Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-11
LOVE WILL NEVER DIE
By JOHN HUNTER
u,.o,s WHO IN THE STORY


ropEY BPENT-Beoatttri. Sns n charac.
gDh..n h..nsophisticdtcd IN the Dorld's Uavs.
~. falls N love Dah
vIpKNEsS--handsonne toith good I'm.
s"dsrdD,aaR2e snd ia2ensss ss 'esT Gs % ,cGstrs e.
sstse s,ss 'rSfs' re jssi. si 'f.se sos er'SS 81
csdrsys love and trust. .
vsrANcE BRENT;AdSSdGres aos saneT e. Z, ' y.
rwsr Of a fashionable club tuherc gam.
Sg%o ooes on. but AUDREY is ignorant OF
iHS. N. Fhe Is the divorced wDe Of
IN CONJUNCTION - distinguished Eng.
TX stotesn,an. Of az nustere tfmpera,nent
- ctie cJter n,anv pears OF diplomatic service
sirodd.
gS gsSc spirit. a with whom ludrev HVes.
RICHARD PREsLOW--ncphe,o Of Con-
s,rcton. pho erpects to be his heir. Vhe,,
ssningtoa Plans TO s ,gsc ASdrsy sri, frcn: Snt
seIeslatino. schemes to marrv her.
oM pENBIG Id Hoht-hcdrted but sincere
ssss1a sss.sSsss. S0 Sst wiO I: friendly 10 IHdrev.
You Lie. Harlsness!"
pTADvATOS stepped forward. All his
/ Me men had been afraid of him be-.
l,nse of his brutal dominance of will,
MI his tremendous physical strength.
I nd now he thought that Hardness had
rccumbed also. lie did not care in
M least what discomfort he inflicted on
|bs people about him, but, in a curious,
yristed fashion. he conceived that his
riumph would be magnified II he sue
S,eded in humi,iating Harkness before
hem all. -.
barkness!' he declared roughly. This
l6air has to be finished here and now
ie sncered. II am afraid your attempt
4 eyade the issue on the plea Of sparing
he ladies' Is too thin"
Harkness. who had turned to Lois,
boxed round.
."Therc was no attempt at evasion,
ktadvatos," said Harkncss evenly.
And You know it. l will bid you
Stop Stadvatos thundered the
sorl, even as Hardness offered his arm
10 Lois. His face was suffused with
ayoge desperation. "You shall not 20
[ntiI you have apologized to Inc. I
Earn you--I shall prevent you going
hrough that door,
Hardness released Lois hand from
Intcr his arm and turned. He was
hin cold. His eyes sought Audrey y.
Ibe thought she could read the flicker
an appeal in them, but was not sure.
"You are determined to proceed?' he
(sked slowly. =.
II am determined that you shall
Apologize" declared the major.
Hardness was silent for some mo-
nents. His gaze had shifted from
kudrey, and he was staring straight
hto Stadvatos' flushed face. He spoke
ery slowly and quietly, but in his tone
has lashing contempt which was more
teadful than the widest wrath
"You are card sharp, Major Stad-
htos. cad and unfit to associate with
eeent cent reople;;' , .,
asped the ejaculation. Everybody else
(as silent. Stadvntos choked. He was
bviously struggling for breath, crop
ns for an adequate reply.
"You lie, Harkness !" His utter
lnce was almost unintelligiblc. Com
bared with the deadly force of Hark-
hess insult, the refutation was futile.
Harkncss smiled. II don't think !
tray from the truth more than the
average man does. Studvatos."
The argumcntative nature of the re =
nark, its total lack Of anger, gave II
more weight than a curt addition to the
original insult. 1t emphasized the con .
Tempt which had been apparent in the
hrst statement.
Audrey had drawn close to Constance
hud hn1l;nv ln, ,,1khnrs. hnrI
Ehe felt the hand trembling.
Stadvatos was breathing in great
asps, like q man who has run until lie
nearly spent. lie stepped closer Il
darkness. and an involuntary cry es-
Faped one Of the women. Harkness did
pot move.
In another country. Hardness,
here. would be means Of making you
pay for this insult"
Hardness shrugged his shoulders.
Let us talk sensibly, Stadvatos, or
Dot talk at ALL"
II If" Stadvatos was
|roping for words. eff circumstances
we're different, ! would thrash YOU"
You deal in impOssibilities, my
Fiend,' Harkness drawled; and then
ontinued with harder ring in his
oice: Mrs. Brent has asked that you
nd ! Shall cease to come to the Eros.
have decided that it might be as
yell for everybody il we acceded to
yer request. Perhaps, after what has
ame."
Audrey felt her mothers hand
Hghten on hers. An idea had come to
constance, and though at first 1t seemed
lcredible, something told her 1t was
be truth
You have decided" Stadvatos
choed the phrase.
Those are the words I used" said
harkness smoothly. ''If you reflect a
nue. am sure you will agree with
nut StadvatOs had no need to reflect.
saw everything too clearly. BY
ms insult, by his own failure to reply
uequately to 1t, it had been rendered
impossible for him to face the people
this room again. He should have
nnocked darkness down, have done
pMetnlhg strong and dramatic, he
aoaght: But all he knew was n sense
utility, of failure to cope with a
aseat which had proved too strong for
@ lie was dishonOred and discred :
wa, In future all of them, from
hearted Westrup upward, must
tIa him in contempt. Vaguely he
tea to place his finger or the point
nere he had blundered; vaguely he
uaeayored to find means of retriev
his reputation as a dangerous man.
'at he could not do so.
ihe flush faded from his cheeks,
;avlns them curious mottled white
iaJor Stadvatos had never tasted tn,
,.erhess of humiliation before, and /,
on', urt nm more than any physical pair
, buster. w A' '''%
Ih's shall not end here, Hardness. )
Ar WILL answered Hardness. "Ant
nv nv know 1t; so why lie about it?
% a. sure you would not wish to i'm
s on Inc the painful necessity O
omMating my opinion of you in othel