld
it, though he could not check the bit
ter words: eff this letter is true l
may have to kill a man." ......t.-
An icy hand seemed to grip at the
Judges heart He knew without seeing
IT what that letter said. He put his
hand on Davids arm and was about to
speak, when man slapped him on the
back He turned to face the clubs
most notorious bore, nicknamed the
white Mans Burden" The fellow was
fat and even more impervious to snubs
than usual, as he had been drinking
heavily, Judge Freeman tried to escape
him, but as the Burden had him clasp
ed by the lapel Of his coat it was i'm
possible to get. away at once without.
knocking him down. So the judge stood
the repetition of an ancient story as
we'll as he could, waiting only for the
loosening of the grip on his coat, which
came with the roar OF laughter the
Burden emitted at the end of his yarn.
The Judge turned to rejoin David,
but found him gone He started at
once in terrified pursuit.
David meanwhile had fled to his own
house, where he watched on the out
side, eavesdropping on his own property
Presently he saw Lois Silhouetted
against the light in her own room. She
was taking off her hat and coat. The