The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-11


take advantage Of it---all had reacted
swiftly on her mobile temperament.
She felt harder, more detached, more
calculating, with still beneath the hard
ness and detachment and calculation,
a restless flood Of her old emotional
ism "a protest against this new self
which was being born, reaching out
for light and love and that quiet hap
piness for. which nature had fitted her.
The more she thought the more did
she concentrate ON Brunei and Mordae
and their kind. That way lay wealth
wealth, as Brunei had said, beyond
her dreams. That way was feverish
gayety, forgetfulness, Haunting life,
the brimming cup, the bright lights.
That way was certain 'succor for
Marthe. 81 ~.
1t was the way-the only way.
She settled this suddenly and defin-
itely, and with coolpess which aston
ished her. In fact, she was already
beginning to display that aplomb which
| afterwards served her so well, and
| which had lain unheeded beneath her
girlish simplicity until stark necessity
should urge it to active life. It was
| probablyHa heritage from those sneer-
ling, quixzing, silk-clad ancestors of hers
who had found life a bore and death
joke.
Brunei was clever. Mordac was dew
ishly clever. Toilette was, after all,
but a fool.
Slowly she was molding her pur-
pose, reviewing the battle-ground, group
ing her forces.
She must remember that all the time
Remember the potentiAhties Of these
men, and forget Kendrick. Godi She
must forget Kendrick utterly, or she
would sink in the bottemless pool of
black despair before her purpose was
accomplished.
At the back Of her mind she knew
what she was going to do. She was
going to play her wits against the
wits Of these men, using her beauty
as pawn in the game; she was going
to play them for the highest stakes
and she hoped to hold her line of de-
tense until the hand Of, death rendered
that defense no longer necessary. -.
She went back to the garrett.
Marthe was still asleep, and she un-
dressed quietly, very methodical, un-
naturally calm and deliberate, and
stood in her white nightgown looking
down at her sister. "a
She was about to drop to her knees
when she stayed the movement.
How could she pray? How could
she ask the blessing Of that God whose
hand had stretched out from His
heaven and slain her? How dared
she talk to that God whose Command
ments she was -breakingg
She crept into bed
Yet she prayed, hours afterwards
when sleep had proved impossible
prayed with wet; hot cheeks and steam
ing eyes, and the burden. Of her prayer
was appeal for mercy, repeated again
and again-appeal and explanation to
Him for whom all explanations are
unnecessary.
The next morning she went to Brunei.
CHAPTER 1e-COMING 10 TERMS
Brunei found her different. After
wards he persuaded himself that he
was mistaken; but during the inter
view he thought her extremely bust
ness-like and inclined to hardness,
thing which was not at all to his llk-
ing.
the morning between the hours OF 10
and 12, and when her name was sent
up to him he told himself that the
golden bait had been swallowed at last
hook and line-and that the culver
ing, frightened fish was landed. Even
Brunei had his limitations.
He dismissed the caller who was
with him-a well known singer from
America-and ordered that Elise should
be shown up at once, adding that he
interviewed nobody else that day. She
came in, ushered with some servility
by Brunel's secretary, who conceived
that she was going to be a very Inn
portant parsonage before Brunei had
finished with her. There was a sub
tie flattery in this servility which Elise
appreciated and which pleased her.
To Brunei, when the door was closed
and they were alone, she said: Il have
decided to dance" 10
She was dressed more carefully than
she had dressed for months, for now
the battle was Joined she was leaving
no unit Of her forces out Of it, and
Bruners eyes ran over her with an
admiring appraisment which week
before would have made her shudder,
but which now left her unmOved.
At his request, she seated herself
in the chair she had previously &C.
cupied, and the discussion opened. 1t
was then that Brunei made the dis