The Dolores star., 1924-11-07


OF II. Mostly II is little companv of
pleasure seekers. come to cast oside
ior a time the serious side of life and
satlDle with their pleasures as they
DO with their money"
But some must be IN earnest" Mvr.
tile protested.
one OF them who Is not in earnest
Is Gerald, and | tell you so. although
Gerald Is my friend" CHRISTOPHER said.
lie Is here to amuSe himself, and he
would prefer to amuse himself with.
out giving anyone else pain. If that il
impossible, however. he is sufficiently
reckless not to count the cost where
the other person is concerned
She drew II little away.
lhat does not sound like the
speech of friend" she reminded him
reproachfully.
Bnt l can assure that am his
friend, although candid one," Chris
topher declared. "AIl that have said
to you, have said to him. and Il great
deal more. You will let me finish?"
She made no reply. Her eyes were
hXed upon the exact spot where the
sea seemed to melt into the clouds,
The grace of her slim body lent
beauty even to the hunch of her
shoulders.
You are like child who has been
lei out of dark ROOM" Christopher
went on. Everything seems beauti-
ful, but you don't see clcarly-your
eyes aren't strong enough yet. What
you Imagine to be love Is u worse
thing. Gerald does not love you. He
can never marry you. lie belongs to
TINT world ut which you are looking
with blurred eyes. MYRTLE don't yor
want to he gOod?"
Il want to be happy" MYRTLE re.
piled. 81 shall always be good"
"How do you know that"
Because | am all good inslde,' she
said. 81 couldn't do any of the things
that wicked people do"
Christopher sat for a moment in
puzzled thought.
Look here" he went on. "if you
love Gerald, and Gerald doesn't love
you, and you are content with the
prctenSe Of his love. and you go on low
ing him. and you know that you can
not be his wife. then you are not good
any longer"
She shook her head.
There is only once in my life" she
said, that | have ever come near sin,
and that is when thought of staying
at the farm and marrying Pierre Les
champs. | love Gerald. All that |
need to be happy and good is that he
should love me-"
But Gerald does not love you and
never WILL" christopher declared
bluntly. Gerald, at the present mo-
ment, at any rate, is incapable of a
stable affection, and if he were ca
pabe of it, his people would not allow
him to marry you"
az do not wish him to marry me.
she declared, with little choke in her
voice.
"PerhaDs not" he replied. sin that
case you should listen to me more
patiently. | want you to leave this
place and go to some friends of mine
in England"
"What, alone?"
"AIone."
She shook her head.
"Christopher," she said. suddenly
slipping her arm through his, 81 think
Won want TO be kind to me. | believe
TINT you ure very gOod-perhaps you
are better than Gerald. But so long
as Gerald wants me near, shall stay
Even If he goes about with other
peOple, he thinks of me. He has told
me so. and he has promised TO take HE
TO one Of his supper parties this week
| am looking forward to it more, than
to anything else in the world"
Christophcr's face hardened.
"YOu will not 20 to one Of those sup
ner parties, MYRTLE" he insisted. 81
would rather take you back to the
farm"
She turned her head and looked, at
him. There was something in her eyes
from which he shrank-somethlnS very
much like hate.
She saw the pain in his face and she
WINS suddenly remorseful. She citlnS
IN his arm again. Her cheek almost
touched his. :,
christopher = dear Christopher
she pleaded, 81 did not mean to hur'
Won. | know how good you are, but
inst think how wonderful it would be
for me to go with Gerald to meet other
girls ia laugh and talk. to sit by ms
side, his guest. to dance, perhaps-oh'
If would be paradise! Everybody else
goes TO parties, Christopher
~ will take you to the opera" he
promised.
Her eyes glowed.