Evening star., 1921-06-22
THE AVENCER
BY E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM
A Tale of Political Intrigue and Private
Revenge.
tcopyreht By Little. oo)
Copyright. By Little. Brown / %. }

don't quite understand is why he
has kept away so long"
ut is because Of her." she answered.
IF they had been on the same con-
tinent. 1 believe that nothing could
! have kept them apart"
| And now?" he asked.
| II cannot tell" she answered. Il.
nor any one else! God made them for
i one another. l am surrey
He took her hand and held it tightly
| In his.
And you for me. dearest" he whis-
Of it,"
| She leaned back with half-closed
eyes. Endurance has its limits. and
the mesmeric influence of the drowsy
! summer day was in her veins.
! IF you like she murmured. SIM
And only a few yards away. the
man from the dead and the woman
who had loved him seemed to have
| drifted into Il summer day-dream.
them both - ordinary intercourse
seemed impossible. What they spoke
about they scarcely knew. There
were days.. golden days to be whis-
pered about and lived again: treasur-
! ed minutes to be recalled. looks and
the actual present. save of their two
i selves. they scarcely spoke. 1t was
an hour snatched from Paradise for
her! She would not let it go lightly.
She would not suffer even a cloud
to pass across it!
! In time. Monsieur Jules found him
self constrained to announce that
| dejeuner was served. He found it
| useless to try to attract the attention
| of either Nine. de Melbain or Duncan.
80 he went in search of Wrayson.
Monsieur is served he announced,
looking blandly upward at a passing
/ cloud. There remains the wine only"
"Chablis of the best, and ice and
mineral water" Wrayson ordered.
| Come, Louise"
| followed him along the narrow path.
where the rose-bushes brushed against
her skirt and the air was fragrant
with lavender. 1t had been an inter-
lude only. after all. though the man
whose hand she still held would never
know! She prayed to heaven that he
| never might.
! Luncheon, after ALL with a waiter
within hearing. and Monsieur Jules
lowering round. banished in a great
psav fram .hn ep5ops %Sop sense Of
was wholly free. And when coffee
| came madame leaned a little iowa rd
Duncan, and with her hand upon his
arm whispered a question.
my letters, Duncan! What became
Of them?"
He sighed.
| II was little rash, perhaps" he
said, "but-they were all 1 had left.
They were with me at Colenso, in an
envelope sealed and addressed. to be
got a Red Cross man to cut them out
| of my coat and destroy them"
Nine. de Melbain looked at him for
| moment, and her eyes were soft
with unshed tears. Then she turned
away, though her hand still rested
Duncan" she said quietly. don't
think that mind. You did all that
you could. and indeed I would rather
that you cared 80 much. But the let
ters were not destroyed"
| For a moment he failed to realize
the import Of her words.
mot Destroyer he repeated, a little
vaguely.
No" she answered. They came
into the hands of some one in Lon
don. Terrible things have happened
in connection with them: Duncan, If
you will listen to me quietly. 1 will
tell you about it. SIT down, dear
| She saw the gathering storm. The
mans face was black with anger. He
was still a little dazed. however.
You mean-that the man to whom
II trusted them
"He kept them for his own pur-
pose.' she said softly.
Don't look like. that, Duncan. He
has paid his debt. He is deadr'
"And' the letters?" ~
I'VE do not know. My husband 8
advisers are trying to get possession
of them. That is why the courts have
not yet pronounced their judgment"
He had risen to his feet, but she
drew him gently down again.
Remember, Duncan, that the man