Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-12-06

cAss y and oct /. little more shsss
you"
~About nieY'
so discover II 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 . chance
that you might have been IN honest
woman. That Is why ! came to Lon
don. and why ! went to see your play
last night"
She was speeches.. 1t was rs II he
were speaking to her In some foreign
tongue.
II hive struggled" he continued. 10
adopt q 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 I said to myself that
there should be no mistake. For that
reason I sat In a theater last night al
most for the first time In my life. I
saw you act"
"Well?" she asked almost defiantly.
He looked down at her. All splendid
self-assurance seemed ebbing away.
She felt n sudden depression Of spirit,
n sudden strange sense Of insignia.
canoe.
:" have come" he said, III l can. to
buy my brothers freedom"
ITO buy your brothers freedom?"
she repeated, in n duzed tone.
my brother Is infatuated with YOU"
Stephen declared. II wish to save
HIM"
The woman's courage began to as
sert Itself. She raised her eyes to his.
Exactly what do you mean" she
asked calmly. I'm what way is any
man to be saved from me? II your
brother should are for me, and l, by
any chance. should happen to care for
him, in what respect would that be n
state from which he would require sal
vation"
"You make my task more difficult"
he observed deliberately. Does 1t
amuse you to practice your profession
before n so ignorant and so unappre-
ciative as myself? II my brother
should ever marry. 1t is my firm inten-
ton that he shall marry an honest
woman"
Louise sat quite still for n moment.
A flash of lightning had glittered be-
fore her eyes. and in her ears was the
crash Of thunder. Her face was sud-
denly strained. She saw nothing but
the stern, %forbidding expression Of the
man who looked down ut her.
"You dare to say this to me, here In
my own house,"
Dare? Why not? Don't people tell
you the truth here In London. then?"
She rose a little u%nstendily to her
feet, motioning him toward the door,
and moving toward the bell. Suddenly
she sank back into her former place,
breathless and helpless.
"Why do you waste your breathe" he
asked calmly. "We are alone here,
you and I've know the truth"
She sat quite still. shiverins a little.
"Do we? Tell me, then. because l
am curious-tell me why you are so
sure of what you say"
"The world has it," he replied. that
you are the mistress of the prince Of
Seyre. l came to London to satisfy
myself as to the truth of that report.
Do you believe that any man living
among that audience last night, coulu
watch the play-although you are Il
clever actress, mndam-nnd believe
that you were a woman who was living
m honest lifey"
"That seems impossible to you" she
demanded.
utterly impossible!
"And to John?"
II am speaking for myself and not
for my BROTHER" Stephen replied. "Men
like him, who are assailed by a certain
madness, are best left alone with It
That IS why I came to you to bargain
II / could. Is there anything that you
lack-anything which your own sue
cess and your lover. or lovers, have
failed to provide for YOU"
1t was useless to try to rise; she
was powerless in all her limbs. Side
by side with the anger and horror tina
his words aroused was a sense Of some
thing almost grotesque, something
which seemed to force an %unnatura
laugh from her lips.
$50 you want to buy me Off"
II should be glad to believe that 1
was within my power to do so. l hav,
not Johns great fortune, but l hay,
money, the accumulated savings Of
lifetime, for which l have no bette,
purpose. There Is one more thing, too
to be said"
another charger"
"Not that" he told her; "only 1t Il
better for you to understand that |
you turn me from your house thi
morning, I shall still feel the ~necesslt.
OF saving my brother from you"
Saving him from me-" she ex
claimed, rising suddenly and THROWN,
out her arms. "Do you know wha
you are talking about? DO you know
that II l consented to think of Won