The diamond drill., 1921-03-12

that serene security" fremont I'm.
ished for her. only half conscious OF
what he was saying.
Randolph could her the rustic OF
her turning TO her companion. "How
wonderful" she said. "That is what
thought, but didn't say"
'Madge." said fremont. "what have
you donef It's true that have never
stopped TO hypocrisles with you and
that i have never while with you
| spoken vulgar word. Did you
think that ! have been knowingly
wiser Well, haven't. i didn't know
until this moment why ] chose n rare
and high atmosphere TO reach you.
Now know. II was because you were
there. ] chose only 10 come TO you
rather than drag you down to the drab
of the usual. What you have done is
10 carry me higher than ever meant
TO go. You have taken me of the
beaten path and showed me an un-
expected treasure. I'm no longer my
self. ! am cold and afraid"
Randolph could feel that the speak
er was drawing away from the girl
and a moment later his senses were
TO surpass themselves In additional
dlvination. "You are afraid OF that
woman In me2" asked Miss Van Tel
lier softly. what about this one?"
And then II was that Randolph's de.
ductive antennae quivered under their
burden of intelligence. He knew as
certainly as though he had faced
about that an adorable Madge, tender
and wide-eyed, had slipped her bare
arms around 'Beacher Tremont's neck
and kissed him on the mouth.
There was a long silence; then
came Tremont's voice. thick and
strange 10 the ear. "A moment ago"
II said, IL was afraid for you; now
I'm afraid for myself. am like a
man who has carelessly dropped a
lighted match and finds himself with
In the ring of prairie fire. can
only wonder at my stupidity In think
ing OF you In connection with a casual
possession and not as a consuming
flame. You see? Already you have
burned through the thin crust OF lies
that guards man from definite seizure
by womaD--any woman"
kiss me, Beacher," murmured the
girls voice as though his words had
swIrled around and by her, leaving
her purpose untouched. take me
and hold me carefully where no un-
kind air can drive me from you Take
all the women In me--one by one II
you must"
At that moment Mr.. Robert II. Ran
dolph. In the person OF Slim Hervey,
chauffeur, very nearly wrecked his
four-cyllnder argosy with its burden
of three fates, still individually and
collectively indispensable TO the con-
tlnuity OF this yarn. He missed the
ditch by hairs breath. caught his
own with gasp, returned to the mid.
die of the broad highway and fixed
his attention on certain very definite
matter with which Ii had been more
or less constantly concerned ever since
he had been directed to hit II up for
Greenwood.
The road TO that well-known hostel
ry was usefully devious and fares
were seldom worried as to how any
particular driver set out 10 find this
choicest OF needles In the hay-stack OF
the country inns that dot the land
scape OF Westchester and adjacent
counties as long as he brought the
search to a successful end somewhere
this side of the panss of hunger.
Nevertheless, had not Mr.. fremont,
himself q motorist OF no mean expert
ence, been completely absorbed by the
sudden discovery that he had his
right arm around an entirely new
world, he would have been struck In
evitably by two things. First, that
this was certainly not any one Of the
climbing roads to the Greenwood hos
telry; second, that the man at the
wheel knew more about losing his way
In the vicinity Of Manhattan and find-
ins II again than did the combined
roadmaps Of the United States and
Its aIlies--supposing II TO have had
allies at the time. However, Mr.. IRE
mont's absorption was not only sbso-
luts but continuous 30 that II held
him In its lnexorable grip right mp to
the moment Of ghastly awakening and
even over the edge. He was just say
lnT, MY darling, never fear. I'm
taking you TO place so quiet and 70
guarded that this dream which you
have dressed in an unexpected glory
can nsw on unbroksn ~ long an We
are true TO II and 10 ourselves" when
the cab drew up at q solemn and Inn
pressiye portal.
Without leaving his seat the cab.
man reached back. unlatched the door
and threw II open. Greenwood GENE
terry. sir" he barked.
The girl was first to grasp the
words. the time and the place. "Oh !"
she gasped. and In the sound OF her
cry Mr.. Randolph could divine her
whole body suddenly stlffenIng TO n
tense awakening and 10 the stabbine
- .f..