Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-11-16
~ IGHT." John Bruce echoed.

be in passionate turmoil
1t seemed to juggle two. figures before
his consciousness, contrasting one
with the other in most hideous fash
ion-this woman here whom he loved,
who struggled to hold herself bravely.
who stood for all that is pure, for
all that he reverenced in woman;
and that sallow, evil-faced degener-
ate-a drug fiend so lost to the shame
of his vice that he pricked himself
with his miserable needle quite as
unconcernedly in public as one would
smoke a cigarette-and worse-a
crook, thief! Was it a towards act
to tell this girl what the man was
whom she proposed to marry?- Was 1t
contemplate to pull a rival such as
that down from the pedestal which in
some fiendish way he must have erect
ed for himself? Surely she did not
/ know the man for what he actually
was! She could not know! Right
he cried out. Yes, have the right
both for your sake and for my own.
have the right my love gives me. Do
YOU know how l came here that first
night"
Ne S. she Sa1Q Win an eHOrJ. + GU
told me. You were in a fight in Rattrs
place and were wounded"
He laughed out harShly
And told you the truth--as far as
II went" he said. But do 1nu know
how / came to be in this locality after
leaving you in that motor car? 1 fol-
lowed you. l loved you from the mo-
ment ] saw you that night. 1t seems
as though I have always loved you
as ! always shall love you. That is
what gives me the right to speak.
And L mean to speak. If it were an
honorab BILE man to whom you were to
be married il would be quite another
matter; but you cannot know what
you are doing: you do not know this
milan as he really is, or what he
hrokenly. Nothing you could say
would tell me anything l do not al
ready know"
"I am not so sure!" said John Bruce,
Grimly. Suppose l told you he was a
criminal?"
He is a criminal" Her voice was
without infection.
Suppose, then. he were sent to Jail
Ito serve a sentence?"
Il would marry him when he came
out" she said. "Oh. please do not
say any more! 1 know far more about
him than you do; but-but that has
nothing to do with it,
For an instant. motionless. John
swept out and caught her wrists in a
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 a crimi-
nal-and yet you are going to marry
him,
What hold has he got on you?
What is it? What damnable trap has
he got you in? I am going to know,
Claire! 1 will know! And whatever
&c hn toy hA
crush it, strangle it, sweep 1t out Of
your dear life at any cost. Tell me,
Claire"
Her face had gone white; she strug-
gled little to release herself
"You-you do not know what you
are saying. You|' Her voice broke
into half sob.
Claire, look at me-" He was plead
ing now with his soul in his eyes and
voice. Claire. l.
"Oh. please let me go, she cried out
frantically. You cannot say anything
that will make any difference. lit
only makes it harder" The tears were
Drumming in her eyes again. 'Oh.
please let me go-there's-there's
some one coming"
John Bruce's hands dropped to his
sides. The door, already half open,
was pushed wide, and hawkins. the
old chauffeur, stood on the threshold.
And as John Bruce looked in that d.
1y conscious that somehow for the
moment the old man dominated his
attention even to the exclusion of
Claire. There was something Of curl
Gus self-effacement. Of humbleness, in
the bent, stoop-shouldered figure
there, who twisted a shapeless hat
awkwardly in his hands, but also
something of trouble and deep anx-
iety in the faded blue eyes as they
fixed on the girl, and yet, without
melting her eyes in return, held upon
her as she walked slowly now toward
the door.
Dear old Hawkins" she said, soft
ly. and laid her hand for an instant
on the others arm as she passed by
him, you and Mr. Bruce will be able
to entertain each other. won't you?
I'm going upstairs for a little
while"
And the old man made no answer.
but. turning on the threshold, he
watched her, his attitude, it seemed
to John Bruce. one Of almost pathetic
usefulness as Claire disappeared
from view.