The Dermott news., 1917-11-15
CHAPTER VIII.
CoubIy Villain.
slowly.

i'dliN iN'tHlpiiAl ilu>ttI, ut|tti' dll' dropped her hand. while he looked at Ethel uncomprehendinsly
 "Married*" he stammcred. No. no. it can't he. You're playing some game, It can't be true"
 Pm secretly married" she con fesSed.
 He looked at her in amazement.
 "Sccretlyz n'It why-why*"
 "I can't 2 even to you. Larry except tha .9s for my happiness to keep il secret. now"
 Bitter realization came to him then But he would not press her further. And you're happy" His eyes sought hers sadly
 She could not keep back the whole truth from him. no matter how much she wished to Larr! eedmond'S hon eSty was too patent 5e make dtSSem- bling m easy matter in his presence
 "oh. yes. Larry, was happy-un. til you came back just now. she said.
 Then why did you marry himf" he demanded. There was uo anger in his yoice-only regret and wonder.
 "EeeauSe when you left was-des- perate, she admitted.
 You" he exclaimed, more than ever at a less to understand her
 "YeS" Ethel said. T waited=wa.t. ed for vou uutil month ago IJ neycy feJrd from you-ncver hcaf1 of you. thought you were deud If you'd been alive. | fe,t that my love my wanting you so very much would bring you back to Inc"
 bear God" There was no mock revcr.uee ill that Soul-weung wall. straight from his Celtic heart
 And all my money had gone oh, II doesn't matter now, Aud l came here as soVerue~, to sir Georges daughter. He's been very helpful
 And this mau-my m>haud- came along lie seemed very fond of nc" she smiled wanly quite deS- perlteiy in faye was Wretehcd, mis- erable. lonely. and oh. se tired, wanted someone to take care of ne. And So, l married"
 And it's all my fault. That was like Larry Redmond-to condemn him self instead of her.
 She could not bear to hear him up braid himself
 Please, aren't We suffering enough now" she protested
 He made up his mind. then. that for her sake he must put things in a differ ent light. And goad.ng himself to bis duty, he sat down and looked at her wearily
 "Rut you've got To realize" he be sau. you've got to realize that It's best you shouldn't have married coward-and l was that. Two months ago l nearly finished it all"
 Larry" Ethel exclaimed in sudden fear, The mere mention of such th.ng shocked her lneXpreSSibly
 "kh. yes, meant to- he continued ruthleSsy. And il WIS another man almost strancer-who stopped me
 When was its' Anxious as she was she could hot forhear asking him that Ii seemed ineouceivabe that the s"y Larry she used to know should ever have been near self-dcstruetion
 Two months ago" he said. And he stopped abruptly then. as If his thoughts had momentarily taken bim ! far away. Two months ago. in Der i lin" he resumed. pulling himself To- gether by visible effort It was one If those gorgeous, moonlight nights | was thinking of you. my dear, and | thinking how futile il all was What | was the use2 IL was in one | of those little side streets of Inter den | Linden. l stood there behind tree l. when suddenly this fellow came up from behind and grabbed my re- 
 All at once his recital brought back to Ethel's mind another similar story. In her agitation she could not at first recall exactly where or under what she had heard 1t. And then, in a flash she remembered. Her husband had told her a tale like that only an hour before
 Tn Berlin this was-not Paris?" she asked him quickly.
 "No-Berlin."
 That's curious" she said II heard just such another story a little while ago"