Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-18
q
!. Destroying
Angel
By Louis Joseph Vance
Auihss u
"7hs Pei II F7sms."
"TM Bssass 9sll." TIE Risek
Be-" "7As Bssas Bsssl."
CHAPTER XVI. !,
capItulatIon.

sr -
capItulatlon.
Grimly whitaker sat himself down
n IN the kitchen and prepared to wait
q the temperance Of his wife-pre-
pared to wait as long as life was in
him, 80 that he were there to welcome
{ her when. her paroxysm over, she
would come to him to be comforted,
soothed and reasoned out Of her dis
torted conception Of her destiny.
He pQndered the situation for hours
then he rose. assembled, the stairs,
tapped gently on the locked door.
# MARY" he called, with his heart
In his mouth-"Mary!
Her answer was instant. In accents
sweet. calm and clear.
The GREATNESS seconds spun their
golden web Of minutes. They did not
move. Round them the silence sang
like the chofring seraphim.
II am all right. Tn resting. dear,
and thinking. Don't fret about me.
When feel able. will come down
10 you"
..As You will," he assented, unspeak-
I ably relieved: and returned to the
kitchen.
Sunset interrupted his thoughts
sunset and his wife. Sounds Of
someone moving quietly round the
kitchen, soft clash Of dishes, tho
rafting Of the crate. drew him back
70 the door.
She showed him face of calm re-
straint and implacable resolve.
sweet level Of gentleness and strength
IL Just wanted to tell you how sorry
I am. I've let you go without your
lunch"
q .'Well.' he admitted witho short
laugh, Hrm famished!''
She paused, regarding him with her
whimsical, indulgent smile. "You
strange creaturei" she said softly.
Are you angry with me--impatient-
for this too facile descent from heroics
to the commonplace Be patient with
me- dear"
But, alarmed by his expression, her
words stumbled and ran out. She
stepped back pace, little flushed
and tremulous.
Hugh! No. Hugh, no."
Don't b afraid Of me-" hS said,
turning away. II don't mean to bother.
Only-4t times"
~ know, dear; but 1t must not be-"
Shall you make a fire again to-
SnightY she asked. when they had con-
Guided the meal.
I'm three places" he said. We'll
MT xtay, smother day for want Of let
ting people know were here. TIL 80
now. When you are ready"
II shan't be long" she said.
When It was quite dark, Whitaker
brought lantern to the door and
called her. and they went forth to-
gether.
As he had promised. he had built
mp three towering pyres, widely apart.
When all three were in full roaring
fame, their illumination was hot and
glowing over all the upland. 1t
seemed impossible that the world
should not now become cognizant Of
their distress.
At some distance to the north Of
the greatest fre-that nearest the
rm-house-they sat as on the previ-
Gus night, locking out over the black
and unresponsive waters, communing
together in undertones.
In that hour they learned much Of
one another; much that had seemed
strange and questionable assumed, in
the understanding Of each, the com.
pletion Of the normal and right. Whit
aker spoke ut length and In much de-
tail Of his Willful Missing years with
out seeking to excuse the Trong-mind-
ed reasoning which had won him his
own consent to live under the mask
Of death. He told Of the motives that
had prompted his return. Of all that
had happened since In which she had
had no part-with single reserva-
ton. One thing he kept back; the
time for that was not yet.
"A listener in his turn, he heard the
history Of the little girl of the Com
mercial House breaking her heart
against the hardness Of life In what
at first seemed utterly futile endeavor
to live by her own efforts, asking
4 nothing more Of the man who had
given her his name.
He learned Of the coming Of Max,
his interest In her, the indefatigable
pains he hsd expended coaching her
to bring out the latent ability his own
genius OWNED; Of the initial perform
7 ance Of "Joan Thursday" before .
meager and Indifferent audience, her
instant triumph and subsequent con-
quest Of The country In half dozen
widely disdmilar roles; finally Of her
decision to leave the stage when she
married. for reasons comprehensible,
demanding neither exposition nor de-
fence.
ut doesn't matter any longer" she
commented. concluding: u loved and
hated It. II was deadly and it was
<.os..c.s. Rnt 1t no longer matters.
&. il fnishsd Sara Law Is no more"
'You mean never to 80 back to the
Wager
..Never.r
sAnd YETI he mused craftily.
sNeysrl" She fell blindly into his
trap. y promised myself long ago
that II ever ! became a wife"
1But yot are 20 wife, " he countered.
Dear, you are cruel to me!''
n think it's you who would be