The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-02-21
CHAPTER xv-continued.

your mind. For two acts you have
been asked to focus your attention
upon the increasing brutality of the
marquis. Remember that, won't your
mot likely to forget it." John re-
piled. "How well they all act"
There was a quarter Of an hours
Interval before the curtain rose again.
Rumors concerning the last act had
been floating about for weeks, and the
house was almost tense with excite
ment as the curtain went up. The
scene was the country chateau of the
marquis de Guy" who Brought a
noisy crowd Of companions from Paris
without any warning. His wife showed
signs of dismay at his coming. He
had brought with him women whom
she declined to receive.
The great scene between her hus-
band and herself took place In the
square hall of the chateau, on the first
floor. Louise reafirms her intention
of leaving the house. Her husband
laughs ut her. Her position Is hope
less.
"What can you do7" he mocks.
She shrugs her shoulders and passes
into her room. The marquis sinks upon
. settee, and presently Is Joined by
one Of the ladies' who have Travelled
with him from Paris. He talks to her
of the pictures upon the wall. She Is
impatient to meet the MarQuise de
Guy.
The marquis knocks at his wife's
door. Her voice is heard clearly, after
q moments pause.
"In a few minutes !" she replies.
The marquis resumes his Irritation.
His companion becomes impatient
the marquis has pledged his word that
she should be received by his wife. An
ancient enmity against the MarQuise
de Guy prompts her to insist.
The marquis shrugs his shoulders
and knocks more loudly than ever at
his wife's door. She comes out dressed
for travel and is met by Faraday. who
suddenly appears.
"You asked me what could do."
abe says, pointing to her lover. you
see nowi"
There was q moments breathless ii
lence Trough the house. Tho scene in
itself was a little beyond anything that
the audience had expected. Sophy.
who had been leaning over the edge of
the box, turned around In NO little
anxiety. She heard the door slam.
John had Disappeared
He left the theater with only his hat
Ia his hand, turning up his coat BY In
stinct a. he passed through the driving
fain. All his senses seemed tingiing
with some nameless horror. Tho bril-
liance Of the language. the subtlety Of
the situation. seemed like some evil
trail drawn across that one horrible
climax. K was Louise who had come
from that room and pointed to Fara-
day!
He reached his rooms-he scarcely
knew how-and walked upstairs. There
he threw OF some Of his dripping gar
ments, opened the window wide, and
stood there.
He looked out over the Thames, and
there was q red nare before his eyes.
Stephen was right. he told himself.
There was nothing but evil to be found
hure, nothing but bitter disappoint-
ment. nothing but the pain which deep
ems Into anguish. Better to remain
like Stephen. unloving and unloved. to
draw nearer to the mountains, to fnd
Joy in the crops and the rain and the
sunshine, to listen stonily to the cry
of human beings as II to some voice
from an unknown world.
He leaned a little further from the
window, and gazed into the court at a
dizzy depth below. He had cut himself
adrift from the peace which might have
been his. He would never know again
the Joys of his earlier life. It was for
this that he had fought so many bat
ties. clung so tightly to one ideal-for
Louise, who could show herself to any
one who cared to pay his shilling or
bis half-guinea. glorying in her dis
honor; worse than giorying in it-hnd-
ing some subtle humor in the little ges-
ture with which she had pointed, un-
ashamed. to her lover.
John bent q little lower from the
window. A sudden dizziness seemed
to have come over him. Then he was
forced to turn around. His door had
been quickly opened and shut. 1t was
Sophy who was crossing toward him.
the rain streaming from her ruined
opera cloak.
"John l" she cried. "Oh, Johni"
She led him back to his chair and
6nelt by his side. She held his hands
tightly.
"You mustn't feel like this" she
sobbed; you mustn't, John, really |
You don't understand. It's all 4 play.
Louise wouldn't really do anything like
thati"
He shivered- Nevertheless, he
clutched her hands and drew her closer
to him.
"Do. please. listen to me-" she
begged. "It's all over. Louise IL her