The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-08-30

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 I came to Lon
don, and why went to see your play
last night"
She was speechless. 1t was as If he
were speaking to her in some foreign
tongue.
Il have struggled" he continued, ito
adopt 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 l said to myself that
there 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 defiantly.
He looked down at her. All splendid
self-assurance seemed ebblng away.
She felt a sudden depression of spirit,
sudden strange sense of insignifi-
canoe.
81 have come" he said, EFF can. to
buy my brothers freedom"
ITO buy your brothers freedOm?"
she repeated, in a dazed tone.
my brother is infatuated with you"
Stephen declared. 81 wish to save
him."
The womans courage began to as
sert itself. She raised her eyes to his.
Exactly what do you mean?" she
asked calmly. "In what way is any
man to be saved from me? If your
brother should care for me, and /, by
any chance, should happen to care for
him, in what respect would that be
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 one so ignorant and so unappre-
ciative as myself? If my brother
should ever marry, it Is my firm inten-
tiOn that he shall marry an honest
woman"
Louise sat quite still for u 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 at 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 little unSteadily 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 breath7" he
asked calnly. 1--WE are alone here,
you and /, we know the TRUTH"
She sat quite still, shivering 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. / 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
clever actress, madam-and believe
that you were a woman who was living
an honest life?"
fTnnnSCihln fo Sh
demanded.
utterly lmpossiblei"
"And to John"
II am speaking for myself and not
for my brother" Stephen replied. Men
like him, who are assailed by certain
madness, are best left alone with it.
That is why came to you to bargain,
if l could. Is there anything that you
lack-anything which your own sue
cess and your lover, or lovers, have
failed to provide for your"
II was useless to try to rise; she
was powerless in all her limbs. Side
by side with the anger and horror that
his words aroused was sense of some
thing almost grOtesque, something
which seemed to force an unnatural
laugh from her lips.
$50 you want to buy me OFF,"
II should be glad to believe that 1t
was within my power to do so. have
not Johns great fortune, but I have
money, the accumulated savings of n
lifetime, for which ! have no better
purpose. There is one more thing, too,
to be said
Another charge"
mot that" he told her; "Only 1t is
better for you to understand that if
you turn me from your house this
morning, l shall still feel the necessity
of saving my brother from you"
Saving him from me?' she ex-
claimed, rising suddenly and throwing
out her arms. "Do you know what
you are talking about? Do you know
that if | consented to think of your
brother as my husband, there Is not a
man in London who would not envy
l not? am great artist. am Lou
Use Maurel, and / have made myself
famous by my own work and my own
genius. What has your brother done
in life to render him worthy of the
sacrifice l should make if chose to
give him my hand? You had better
go back to Cumberland, Mr.. Strange
wey. You do not see life as we see it
up here!'
"And what about JOhn?' he asked,
without moving. "YOu tempted him
away. Was it from wantonness or do
you love him?"
Love him?" she laughed. II hate