The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-06-23
CHAPTER ~.
Mrs. Farduhar Explains.

to her sons library. 1t was a neglect
ed room, which he only used on rare
occasions. The old weapons hanging
on the walls had belonged to his IA
ther. and the whole atmosphere seemed
impregnatad with the spirit of a dead.
If powerful personality.
Mrs. Farquhar closed the door with
chuckle of triumphant malice.
They're gone at last" she said. 81
assure you there isn't more surprised
woman in England than dear Sylvia.
She came expecting to find me with
ashes on my head instead of a wig,
and 1 laughed in her face" Richard
Farquhar turned from the window
where he had been standing, and her
eyes grew suddenly grave. My dear,
you're not breaking your heart over
her. are your
NO He came slowly into the room.
II might have done so, but fate has
given me something else to come to
grief over. I've had a quarrel with
Sower."
She said nothing, and he went on
gently: "He was dangerous. l have
resigned my commission. That was
his price for my fathers name"
Still Mrs. Farquhar did not speak.
She sat down in the great leather
chair by the fireplace, and the wild.
childish horror in her eyes touched him
to an amazed pity. Mother. l don't
want to hurt you, but you must. l
have a right now to know"
Yes. yes" She put her hands to
her white-powdered cheeks. Yes. yes.
of course. There isn't much. 1t was
In this room, Richard. He came home
one night and said he had killed a
man. lit was awful!-he had no
blood on him, Richard, but one felt he
bad blood all over; it was in his eyes,
and He said it was all right-no
one could touch him, but he had to
go-for always. And then he cursed
me-and then he fell on his knees
hereby this chair-and buried his
face in my lap-and cried. 1t was
awful, Richard-a man like that-to
cry" Her voice cracked, and became
instrument "Then he went away
and one day a man came to me and
told me he was dead-but | never
knew always believed | should
know"
He knelt beside her. and, taking her
hands between his own, soothed them
like a child's. There was something
in the action curiousIy at variance
with his expression, which was hard
and reckless.
But Sower-" She turned her
faded, frightened eyes to him: Il never
derstood why he shielded US. 1t fright
ened ME. Only once he spoke of it.
He said he would never make use of
the power-unless we made him. But
1t was his father who had been-mur-
dered. It wasn't natural, Richard. it
wasn't natural that he should forgive"
NO" he agreed sternly; and then
after a moments silence: and my
father-was there no reason-had he
no explanation"
With sudden vigorous movement
she freed herself and stood up, her
clenched, jeweled hands pressed
against her breast, her eyes grown
suddenly electric.
az was the excuse" she said
fercely And l was excuse enough"
"You?" He also had risen, and as
they stood there facing each other,
the subtle resemblance of tempera-
nent seemed to blaze through their
fea lures like some inward fire, chang
Ing all physical dissimiarity to con-
vincing likeness.
Yes You don't understand. Rich
ard-you are too young. But it is
women like myself who drive men to
such things. We are educated to be
professional vampires. and the more
brains we have the more deadly we
are" She gave a shart, irOnical laugh
"Don't you want TO curse me?"
"No," be answered simply. L don't
curse you any more than l believe my
father does if he is alive If he is
alive I am going to find him. and if
find him, shall tell him that honor
and love him. There was wrong to
be righted. and he did his best" He
went % the door. and there turned
and locked at her. IF | find nv fa-
tber, is there any message that may
give him-from you?' he asked.
Tell him that that night he won
me-" she said with defiance. Tell him
that in the brief interudes when | dare
TO think I know that l love him. Tell
nim that"
Richard FarQuhar bowed ana went
ont. Half an hour later he reached his
club Captain SoWer, n" was Informed.