Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1920-12-17

me In that life from Wilhelm my
vanity. ! thought-my love had saved
YOU"
Melancholy yielded to a surge of in.
d'gnation. "And when find you there,
In that vile den. in peril of your life.
and rescue you and bring you back,
you thank me by making up this pre-
posterous tale. with your own tongue
you tell me to my face you are dead,
you attempt to deny the fact of your
own existence What am to believe.
then? That you are vision. crea-
ture Of my Imagination. a ghost? All,
have donel A child would not at
tempt q deception so transparent"
oh, l am sorry, so sorry. Mario I"
The artlessness Of that reiterated
cry brought him back.
IF that is so, If you wish me to be-
lieve you are sorry--then let us have
an end of this madness: admit you
are my wife,"
She could only shake her head. /.
He brooded with fixed and sullen
gaze.
"Why." he broke out furiously-"if
you do not know me, how is It you
know me so well7 When, suspecting
the truth-but never how hideous II
was-I followed you back to New York
yesterday; when I tramped for hours
the streets where had met and loved
and wooed you and. as thought, won
your love; when at length I caught
sight Of Carnehan and logged him
from bar to brr. without his knowledge,
until finally he reeled into that infam.
Gus place, and I, suspecting he might
have had you imprisoned there. got
detail of police from the station
round the corner; when we broke in.
and I found you half demented with
fear. and you saw me and came run
ming into my arms: when that hap
pened--if you were and are not Leo
nora-how did you know who was,
how came you at sight to cry out my
name. Mario"
She begged his charity with clasped
hands.
'If you will only listen. can ex-
plain"
With curt nod he consented, turned
his back to the fire, folded his arms.
His eyes held sardonic CLEAN.
81 am listening"
She made impulsively to speak, but
uttered never sound. Her heart mis-.
gave her. The story she must tell. II
she were to explain, was even more
preposterous than that which he was
refusing to credit. II would only earn
his deeper scorn. Her eyes turned
blank. her face expressionless.
II am waiting" he prompted.
She looked away. and dropped. dis
couraged. respondent.
"Forgive me-" she said in weak
voice. after all, I hardly know how
to explain. I can only ask you to be
kind-believe me when I tell you I'm
not your wife, not Leonora."
" His eyebrows climbed. who. then.
am I to believe you are7"
my name is Priscilla Maine. ="
81 know no person of that NAME"
"No; we never met"
"Still, you are well enough acquaint-
ed with me to use my Christian name
at first sight Of me-without even the
formality Of an introduction
She confessed sullenly: ~ can't ex-
plain. It's impossible. But what
have told you is true: am Priscll-
Ia Maine"
"And you. whom I have never met
You tell me-you knew so much about
me that you knew had gone to New
York. promising to return In time for
dinner, leaving my wife alone with
the servants; you knew she had dis
appeared. Perhaps you knew even
herr"
Overlooking the sarcasm. she de-
clared: "As Will as I know myself"
AT last w-he offered her an ironic
bow-"something | can believed"
"YOu can convince yourself" she
suggested. "if you will get New York
on long distance. call Murray Hill two
three-six-one, and ask for Mrs. Trow-
bridge"
swell, what thenT
"She will tell you her niece Priscil.
Ia Maine has been missing since last
night"
"And what. pray. will that proven"
"You may listen while talk with
her. Her replies will prove ! am
Priscilla Maine"
He shrugged. "But you know very
well there is no telephone within ten
miles of this camp"
In CONSERVATION she dropped back
into her chair and sat trying to think.
Would It do any good to tell him the
history of her dreams? Could she
herself be convinced against her will
by such story?
The answer came from Mario.
ut is useless" he said YEARLY. mo:
do not interrupt me. Say nothing
moro"
"But must make you understand,
! must !"
"No. Leonora: already understand
too well. You do not love me; and
since you have found II difficult 10
escape me, you invent this cock-and-
bull yarn to spare my feelings. A
mistaken kindness. No matter: you
make your wish clear. am to be-
,vvtR