Evening star., 1919-02-16

you re tHlHklHG III JuSt dhotnSI au-
venturess," she said. with a shrug
"But what of that? Every woman is
an adventures who is trying TO bet
ter her position and who is using her
head to do II. And that's just what
every woman is doing"
II was not thinking chiefly or that;
| was thinking of Peter Loveman. Did
he suggest that you go into hidingT
when Jack told him of our en-
gagement he said he didn't want TO
know anything about it, he wanted
to keep out of any such affair. But
when he learned Jacks father was in
town, he telephoned me to keep out of
the way"
you've known Loveman some
timer"
Since came back to America. He's
been Uncle Joe's lawyer. and. natural
ly. they're friends"
And he could have known you
were in Pine Mountain Lodge"
"Of course. Uncle Joe might have
told him"
Clifford considered moment. Tell
me Just what has Mr.. Loveman had
to do with this AFFAIR."
II have already told you every
thing / know"
Clifford was convinced that in
this she was telling him the
truth But all his senses inform
ed him that somewhere, work
fair was Peter Loveman. playing with
his master subtletly upon human
frailttes, passions and ambitions,
Undoubtedly Mary Regan was being
used. Undoubtedly also Commissioner
Thorne had been right when he had
declared that Mary Regan had no
suspicion that she was being used:
that she believed that whatever she
was doing she was doing of her own
free will
He had put to her all the ques-
tions he had intended; and as for
moment he sat gazing at her--so
composed so worldly-looking. and so
very young to be saying such things
as she had just said--the more per-
sonal questions, which had shaken
him so often. throbbed through him
like so many gigantic and fiery pulse
beats: Was she through and through
and unchangeably this worldly, cal
culating Mary Regan that she had so
carefully depicted for him--or was
1t all just pose? Or might she be-
lieve herself sincere in this sophsti-
cation-and yet deep down In her
might there be the living essence of
very different Mary Regan that
she tried to deny and ignore? He
could not forget that moment in
Washington Square when her soul had
seemed unlocked; he could not forget
her kiss.
Clifford stood UP as though his in
tention was to leave. She also rose His
trifiiing strategy achieved it's end
physical proximity and the chance
which sitting at formal distance in
chairs did not permit Suddenly he
gripped her two shoulders; and the
energy and purpose and feeling
which he had kept in restraint during
the past minutes now burst forth.
Listen TO me. Mary 'Regan," he de-
clared tensely. You are. not going
to marry Jack Morton, You hear
mel"
She was so startled at the change
in him that she was hardly aware
of the hands clutching her soulders
why not?"
His words rushed out. I'm not
going to say anything about it's not
being square. He's not good enough
for you! Oh, don't mean to &un
down man I've called my friend
Jack Morton Is pleasant enough in
his way. And you've seen him at his
best--away from the lights and big
pleasure. when he was on his good be-
havior-and there are few men who
can be more agreeable than Jack
Morton. But Broadway is likely to
get mold OF him again. And girls. -
no girl is pretty to him for more
than SIX months, and every pretty
girl Is prettier than the last pretty
girl. It's just the way Jack Is made
or the way this town has made him.
i tell you it's an awful mistake.
ITS my own mistake I'm making!"
Her dark eyes flashed at him. Take
of your hands.'
Instead he clutched her all the
tighter. There's bigger reason
than the mistake Mary, you love met
Love you" she calculated
Yes, you love me. and you know
you love me"
he declared masterfully. The impulse
was upon him to sweep her from her
announced determination by domi-
mating her with a swift power COM
prised of his own longing for her
ana her reawakened liking for him.
you know you love me. or why did
you see Commissioner Thorne about
me six months ago. and why did YOU
To-Day suggest to him that he again
Z oHer me the place of chief of the de-
tective bureau? You love me. and
you thought your marriage to me
might i"jure my public career. You
don't ~ how much marriage to Jack
morton may injure him Don't you
think ] see through you? Don't you
think l understand? You're not GO
ing to marry Jack Morton! You're
going to marry me-"
She had paled--and her dark eyes.
OF brown that was almost black.
were hyed upon him widely, in what
might have been fear. or bewilder-
ment. or fascination. or all of these
and he felt a trembling go through
her body. For long moment they
stood tensely thuS--he hoping that