The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1920-05-06
CHAPTER xIv.-continned.


puncheri always knew il would
come ont sOn,0 time. Oh. II the pa
pers should learn or this T.
THAT'S all you think Of" Irene re-
tortea. "a scene. and the papers. You
don't trouble TO even wonder what
was the occasion of the scene. you're
afraid OF TIA papers. I'm not IN
give rho whole sto.y to them tomor-
row. IN ten that you insulte6 him,
Coward. and how you stood there,
a yrinning, gazing coward under the
muzzle Of has gun. How wish j had
ytn0tosrapn OF i'll" she exclaimed,
with q Httie nystsrical lnuga. 1T
would look One on the front page"
She broke into peals OF l8ughser anti
rushed up the stairs.
la tlie cl,rning she was ve~F soper
and pale, and marks Of dlstnss and
sleepiessaess were furrowed In her
face. she greeted her mother with
,old eivrTIty and left her breakfast
IntoIS-sed- She gave part of her
BREAKFAST 10 Charlie: It was saving
Balm to her TO have someone upon
whom she could pour affection. Then
Ehe went TO the telephone. She called
Dawes Office. Nothing was known of
Mr.. Elden: he had been working there
last night; he was not down yet. She
called his apartments. There was no
answer. Then sue tried new num-
Der.
Hello. is that the Office of the Call2
WIN you let me speak to"
Her mother interrupted almost fran
ticafiy: Irene. you are not going 10
.ell the papersf You mustn't do that.
Think of what IL means--tne dis
grace-a shooting affair, almost, I'm our
home. Think of me. your mother"
''Pn think of yon on one considela-
..on-that you explain what happened
last night and tell me where Dave
Eiden is"
81 can't explain. ! don't know. And
don't know"
And you don't want to know. And
SOu don't care, so long as you can keep
ont Of the papers. do. Pm going
20 find out the facts about this, if
Every paper in the country should
.rint them. Hellol Yes, l want to
speak 10 Miss Morrison"
In few words she explained Dawes
sudden disappearance, stripping the
incident of all hat vital facts. Bert
Morrison was all sympathy. ats a
big story, you know" she said, shut
We won't think Of it that way. Not
line. 40 far as ] am concerned
Edith Duncan is the girl we need. A
sort of adopted sister to Dave. She
may know more than any of us"
But Edith knew absolutely nothing;
nothing except that her own heart was
thrown into turmoil of emotions.
She spent the day and the evening
downtown, rotating about the points
where Dave might likely be found.
And the next morning she called on
Irene Hardy.
In spite of all efforts at self-control
she trembled as she pressed the bell.
She had never met Irene Hardy; it
was going TO be a strange experience,
introducing herself TO the woman who
had been preferred over her and who
had apparently proved so unworthy of
that preference.
She had difficult things to say, and
even while she said them she must
fight battle to the death with the
jealousy of her natural womanhoOd.
And she must be very, very careful
that In saying things which were hard
to say she did not say hard things.
And, most difficult of all, she must try
to psve the way to reconciliation be
tween Dave and the woman who stood
between her and happiness.
Irene attended the door, as was her
custom. Her eyes took in Edith's face
and figure with mild surprise. Edith
was conscious Of the process Of a
quick intellect endeavorlng to classify
her--eolicitor. music teacher, bust
ness girIf And in that moment of
pause she saw Irene's eyes and a
strange commotion of feeling surged
through her. So this was the woman
Dave had chosen to Lowell
No; one does not choose whom one
will love; one loves without choosing.
Edith was conscious of that; she knew
that In her own life. And even as she
looked this first time upon Irene she
became aware OF a subtle attraction
gathering about her; she felt some
thing Of that power which had held
Dave to a single course through all
these years. And suddenly a great
new truth was born In Edith Duncan.
Suddenly she realized that II the steel
ct any time prove unfaithful to the
magnet the fault lies not In the steel
but In the magnet. What a change cf
view, what a reversion Of all accepted
things came with the realization OF
that truth which roots down into the
bedrock Of all naturel -.
wont you come inT Irene was
saying. Her voice was sweet and mu.
hcal, but there was a note of sadness
IN II which set responsive chords
s-tremble all through Edith's heart.
Il am Edith Duncan" she managed
- say. I'll think have something