Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-05-13

locke about her. curious and inter-
ested. Irenya settled upon a boulder,
with much the effect Of a rose
dropped in the desert, and watched
Rupert. The scene was fiatly ia
miliar; the American was new. With
a gesture bidding the girl stay where
she was. Delight slowly walked on.
The scene. commencing to gray
with approaching evening. brought
riage: the night when Stefan Balsic
had taken her from the road. She
thought of it almost i~npersonally. as
if that frantic, despairing girl we're
not herself, but another. Delight
wondered now how she had been so
readily terrtfied into marriage.
Now, she smiled as she walked,
Stefan Balsic no longer terrified her;
not after q month spent in his house.
severe to men; not to W. Womenma b.
ruptly she recalled the Frenchwoman
at Antivari, with the bruised cheek.
She had rounded the turn in the
road, a projecting shoulder Of rock
hiding her from Rupert and Irenya.
AS she paused before the unwelcome
shock. Of that memory, Michael Bal
sic stepped down the incline and met
her. @
Her cry was stifed> by his sharp
warning. After all the months, their
meeting was not that of lovers, but of
conspirators standing fearfully be-
fore each other. But after a moment
delight stretched put her hands.
catching her breath in a; sob.
! Michael! You look so strange
SO strangely at me. You know, I had
no help; I was taken, Michael"
Why did you lie to .Owen" he
asked roughly.
Stupefied, she stared at him.
Or it you told him the truth, why
Gid you not lie He came nearer
apd took her hands. the bitter anger
lof his tone according well with his
expression. Delight. you have
ruined US both. II you had CON
irmed my story, we should have had
the world with us. If stefan had
Kept you as 1 well knew he would,
ne must have been "a H~discredited
rebel. In the end, he must have lost
YOU n his M~ontenegrin possessions
to me. You look at me-did you not
understand, them"
q"
III you understand, and. acted 50,
you never loved me-
She tried to. free her hands, shrink
ing back. -
IT did she painted. IT did. Mi
chael, Michael. can you say those
things to me?"
Yes, and think them" he answer.
ed, but more gently. III 1 am rough,
look at the weary lines in my face.
have suffered, while you lived at
ease, it seems. Delight, you have
killed my credit at court: the King
turned his back; on me when Sir
Robert Owen made his report.
More. Stefan Isl bounding me close in
his treason-hunt. If he had been a
d~isobedient rebel and exile himself,
II only told the truth"
1T was no time for truth. But We
waste our time. I love you and l
forgive all. I have come for you, at
last. Since you passed the other way,
have been watching to stop you on
the return. Up the hill, behind that
ledge, Josef is waiting with our
horses. Before your American
! finishes searching for you and news
reaches Stefan. we will be across the
border OF Albania. From there, We
Michael. do you forget / am mar
ried to your hrother?"
He laughed shortly.
mo-; when I forget that, I will be
dead. What of it? We will get, a
divorc in your country. tells you.
! ne teamed to bring his pas
~sion-fushed face nearer hers, II
would rather take you now as
Stefan's wife that have this marriage
first undone. He would ruin me fol
what he counts honor-let his own
take a wound! Come, and quickly
The girl shivered away from him,
appalled, dark eyes On his light-blue
ones cross which moved the smoky
changes, Rupert had seen. :
And my honor? Let me go, Mi.
chael. I cannot: let me go"
Instead, he drew her closer srd
/ passed his arm about her; shaking of
anger with a movement of his hand.
some head and showing her the gay
warm countenance of the lover shs
knew.
Have I frightened you." h.
laughed, in the old tender voice
forgive me, belle annie. See, I an
gentle enough now! We have vile
tlood\ in us-I'H wager you have seer
Stefan in moods not sanity? Thinl
what ire has ragged in me. to know
you in his hands! Come, forgive as
do. When owen told his story, how
you had even thrown down Reshid'
cup, it, sen me near madness
Come; our last kiss is still on, m.
slips" t'sh fT
She threw her free hand agains
his breast, holding him away.
stVHYof& NRS1-- rN----f ,