The Washington herald., 1922-11-26

VIC oScPmB eSW
Fancy, stirring 1t 'sst, reached
up . hand and touched his smooth
face tentatively.
Billy, Whist are you think
Ing about?" she asked.
He did not answer immediately.
Then he gathered her close, and
broke into m irreprsssibls ehuckie.
II was just thinking" he no.
turnsd--''that we can be sure he'll
be like me In one respect Hes
pretty nearly certain to be bsldw
CHAPTER xxxv.
TN the hallway Sally stopped and
stood hssitsting. She was sud-
: denly aware Of an intense
wesriness. . dresry desire to break
into tears. And In Q sudden panic
she turned towards the stairway.
But Dams hand was on her arp,
T-we've GOT to 90 through
with this" he ssid quietly. and
after 3 moment the girl bent her
head. She stood for q space think.
ing. then led him through asde-
serted, warmly scented conservs-
tory. and on into her own little sit-
ting room beyond.
Turning her back upon him she
crossed to the window, and stood
looking with unseeing eyes ut the
rallied green square of lawn below.
To each the silence was growing
intolerable when Revell broke Il ut
last. He did not follow her, but
stood upon the threshold, near the
closed door.
Sally" he said-"do you-can
you believe what ] told Fanshawe
just now?"
The. girl leaned forward and
pressed her hands hard upon the
sill. A little trenor shook her, but
she did not look around.
YES" she said at last; and
added: at is not that-which l
have doubted"
He looked at her quickly, and
q flush rose over his face.
"You-mean!" he asked.
81 mean" she retorted quietly,
"your reason for asking me to
marry you! You-did not love
Dan jerked his head back and
slid his hands into his pockets.
NO" he said levelly. Il did
not love you" He saw her
quiver As though he had struck
her. and. in a couple of swift
strides he reached her side. But
he did not attempt to touch her,
and when he spoke his voice was
low, full of a very real regret.
sally" he said gently-''before
we part I'm going to tell you the
truth - unvarnished and un-
softened. I've been at fault all
the way through. ! came back to
England with the dream of four
years loneliness obsessing me-the
dream of the woman | loved, and
had continued to love all through
those years. You know what had
happened. You known a
measure-what happened when ]
learned the truth. pleaded with
her, strove with her-did all in my
power to make her promise me the
love for which ] had hungered.
And-she resisted me. She had
struck bargain with Billy Fam
shave; she gave me to understand
that she was not going back on
the promise she had made him.
She had Fate on her side that
night had to go-and she mar
ried Fanshawe."
Sally stirred. but she did not
look round. Presently he went on !:
But ] told myself that I loved
her still. | told myself that
would always love her. And when
] found that Chance had brought
me under her very roof, I made
up my mind that-I'd still keep
her love for me-"
Again she stirred, and again he
WINGED as he saw q quiver pass
over her.
"Her very attitude toward me
famed the madness of my desire.
She was cool, aloof-and l could
not understand. l could not be-
lieve that she felt differently to-
ward me-could not believe that
she meant to shut her heart against
me completely. / realized as soon
as ] was well enough to 20 that
] couldn't stay there. But made
up my mind to have her lips just
once more before ! went-that I
would force her to confess that her
love was neither dead nor dying %
He made . little. very weary
gesture.