The Holly chieftain., 1917-03-02
my letten!s
They are mine!'
"Aud ~"

my letters!
They are mine!'
"And IT.
Crawford did not underHAna
FORBES. did you tell her! u you o'o'
God forgive you. never will!
Forbes nung bis hat on . ehsif.
-AIl I've done 10 TO bring her to you.
He came and told me you we're
sailing and never coming back. I've
been Q miserable fool" She held oos
hsr arms, round and nrm and vh.e'
To Forbes she vas ~ lovely - tse
Madonna he had once dreamed Of
painting. Il don't care who the otesr
woman IL. Whatever she has been %
you.
Janet, you are hystertcaE
mo Do you want me. jim!
Crawford leaned with bis hands
upon the desk. He was ~ white -
she was. Forbes turned his back ana
began idly TO pluck At the fraysd orit'
tie wrapping OF . mummy. Lord! 10
thought. even this gruesome thing nso
loved something once.
Janet" he heard Crawford say.
will you 60 with me to Italy In ths
morning?"
Yes"
Without question. past or futursF
"As I am" The fever was gone
from her voice.
"You will Live up the life you have
known and share the hardships OF
mine?-for they are hard and ~ much
. part of me a. the air"
Yes. ~ am now"
The mummy at which Forbes was
staring strangely wavered. Forbes
blinked hard and caught the tears be-
fore they fell. It wasn't Crawfords
story he was thinking Of; 1t was bis
own, his own idle. drifting. innocuous
story. His head stole round in spite
OF his effort to keep It from doing 30.
There they stood. face to face. tense.
The girls sables had fallen apart. dis
closing her peignoir. She had come
out like that! Why the devil didn't
the man take her. take her? His
heart swelled with rage. But the rage
died as quickly as 1t had come Craw-
ford swung the girl into his arms: all
the weariness gone from his scholarly
face. which was now transfigured with
something Forbes had never seen on
any mans face before.
Girl" said Crawford. I'm a brute,
but wanted to be sure. Five years!
Well, this moment Is worth it."
Tell her the TRUTH" cried Forbes
hoarsely.
why should I? In her heart Of
hearts she knows It. knows that there
never was and never will be another
woman! Oh, Mort!"-with a hand
outstretched over the girls shoulders
saw you come in could
have cursed you. for l believed you
must have told her; and I wanted
no other love than this, absolute. with
out reservation. am an odd man. but
/ am as God made me. You wonder
why did not explain long ago. Shc
accused me Of bringing her second.
hand love. deny that evinced fool.
ish pride when l left her. She had
listened to idle gossip without first
hearing my side before she Judged.
Had she come to me at any time as
she has come tonight. What's
the use Of going over all that? She il
mine now. even II you did bring her
to me-"
''on the contrary" said Forbes, II
believe she brought me-"
The girls arm wound about Craw.
ford's neck tightly.
What's the matter?" asked Craw.
ford suddenly. as he marked the ex.
preston Of astonishment ON his
friends face.
The answer came from behind.
Sorry, sir. Z interrupt" said Hag-
gerty. pushing the valet before him;
but duty's duty. an time don't watt
For Haggerty, familiar as he was
with battle. murder and sudden death.
had never witnessed a scene like this
one. and it had outlasted his patience.
And who the devil are your" de.
manded Crawford, swinging about and
facing the detective.
(TO BE CoNTINUED.)
A woman fights harder to get into
society than she prays to get into