Evening star., 1922-02-26

dolph!" he said. II had hoped some
day to write such, a book. exposing
fully the ways In which the foreign
settlements and foreigners generally
treat and exploit the vices and weak
nesses Of my countrymen, but 1 could
never hope to accomplish such a
thing as you have here produced. l
would be extremely glad to help on
it: would count 1t "a privilege"
Randolph swore to himself He had
no desire whatever to be pushed into
writing any real book. and he fore
saw future complication. None the less.
he realized that his position would be
firmly established in this community
IL he seized the chance thus offered
to him.
He engaged Ii Huan.
The amazing earnestness of this
young man gave him much cynical
amusement. LII Huan, who was ad-
mittedly working his way through
college ard needed money, worked
night and day on typing over and
again what the others had done: he
put the manuscript into excellent
shape. added much. changed much,
until Randolph as astonished at
his own work when he read over the
pages. AS he had nothing better to
occupy his time. he threw himself
into the work with Ii Huan. 1t
mering at his pulses whenever he
thought of Elsie Shannon.
CTIIdI she did not come to town. A
little afraid of Murray, RAN
dolph went on day to the registrar
and made direct inquiries. He found
that Elsie Shannons mother was
very i'll, and that Elsie might not
be here for another month: but she
would come ultimately. So Randolph
went home again, finging himself
into work in order to keep down the
burning desire that gripped him
whenever he spoke of her. heard of
her. dared to think of her! He was
in no hurry for her to come. Every
week that she delayed established
him here more securely. 1t was upon
this firm establishment that he must
depend for everything. He meant
that she should hear much of him be-
fore he saw her; she must be looking
seeing the young wastrel she had
known in other days. who had now
made of himself a man of mark, Once
he saw her. he must act quickly,
swiftly. put his well conceived plan
into operation without the least de-
lay. He must see her one day. and
on the following day-act! He dared
take no chances on himself, on the
quivering passion that might unmask
him If he waited; he dared take no
chances on Elsie Shannon piercing
once again to his ver..' soul with her
calm, pure gaze!
She would do it, he knew well. if
she had the opportunity. He resolved
to give her none. One day a brief
meeting. very brief. and the appoint
ment for the day following. He must
arrange this for Saturday and Sun
day, of course. He trembled at the
thought of how brief that first meet
ing must be! In the interim she
would hear much of him, he knew;
she would look forward to the talk
with him, to the little dinner. That
much she would not refuse, because
Of old times, and because she would
have heard that he was liked and
respected here. She would be curious
that would be bait:
Randolph had not the least COM
junction in the world over what he
meant to do. He had laid himself
bare, dissected himself. calmly and
coolly during those long desert
months down on the Mexican border,
and afterward. He knew that he had
been made into a lean. powerful in
strument, and he had chosen deliber-
ately between good and evil.
He might have chosen good had he
thought there was the least pos
sibility that Elsie Shannon would
ever care for him. But he knew bet
ter. He knew what a slender, pure
flower she was, and how she could
read into his soul with those calm
eyes. He knew that she could never
love him-that his past would be like
q frightful thing to her, blasting him
even from the pale of friendship. And