Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-02
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xD1aHrw John Bruce echoed
II almost fiercely. His soul itself
...med suddenly to be In passionate
:nrmoil it seemed to juggle two figures
Sefore his consciousness, contrasting
oss with the other in most hideoua
Ssshion-this woman here whom nc
iSved. who struggled to hold herself
Sravely, who stood for all that
~ pure. for all that no rever-
esced In a woman; and that sal e,
,sw' evil. faced degenerate, a drug fiend
. "a lott to the shame Of his vice that he
wicked himself with his miserable nee
de quite as unconcernedly in public as
ons would smoke a cigarette-and
wo,ss-a crook-a thief! Was IL q
eoxsrd's act to tell this girl what the
En- was whom she proposed to marry! !
Wa Il contemplate to pull rival such
~ that down from the pedestal which
n some Hendish way he must have
sseted for himself? Surely she did not
NOW the man for what he actually
vaai She could not know! Right y
~ cried out. "Yes, I have the right
Nth for your sake and for my own: ]
nave the right my love gives me. DO
~, " know g! how I came here that hF''
"Yes," she said with an effort: "You
told me. You were In fight in Rattis
Mace, and were wounded
He laughed out harshly.
"And I told you the truth-as far az
4 went" he said. "But do you know
how I came to be in this locality after
leaving you in that motorcar? l fol.
lowed you. loved you from the mo-
ment saw you that night. 1t seems
As though I have always loved you-.-as
4 I always shall love you. That Is what
sives me the right to speak. And !
mean to speak. II It were an honorable
man to whom you were to be married II
would be quite another matter but you
cannot know what you are doing: you
do not know this man as be really is,
or what he
"pleasc! Please stop" she cried on,
trokeply. "Nothing you could say
would tell me anything do not already
know"
II am not so sure!" said John Bruce
rimly. "Suppose told you he was a
riminal?'
''He is n criminal" Her voice was
without infection.
Suppose then he were sent to jail
10 serve a sentence!''
" would marry him when he came
OUT" she said. "Oh. please do not
say any more! know far more about
him than you do; but--but that has
nothing to do with it?"
For an instant, motionless, John
Bruce stared at Claire; then his hands
swept out and caught her wrists in q
tight grip and held her prisoner.
"Claire!" His voice choked. "What
does this mean? You do not love him
YOU say you know he Is even criminal
and vet you are going to marry him
What hold hns he got on you2 What
YOU 10? I am going to know, Claire:
ever the cause Of it, I'll crush It
life at any cost! Tell me, Claire y
sled little to release herself.
"You.-you do not know what you
are saying. YOU" Her voice brok.
10 q half sob.
claire, look at me!'' He was plead
ny now with his soul In his eyes ant
voice, "Claire, L"
"Oh, please let me go!" she cried
out rantically. 'You cannot say any
thing, that with make any difference. /.
Il only makes it harder" The tear.
were brimming in her eyes again. "Oh
please let me go-there's-there's some
John Bruce's hands dropped to hi
Ades. The door, already half open
was pushed wide, and Hawkins, the ole
chanheur. stood on the threshold. AND
John Bruce looked in that direction
40 was suddenly and strangely con
.selous that somehow for the moment
me old man dominated his attention
sven 10 the exclusion Of Claire. There
was something Of curious self. .efface
"Ieht' OF humbleness in the bent, stoop
shhouldered figure there, who twisted q
snpie sSnapeiess hat awkwardly in his hands
out also something Of trouble and deer
GShIlety In the faded blue eyes as they
naed on tho girl, and yet without meet
'hs her eyes In return, held upon her a.
'"e walked slowly now toward the door
,pear old Hawkins" she said softly
oMa o.I lald her hand for an instant on the
o.nsr arm as she passed by him, "yor
aaI Mr; Bruce will be able to entertain
uacn other, won't you? I'm goinf
'pstairs for little while"
ana the old man made no answer
vu,, turning on the threshold, ht
watched her, his attitude. Il seemed tr
w,stt,, visit ,nruce' one OF almost pathetic
vis",'u'hess. visw as Claire disappeared from