Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-22
Bv ANNA Katherine Green
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looks with my most forbidd!ng frown
and hoped by this show of severity 10
hold him back But his little heart was
full and, ignoring her outstretched
arms. he bounded toward mine with
his most affectionate cry. She saw and
uttered her ultimatum. The child should
go with her or she would not consent to
a separation. The blow struck me hard
or so l thought. till 1 looked at my
father Never had I beheld such a,
change as that one moment had made
in him.
ut was a sight to call up all my re-
sources. To allow her to remain now,
with my feelings toward her all
changed and my fathers eyes fully
opened to her stony nature, was impos-
sible. Nor could / appeal to law. An
open scandal was my fathers greatest
dread and divorce proceedings his hor-
ror. The child would have to go un-
less I could find way TO influence her
through her own nature. ! knew OF
but one-do not look at me, Miss
Strange. 1t was dishonoriug to us both.
and | am Mortified now when / think or
1t. But to me at that time il was nat
ural enough n last resort There
was but debt which my wife ever
paid. but one promise she ever kept.
1t was that made at the gaming table.
| offered. as soon as my father. reallz-
ing the hopelesSness of the situation,
had gone tottering from the room, TO
gamble with her for the child
And she accepted
our mouse is large and ITS rooms
many: but for such work as two
contemplated there was but one SPOT
where we could command absolute
clusion. You may have heard of il. 4
famous natural grotto hidden in our
own portion of the coast. No one,
far as we knew, had ever followed US
there. But to insure ourselves against
any possible interruption, waited
till the whole house was n bed before
we left il for the grotto We went by
boat. and oh, the dip of those oars, [
hear them Yet. And the witchery OF
her face in the moonlight: and the
mockery of her low, fitful laugh, AS
] caught the sinister note in its silverv
rise and fall. knew what was before
me if failed to retain my composure.
The effort was homeless and when the
time came for dealing out the cards my
eyes were burning in their sockets and
my hands shivering like leaves in a
rising gale. :
I'VE played one game-and my wife
lost. We played another-aud my wife
won. We played the third-and the
rate had fereseen from the first be-
came mine The luck was with her,
and ] had lost my boy.
When / realized anything more, /
found myself in the grottos mouth
staring helpiessly out upon the sea.
The boat which had foated US in at
nigh tide lay stranded but few feet
away. but ] did not reach for it. Es-
cape was quicker over the rocks, and 1
made for the rocks.
NAT IL was a cowardly act to leave
her there to find her way back alone at
midnight by the same rough road | was
taking did not strike my mind for an
instant. ! was in flight from my own
past; in flight from myself and the
haunting dread of madness. When I
aWoke 10 reality again it was to find
the small door by which we had left
the house standing slightly ajar.
was troubled by this. for was sure of Y
having closed it. But the impressiop
was brief. and, entering, / went stun
bling up to my room, leaving the way
open behind me more from sheer ina
bfiity to exercise my will than from
any thought of her
Miss Strange" Che had come out of
CONTINUED on Fifth Pagel