Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-27
The Gift
Supreme
By
George Allan England
Author OF
Darkness and Dawn"
"The Alibi." etc.


II mean that | want you to go.
I Right now pleased
Never, till this thing is settled!
You are running my son. My duty Is
To save him. Are you positively de-
termined to wreck him."
She made no answer. but only
pointed toward the door. Flushing,
he exclaimed
"You understand, of course, that
shall never tolerate this infamy
without a struggle OF the most bitter
sort?''
II know all that" said the girl,
''and It makes no difference--not the
slightest in the world" All her color
had faded; in the waning light her
eyes seemed to glow. For the last
time, ask you to leave, me-"
"You refuse to listen to reason?"
ne demanded shivering with nerve
atress and rage. You know what
that will mean to you'll"
She turned her back on him once
more, leaned against the window
frame. and scorned him with her sill
ence.
II give you one more chance" he
forced himself to say. "Again I ask,
do you refuse?'
No answer.
Very WE'LL" said he, his voice shak-
ing with malicious triumph IT have
done my whole duty by you, and far
more than my duty. have given you
your opportunity. and you have re-
fused It." From his pocket he drew
the affidacit and held 1t out to her.
Now look at this!"
She shook her head.
"Nothing that you can show me
will have any effect she retorted.
I'm tired OF all this. Aren't you ever
goinK?"
Not until you have seen this pap
or" he answered. III you will not
voluntarily break OF the affair, this
Will. One look at It will be enough
( Tor my son!"
wonderingly she turned toward
him.
what do you mean7" she queried.
understanding nothing. yet with sud
den anxiety.
4 Read this and sect he exulted
Troubled. she advanced her hand.
took the paper and gazed at 1t with
! wondering eyes. She read a line or
two, looked up at the old shipmaster,
\who stood there with sneer on his
Fps, and then again peered at the
fpewrittan words.
Is II -dazed, she seemed to be try
to comprehend. Then, quit sud
y, she caught her breath
then, It Is tho truth. eh"e gibed
nodding. you remember 1t
your"
aper slid from her hand and
The floor. Sylvia stood there
looking down at 1t for q second. Then
threadbare sofa and sank down there,
with her head bent forward.
Well, what do you say7" demand
\. ed the shipmaster. What do you
say to that o.
q y<hADpered, the spoken words fading
on to nothing. tt"
Suddenly her voice, breaking with
. gasp, failed utterly. The annihilat-,
Ing weight OF all this long and bar
barous persecution crushed down up
u on her, I'm avalanche Of Irresistible
u malice. 2As in a horrible vision she
gazed blindiy at this man who. not
81 s>-S1A tOAAS tNAsA AhoVlao ISFiiSA HCE ldtH-
S. $r'sl memory, with having for years
z drained her OF money to pay a debt
u that was not hers, with having driven
< her relentlessly from her employ
& ment, now sought to impose on her
this culminant infamy.
Something seemed to break within
her heart and soul. Before this hor-
. rfble and overpowering onslaught,
y Nvt lAp<s ko1 grT.
head fell back. all the strength went
out OF her body, and she sank down
before Eliot vinton in a dead faint.
1m!" grunted the shipmaster, as
tonished at the effect OF his coup.
4 and Just little alarmed. He peered
Ct her sauintingly, then nodded.
Clever actressl' he muttered mo
I wonder Bradford was deceived
He picked up the affidavit and
B thrust At tipto his pocket. Then he
h put on his hat. walked to tho door,
and, pausing, looked back at the nn-
E conscious girl In his hard heart moth
Ing stirred at sight Of her. beautiful
and young. and full OF lies flores
cence, thus suddenly struck down by
his assault nothing save tho exul-
tant real,sttson
- nave SSdNcQ nv 6Sn.-sS 6. &
He stood there for moment, silent
and very GRIM Without, a huckster's
nasal cry echoed down the mean
/ strest. Within, all was still. The
shipmaster threw one final glance
1 OF scom about the shabby little par
lor. His cold eyes seemed to spurn
the girl in her supreme abandon Of
defeat. Then, with a sneering laugh
Of triumph, he left her lying there,
and 30 departed from that house Of
desolation.
CHAPTER XII.
Unmoved by any slightest aualnls
OF pity or remorse,; cold and ir,pla-s
cable as fate, the old shipmasIer
climbed into his car. flung a single
word, "Home!" at the chauffeur, and
leaned back against the deep leather
cushions with grim satisfaction. The
fact that he had just stricken
woman down, as absolutely as IL his
hand had stunned her with n,allet,
gave him nothing but stern, self
righteous satisfaction.
II have saved my SOM" was still
the thought which bore up that hard
and clannish soul OF his.
Thru his mind passed words from
te Proverbs Of Sololnon---wor
faught him long and long ago in his
youth by his uncompromiSing father
words that now forcefully recur-
red, to justify and strengthen him:
Lhe lips OF STRANGE woman drop
as O honeycomb, and her mouth is
smoother than oil: but her end is
bitter as wOrTnwood. sharn as q two.