The Washington times., 1923-02-18

1--WE had been friends, that one,
Charles Lan1marsh and /, but
sent him away from me after Dick
came. He was not content. He
came to this house, angry, and they
quarrelled, and Dick killed him.
disposed Of him. That is all.
The rest is for the law Of which
You have spoken.
s.That is only partly the truth, =
said Lissmere sharply. There
was no murder it was no wish nor
intention Of mine to harm LaIn-
marsh. And his death was an &C
cident. He collapsed suddenly and
died. Lady Lissmere can say
and prove that his heart was
affected seriously long before be
came to Egypt"
Hoodless frowned-he had not
known that.
'sBut, If you wish, ali that can be
explained to the law to the police
with whom you have threatened
me-" continued Lissmere. 81 am
prepared to answer any charge Of
that kind. |"
He had recovered himself now,
and went on steadily. K
The proposals for your welfare
and the child's future were made
as much in your interests as in
mine, Sais, and were planned
simply to ensure that any pay
n1ents and allowances you require
should be subject to some sort Of
regularity and reason, They
were carefully thought out and
were well meant. There was no
need to threaten and If you had
not desired to hurt us you would
not have insisted on Hoodless re-
peating the threat with the brutal
directness on which you insisted.
You wanted to hurt us partic-
ularly my wife. And you sue
ceeded."
eyes succeeded SAILS
laughed, her eyes cruel.
Lissmere flushed and his face
hardened.
ssNow, / tell you this he went
on. 81 do not intend that my wife
or shall remain targets for your
arrows all our lives long. wish
very much to pay my debts to you
as well as / can but they shall not
be paid in the coin Of Lady
Lissmere's unhappiness or my
wfetchedness. You and the child
shall be provided for with absolute
generosity. But shall appoint
trustees to retain control Of that
provisions not for the sake Of
protecting the money, but ii order
to protect ourselves from attack.
wanted peace we still
want peace. You must decide it
shall be peace. I"
Al note Of anger stole into his
voice as he saw the smile Of ar
rogance and contempt on the lips
Of SAILS.
.sBut ] tell you this. Saig there
are limits to my cOntrition, and We
have reached them. will satisfy
you as far as money Il concerned
but you must satisfy me that yoaa
will not use again the weapon of
A sudden fury shot into the
eyes Of the courtesan, and q red
glow of rage stained her cheeks
for moment. She had not been
prepared for the steady, balanced,
fearless attitude and tone Of
Lissmere. She had known him
only as plastic and unthinking
boy. But now he had changed
grown older and wiser. She felt
that the argument was going
against her-she SenEed that she
would have to abandon the
triumphant position of arrogant
command she had secretly cher
ished-and she sought relief in
rage.
.tYou-you-youT she cried
shrilly. at is not you who should
say this must be So or that must
not be so'-it is I-Sais-because
of what / have done, because Of
what know. / saved you-but |
can destroy you both, you and your
wifer
Her voice rose higher. It was
as though the instructive move
ment of Louise towards her hus-
band added fuel to her fury.
You, / will give to the mercy
of the law" Sais went on shrill
and malignant. "And your WIFE
she darted blazing eyes at Louise
Il will destroy afterwards"
1t was easy to see that her real
hatred was directed at Louise
that terrible hatred bred of envy,
jealousy, and a secret knowledge
of Mferiority.
"It is for me to say what must
be donev she cried, her voice
coarsening strangely.
And now, under the outer
beauty of this woman, rising bale
fully to the surface, like a
poisonous watersnake rising to
the surface of beautiful pool,
they saw or heard or became aware
of the secret ugliness and baseness
that the successful courtesan r.ust
ever keep concealed.
Her sudden delirium of rage was
betraying her at every second.
She glared at Louise.
at is not Dick that is to blame
for coming here to haggle, to brow
beat, to talk to me as If were a.
a-servant. 1t is you who have
changed him-made him old-un-
grateful-hard-v male. cold