Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-05-19
LOuisJosep1l Vance
Author Of The False Faces.
Tho Lone Wolf. Etc.
Illustrated By
IrwinMyei's
cePyrsnt 1910 ~ the Ao+he-.

tiChIhy. iCaSC, NdilO, plSdSe tiSleU
to me before you question my sanity"
He was briefly silent. in a dazed
stare. then made sign of impatient
Difference to her wish. go on" he
bade her thickly.
With what calm she could, but with
resolution, she sought to win credulity
from him by dint of repetition: Leo
nora is dead. While you were away.
day before yesterday, Carnehan found
her here and killed her."
How could that be, and the serv-
ants not know
II only tell you what know.
don't imagine Carnehan came to the
house. l think he must have waylaid
her, or met her by some accident, in
the woods. think Leonora was rest
less and lonely, unhappy without you,
and wandered away during the after
noon. perhaps walked down the road
toward evening, to meet you. If you
remember, you promised to he home
before dinner. And that gave Carne-
han his opportunity for revenge. He
trapped her and killed her--I don't
know how-threw her body into a
lake." ut
Enough Mario silenced her saw
agely. "It IS not your sanity ques-
ton. but your good faith. How can
you lie to me so abominably?"
"Ah. Mario!" she uttered sadly-"if
I could only make you believed"
But why should you wish to? My
God what have done. how injured
you. that you should wish to break
my heart"
II would rather mine broke, if II
would save you this suffering"
He rounded on her in fury which
subsidized as he perceived anew the I'M
Improbable honesty of her counte-
nance.
'Your voice is sincere" he protested
In amazement, 'your look is kind
But how can ! accept the testimony
of my senses when ] hear you lie?
You do not love me-"
She was mute in fear lest she betra,
herself If she attempted to answer
that.
'You no longer love me-" he insisted
nodding morosely. ..You thought vor
did for a time. no doubt: but il wa
nct so. you had deceived yourself vo,
wearied of my love. =. Then, at the
first opportunity. you ran away from
me. ran hack TO lose yourself from
me in that life from wilhelm my
vanity. thought-my love had saved
YOU" e W.
Melancholy yielded 10 a surge of in
dignation. And when find you there.
in that vile den. in peril of your life
and rescue you and bring you hack
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. ghost7 All
have done! A child would not at
tempt. deception so transparent"
'Oh. | am sorry SO, sorry. Mario -
The artlessness Of that reiterated
cry brought him back.
IF that is So, If youiwish 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 a fixed and sullen
gaze. d
"Why." he broke out furiously-"if
you do not know me. how is 1t yon
know me so well? When, suspectina
the truth-but never how hideous II
was-I followed you hack to New York
yesterday; when tramped for hours
the streets where had met and loved
and wooed you and. as I thought. won
your love; when at length | caught
sight of Carnehan and logged him
from bar to bfr, without his knowledge
until finally he reeled into that infam-
GUS place. and /. suspecting he might
have had you imprisoned there. go,
detail Of police from the station
round the corner; when we broke in
and / 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, MarioT"
She begged his charity with clasped
hands.
IF you will only listen, I can ex.
plain"
With curt nod he consented, turned
hfs back to the fire. folded his arms
His eyes held sardonic gleam.
II am listening" !.
She made impulsively TO speak, bu,
uttered never a 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