The state herald., 1917-03-23

| play rair II yeu tried. csuld your and
you wouldn't. would you? But now
you've got to give up Gloria and get
on the other side Of the globe or you'll
wish you had never been born. know
what you are up to and advise you
not to undertake It. I mean It.
warn you that l will stop at nothing
to prevent you from wrecking both Of
those homes"
A spark Of manhood nickered yet in
Freneau's soul. and he attempted to
explain In some part his own helpless
ness. but Royce cut him short. The
facts as he had seen them permitted
NO explanation.
"Of course you won't listen; you
want Gloria yourself. You are only too
anxious to get me out. Of the way.
But don't let your jealousy drive you
absolutely insane"
Royce stopped the car and rot out.
'rve warned you" was his parting
shot.
All the rest Of the day Royce pom.
dered over where his own duty In
the matter lay. He could not tell
Gloria what he had seen. The shock
might have thrown her back into
fever. He could never bring himself
to smirch her love and young faith
In his rivals honor. He could not put
the responsibility and the horror Of
full knowledge on his friend David.
nor cast the burden on David's old IA
ther. 1t was not Royce's nature to
shift responsibility on other shoulders.
He tried to clear his brain by for
getting. He took up q medical book
for study, but between his eyes and
the page came . vision of Freneau as
leering satan. 1t laughed and
mocked at him. seeming to say:
Il will destroy Gloria and Lois and
David. and you cannot stop me-"
Royce jumped up and closed his
book. q look Of set purpose coming to
his grim face. It was nearly midnight
when he took from the drawer of his
desk table . revolver and slipped It
into his pocket.
When Royce had met David, David
had not told him that he was leaving
town for = week. David was not sure
what would happen. and Lois was the
only one he wanted to deceive. She
was % badly duping him that she had
no thought Of his returning the COM
pliment. It was dificult for him to
play the part he had assumed, and II
she had been moro on the alert she
would have seen the constraint in his
manner.
She played her own role with the
ease OF long practice. There was moth
ing sincere about her except her Joy
in David's departure. She thought
that nothing in the world could have
been more opportune. But she wanted |
to make sure that no accident befell |
him. She did not want him to miss
that train.
She went to the Pennsylvania sta
ton with him. acting the heartbroken. |
deserted wife with all her art. She
bade him goQd-by at the gate and when
he went down the stairs to the train
underground she still would not leave
tn she saw the roofs Of the cars move
Oh into the tunnel and the porter who
carried David's baggage come back.
Then she felt II safe and she departed
from the station with . sigh Of deep
relief.
II she had been . little less impa,
t5ont she would have seen David re-
turn through the gate after the train
had pulled out. David. making suro
that she mad not caught sight Of him. |
took his miserable doubts with him to
one Of his clubs.
Judge Freeman found him there. |
and. noting his expression. asked him
what had kept him from taking his
train. When David saw his father.in.
law the smoldering Of his trouble burst |
into hame. He matched the anony-
nous letter from his pocket and was
on the verge Of showing II. But he
withheld II. though he could not check |
tho bitter words: IF this letter 10
true I may have to kill . man."
An icy hand seemed to grip at the
Judges heart. He knew without See
Ing II what that letter said. He put |
his hand on David's arm and was
about to speak. when . man slapped
him on the back. He turned to face
the clubs most notorious bore. nick |
named the white Mans Burden"
The fellow was fat and even moro i'm
pervious to snubs than usual. - he
had been drinking heavily. Judge
Freeman tried TO escape him. but ~
the Burden had him clasped by the
lapel Of his coat II was impossible to
got away at once without knocking
him down. So the Judge stood the
repetition Of an ancient story a. well
- he could. waiting only for tho loos- |
,ening OF the grip on his coat. which
came with tho roar Of laughter the
Burden emitted at the end OF his yarn. |
Tho Judge turned to rcjoin David.
but found him gone. He started at
oura In torrlAad pura,,tt