The circle banner., 1917-11-23
Louise dressed herself simply but

i carefully. She could conceive of bu
one reason for Stephens presence il
her house, and it. rather amused her. /
was, of course, no friendly visit. III,
had come either to threaten or Il
cajole. Yet what could he do? Wha
had she to fear? She went over the in
| terview in her mind, imagining hin
crushed and subdued by her superior
subtlety and finesse.
With little smile of coming triumph
| upon her lips she descended the stairs
and swept into her pleasantly warmed
and perfumed little drawingroom. She
even held out her hand cordially to the
dark, grim figure whose outline against
the dainty white wall seemed so inap-
propriate.
''This is very nice of you indeed, Mr.
Strangewey," she began. 81 had no idea
that you had followed your brothers
example and come to town."
She told herself once more that her
slight instinct of uneasiness had been
absurd. Stephens bow, although a lit
tie formal and austere, was still an
acknowledgment of her welcome. The
shadows of the room, perhaps, had pre-
vented him from seeing her out
stretched hand.
'Mine is very short visit, Miss Mau-
rel," he said. 81 had no other reason
for coming but to see John and to pay
this call upon you"
81 am greatly flattered," she told
him. "You must please sit down and
make yourself comfortable while we
talk. See, this is my favorite place."
she added, dropping into corner of
her lounge. "Will you sit beside me?
Or, if you prefer, draw up that chair"
my preference" he replied, sis to
remain standing"
She raised her eyebrows. Her tone
altered.
sit must be as you wish, of course"
she continued; "only have such pleas
ant recollections of your hospitality at
Peak Hall that / should like, if there
was any possible way in which L could
return it"
Madam" he interrupted, "you must
admit that the hospitality of Peak Hall
was not willingly offered to you. Save
for the force of circumstances, you
would never have crossed our thresh-
old"
She shrugged her shoulders. She
was adapting her tone and manner to
the belligerency of his attitude.
"WelI?"
"YOu want to know why have found
my way to London?' he went on. 81
came to find out a little more about
you"
"About me?"
''To discover if there was anything
about you," he proceeded deliberately,
concerning which report had lied.
do not place my faith in newspapers
and gossip. There was always a chance
that you. might have been an honest
woman. That is why 1 came to Lon
don, and why 1 went to see your play
last night"
She was speecLIess. 1t was as if he
were speaking to her in some foreign
tongue.
81 have struggled" he continued, ''to
adopt a charitable view of your pro-
fession. know that the world changes
quickly, while we, who prefer to re-
main outside its orbit, of necessity lose |
touch with its new ideas and new |
fashions. So said to myself that |
here should be no mistake. For that |
reason sat in a theater last night al |
most for the first time in my life. l |
saw you act"
"Well?" she asked almost defantly.
He looked down at her. All splendid |
seemed ebbing away.
She felt sudden depression of spirit,
| sudden strange sense of insignifi-
,ance.
81 have come" he said, eff I can, to
'uy my brothers freedom"
'To buy your brothers freedom?"
he repeated, in a dazed tone.
"My brother is infatuated with you,"
Stephen declared. II wish to save
lim."
The woman's courage began to as
ert itself. She raised her eyes to his.
Exactly what do you mean?" she
sked calmly. 'In what way is any
nan to be saved from me? If your
rother should care for me, and /, by
ny chance, should happen to care for
i'm, in what respect would that be a
tate from which he would require sal
ation?"
"You make my task more difficult"
e observed deliberately. "Does it
muse YOU to practice your profession
efore one so ignorant and so unappre-
ative as myself? If my brother
lould ever marry, it is my firm inten-
on that he shall marry an honest
oman"
Louise sat quite still for a moment.
flash of lightning had glittered be-
re her eyes, and in her ears was the |
ash of thunder. Her face was sud- /
,nly strained. She saw nothing but
e stern, forbidding expression of the
an who looked down at her.
"You dare to say this to me, here in
Y own house?"
'sDare? Why not? Don't people tell
u the truth here in London, them"
She rose little unsteadily to her |
ct, motioning him toward the door,
d moving toward the bell. Suddenly A-
e sank back into her former place,
aathless and helpless.
why do you waste your breath ?" he ht
xed calmly. 1--WE are alone here, sf
j and I've know the truth!' sc