The Huttig news., 1917-08-25
RY ROBERTS PINEHART
. TIE HAN JhLOHER TEh"ETc.

mousse door, met him face to face. As she recoiled from him, he closed the door.
 Il have brought you message from Boroday," he said swiftly. i've been a fool and scoundrel and-its about all up."
 Elinor hardly realized what he was saying. The light of horror had hardly died out of her eyes. To her, Waiter, once her lover, now typified all of suf- fering and nearness to death that lay in old Hllary's room upstairs.
 "The first train leaves the city at six o'clock" he said trying to keep his voice steady. Tt is hardly likely they will be out so soon, but under some pretext or other they will search the house this morning."
 ''How can I leave the house now ? Upstairs in fathers room"
 q know" he put in hastily. q know all about 1t. Elinor, 1 am sorry, am wildly sorry. It's no excuse to say 1 was crazy, but l was"
 "If I go away" Elinor said, with white lips, "how will they manage about him? The nurse needs so many things, and IT see that she has them.
 A flame leaped into the boys eyes.
 "If you care for him like that what are you going to do about it? Even if he cares for you, you cannot marry him. If he ever found out about you"
 "He will never marry me. And-he does know"
 The fact that Ward knew tho truth about Elinor and the band brought back to him their common peril. He thrust aside, for the time at least, his passion and his despair; and calmly directed his energies toward preparing the house for the inevitable search.
 So systematic had old Hilary been that there were few papers to destroy. Such of the ledgers as were ineriminat- ing he burned in the furnace. Elinor's box of jewels he carried upstairs and placed on the library table. Such set tlngs as had remained from the coun- try club raid, after the gems had been taken out, he melted together in old Hilary's crucible and placed the gold and platinum nugget in Elinors box.
 He had set the safe to simple com | bination and closed it. Except for its size. and for the protective wiring buried In it's walls, 1t might have beer family safe, built by a nervous and l elderly gentleman living Tn the eoun- try to hold his silver spoons.
 It was too late by that time to bury the box as Boroday had suggested. Huff did the next best thing. He buried it carefully in Elinor's garden, under clulnp of crimson phlox.
 Ellnor worked hurriedly, but with hopeless eyes. Her preparations con- sisted in little more than putting on the clothing in which she meant to travel. In this new life on which she was entering she wanted little to re- mind her of the old. A letter to Hen riette contained enough money to pay off the servants and the household ac- counts. In another envelope she fold ed the deed to the house and q note conveying it to Henriette.
 You can sell it." she wrote. Good by, dear Henriette. shall never for get you, and If ever it is possible, be sure I shall see you again.
 The time came, just before dawn, when she and Walter stood again face to face in the library.
 Huff was going at once. It was not Boroday's plan that any of them should further incriminate Elinor by accompanying her to the train. At sound of steps on the stairs, Huff started.
 "The nurse going down, probably for ice" she explained.
 He Is getting better, isn't he?"
 "Yes, but he still suffers at times."
 When the steps had died away, Eli nor slowly drew off her engagement ring, and held it out to him across the table. Although he was watching her, he made no move to take 1t, and she laid 1t down between them on the | table.
 "I don't think we need talk about 1t, Walter" she said simply. "There, is nothing to say, is there?"
 q suppose not" he returned bitterly. He added: If only you will try not to hate me, Elinor."
 q do not hate you. But if he had died"
 Huff came swiftly around the table and taking both her hands in his, held them to his throat with a despairing gesture.
 "If didn't know that it would make you more unhappy" he said slowly, "Fd kill myself today"
 "Walter!"
 I tell you now. It won't change matters any, but perhaps it will change your memory of. me. Ever since I've known you I've had one dream. You were to marry me and was going to turn straight. I could have done it with your help But now"
 He dropped her hands and tu ned away. Elinor watched him wistfully. The one thing he wanted she could not give. There could be no compromise between them. If must be all or noth-