Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-29
u trusted you. l trusted you" she

moaned.
Nicol Brinn clenched his teeth
grimly for a moment, and then, hold
ing her averted face very close to
his own, he began to speak in a low,
monotonous voice, For seven
years" he said, Il have tried to die,
because without you l did not care
to live. L have gone into the bad
lands of the world and into the worst
spots of those bad lands. Night and
day your eyes have watched me, and
L have awakened from dreams of your
kisses and gone out to court murder.
l have earned the reputation OF be-
ing something more than human,
but 1 am not. 1 had everything that
life could give me except you. Now
L have got you, and l am going to
keep you"
Nadia began to weep silently. The
low, even voice of Nicol Brinn
ceased. He could feel her quivering
in his craps; and, as she sobbed,
| slowly, slowly the fierce light faded
from his eyes.
MAZDA, my Nadia, forgive me-" he
whispered.
She raised her face, looking up to
him pathetically. II came to you,
L came to you," She moaned. II
promised long ago that would
come. What use is it, all this? You
! know, you know! Kill me if you like.
How often have l asked you to kill
me. 1t would be sweet to die in
your arms, But what use to talk so?
You + in great danger or you
would not have asked me to come.
If o don't know it, L tell YOU
you + in great danger"
Nicol Brinn released her, stood up,
and began slowly to pace about the
room. He deliberately averted his
gaze from the settee. Something
has happened" he began, (which has
changed everything. Because you
are here l know that--someone else
Is here
He was answered by a ~shuddering
sigh, but he did not glance in the
direction of the settee.
I'm India l respected what you
told me Because you were strong,
| loved you the more. Here in Eng
land l can no longer respect the ac-
complete of assassins."
"Assassins? What, is this some
thing new?"
with a mans religion, however
bloodthirsty it may be, / don't quar-
rel so long as he sincerely believes
In it. But for private assassination
/ have no time and no sympathy"
1t was the old Nicol Brinn who was
speaking, coldly and incisively.
"That-something we both know
about-ever moved away from those
Indian hills was a possibility l had
never considered. When it was sud
denly brought home to me that you,
you, might be here in London, l
almost went mad. But the thing that
made me realize 1t was n horrible
thing, a black dastardly thing. See
here"
He took both her hands and
looked grimly into her face. For
seven years l have walked around
with a silent tongue and a broken
heart. All that is finished. 1 am
going to speak,"
"Ah, no. no!' She was on her
feet, her face a mask of tragedy.
You swore to me. you swore 10
mel"
"No oath holds good in the face Of
murder"
rs that why you bring me here?
Is that what your message means?'
my message means that because
of-the thing you know about am
suspected of the murder"
"Oh," moaned Nadia, what can
L do, what can l do?"
"Giye me permission to speak and
stay here. Leave the rest to me-"
She pressed her little hands
against his shoulders.
"Listenl Oh, listen!"
~ shall listen to nothing"
but you must-you mustl l
want to make you understand some-
thing. This morning 1 see your note
in the papers. Every day, every day
for seven whole long years, wherever
l have been, 1 have looked. In tho
papers of India. Sometimes in the
papers of France, of England"
IT never even dreamed that you
left India said Nicol Brinn, hoarse-
ly. ut was through the Times of
India that 1 said L would communi-
cate with YOU"
Conceive never left India. Now
we do-sometimes. But listen. /
prepared to come when-he-"
Nicol Brinn's clasp of Nadia tight
ened cruelty.
"Oh, you hurt me-" she moaned.
"Please let me speak. He gave me
your nam and told me to bring
you'll"
Nicol Brinn dropped his arms and
stood, as a man amazed, watching
her. s
CONTINUED i'm our next issue)