The Washington herald., 1921-04-24

I'm crazy about yosI Tea kaos n Too
have kners % al siess. Yeu IKE me.
too. I knor that Why not admit ftf
You have o feeiinG fer me-. just a. ]
have for you. Call it lsve. chemical at
Traction. or what you liks-ths sttrac-
tion's there. and It's strong ~ nrer"
Perdits shuddered. That kind Of at
traction 10 q terrible thingr-
ITS In every atom OF hfe that lives In
this world"
She felt as n she must break away
from him-away from the Iow, slur-ing
feverish sound OF his voice. fvay from
the eteited. nesmefte shine Of his eyes.
She tried TO pull away, but he hemmed
her immovable within his arms.
Il mustn't look at him any lonEer!" she
thought IF do. I'm lostr'
She dragged her eyes away
Look at me. Perdits::" His tone vas
command
Ne! no!-
She must hx her eyes On scDethinE.
She selected . vaEue, upstandinf white
blur by the roadsIde-s siivery barset
sycamore. &c may have eeen-and over
his shoulder hxet her eyes on that
Lenmors vas tsiking on In that fever.
ish sood:
Triends.-se two can never b
frieadS-you know thsti somethinG hss
caught us in . net. something over which
We have ne controL Why hEht fsteT why
be afraid Of happiness? Don't struEEle-
that only wears you out and to no pur-
pose. We are Of the same kind: I'm an
adventurer-snd you say you have the
same strain In you. I'm not . marrying
man-and you. too. are afraid Of mar
riage, afraid Of bonds that may gall. But
it's . terrible thing-you yourself Just
said that. why can't try TO hnd o
little Happiness together! Why can't ~s.
Perdita:"
FurtiveIy. fe.rfuIIy. sh. glanced st
him.
His face came closer, grew softer.
pleading. She stared back into those
magnetiIing eyes poweriess TO move.
But. at the same time. II was as II an
icy torrent swept through her inner be-
ing submerged her heart She had come
upon disaster. II vas monstrous. in
conceivable o, IL only he'd take his
arms away - take his eyes away.
She succeeded in wrenehinE her gaze
from his. found again that psIeiy EIean-
ing tree.
And then as she stared. half conscious
Of what she was regarding. the blurred
streak Of light seemed TO change. shift.
take form. Lenmore vas still talking.
but she lost his words concentrates on
that hEure by the roadside growing more
and more distinct. Il looked like-sut
no! IL couldn't be! But it wss:-it vas
her father! He stood there in the moon
light gaming at her father! He stood
there In the moonlight gazing at her. She
vas going mad-as had been prcphesied
this was the endI
Lenmore was still talking. but she
broke in:
You're driving me insane"
All right" he laughed I'm insane.
too"
She felt suddenly cold. angry tevsrd
him: q man has no right 20 drive girl
insane. Then she lost consciousness OF
him. for she saw her father stretch out
his haneh IL couldn't be!-but It wsh
AND she heard him speak
"Anne-'
His voice!
Yes, father" Perhaps she spoke the
words perhaps not: st all events he
heard.
Remember this. Anne-I know no Eiri
I'd sooner trust-than my dauEhter-'
Father"
But h. va, already slipping away from
her strsininE gaze. Father she cried
again
She felt the viseIike arms around her
suddenly relax. She shook OF the Ioos-
ened hold. Lenmore sat UP stitIy erect
and Iaughed-sn odd kind of laugh.
Well" he said. Il always thought I'd
know If"
She scarcely heard him.
But / zee was mistaken" he con-
tinued.
You don't care for me-
She turned.
Care! what do you know about car
ing! I've been a fool-~orse than fool
MI
hnish. As swiftly as it had hsred up hsi
vehemence died.
Go on" he said. Say il II Il will bs
any comfort TO you"
No. why should ! blame YOU Yor
have your own creed. Well have mine
too. I'm hating myself . thousand time
more bitterly than l can hate you"
Lenmore held up his wrist 10 the moon
light and peered at his watch. It's get
ting late" he said. Wed better - turn
ing back"
He started up the motor, with deIfberst,
precision turned the car. II was long
silent drive back to the city. The mooi
vas no longer q warm, tropical hower-t
looked small and old and cold. The nD
lion stars still shoae, but they were No
nov friendly, winkinE stars. The vin'
rushed past the speeding motor. sinSini
stridsntly, sweeping itself free, seemed
Of all the fraiity ana trnoniny and SAD
ness OF troubled earth.
PerdIta sat huddled in her eoruer.
thousand voices were crying within her
but she was inarticulAte. Meanwhile Len
more sat stin. straight. detached. ~ IL OBJ
Iiyiovs Of everything In the world but tn
business Of driving.
They reached again the long srtts
which spanned the river % falsely -
splendent in her jewels OF night, reached
the city, where moon and starr are forgot