The Washington times., 1919-04-09

that chauffeur OF mine"
Their chauffeur was standing be-
side the car as they emerged from
the hotel and started to cross the
sidewalk; the porter. following. seG
their luggage on the curbstons!
and at the same instant a young
and pretty woman stepped lightly.
between Rue and Brandes.
Faee To Face via Venem.
Good evening. Eddie" she said3
and struck him q staggering blow
in the face with her whits-Elovof
hand.
Brandes lost his balance. stumbled
sideways, recovered himself, turned
swiftly and encountered the full.
protruding black eyes Of Maxv
Venem staring close and menaeinr-,
~ into his.
From Brandes' cut np blood Wa
running down over his chin and
collar; his face remained absoluteiya
eXpresSfonless. The next momena
his eyes shifted. met Rahannah'd
stupefied gaze.
GO into the hotel" he said calm
~. "Quick-
Stay where. you are" interrupt
ed Maxy Venem, and caught the
speechless and beWildered girl by
the elbow.
Like lightning Brandes' hand
flew to his hip pocket, and at the
some instant his own chauffeur
seized both his heavy. short arms
and held them rigid, pinned behind
his back
"Frisk him." he painted: vsnenp
nfmbly relieved him OF the duh
black weapon.
"Can the fake gun-play. Eddie
be said. coolly showing aside ths
porter who attempted 10 interiors.
You're double-crossed. We got the
goods on you; come on; who's the
girl?'
The woman who had struck
Brandes now came up again beside,
Yenem. She was young. very pret-
y, but deathly white except for the
patches OF cosmetic on either cheekt
She pointed at Brandes. There wax
blood on her soiled and split glove4
you dirty dogr' she said un-
steadily. You'll marry this girl
before I've divorced you. viii yOue
And you think you are going to
get away with IT.. You dog. You
dirty, dog
The porter attempted to interfere
again. but Venem showed him out
OF the way. Brandes. still silently
struggling to free his imprisoned.
arms, ceased twisting suddenly and,
swung his heavy head toward We.
mem. His hat had fallen off: his
face. deeply flushed with exertion.f
BraRdes Denies Marriage.
Whats the idee. you FooI!'' be
said in allow voice, I'm not mar
ried to her"
But Ruhannah heard him say IT.
'You claim that you haven't mar
ried this girl: demanded venem
loudly, motioning toward Rue, who
stood swaying. half dead, held fast
by the gathering crowd which
pushed around them from everys
side.
"Did you marry her or did YOU
fake it," repeated Venem in a loud-
er voice. Its jail one wa; may
be both"
He married her in Gayfield at II
this morning" said the chauffeuF.l
"Parson Smawley turned the trick.P3
Brandes' narrow eyes glitteFed3
he struggled for a moment, gave a.
up, shot a deadly glance at Maxy
Venem. at his wife. at the incress-
ing throng eroWding closely about
him. Then his infuriated eyes met
Rue's, and the expression Of her
face apparently erazed him.
Frantic, he hurled himself back
ward, jerking one arm free, tripped.
fell heavily with the chauffeur ons
top, twisting, painting. struggling
convulsively. while all around him
surged the excited crowd. shouting.
pressing closer, trampling one
another in eagerness to see.
Rue. almost swooning with fear,
was pushed, jostled, flung aside
Stumbling over her own suitcase,
she fell to her knees, rose. and
scarce conscious of what she waB
about, caught up her suitcase and
reeled away into the light-shot-
darkness.
Overcome With Terror.
She had no idea OF what she was
doing or where she was going; the
terror ct the scene still remained
luridly before her eyes: an inds-
seribable fear Of Brandes filled her
"a growing horror OF this man
who had denied that he had mar
ried her. And the instinct OF
frightened and bewildered child
drove her into blind flight, any
where to escape this hideous. in
comprehensible scene behind her.
Hurrying on, alternately con-
fused and dazZled in the patches OF
darkness and fiaring light, clutched
at and followed by a terrible fear,
she found herself halted on the
curbstone OF an avenue through
which lighted tramways were pass
ing. A man spoke to her. came
closer; and she turned desperately
and hurried acroIs a street where
other people wers crossing.
From overhead sounded the roar
ing dissOnance OF an elevated train;
on either side of her phantom
shapes swarmed - figures which
moved everywhere arodnd her, now
illumined by shop windows, now
silhoustted against them. And al
ways through the deafening confu- 1
sion in her. brain, the dismay. the
stupefaction, one dreadful fear 4
dominated-the fear OF Brandes-
the dread and horror Of this Judas :
who had denied her. e.,
She could not drive the scene
from her mind-the neVer-to-bs
forgotten picture where he stood !
with blood from his cut lip strip
inr his fat chin She heard his