Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-25

mated to her own; she had the star
part, and she hadn't a doubt but
what she could handle it.
AS for Tex Hunter, her lips curv-
ed into a scornfuI little smile as she
thought of him. If it were true that
she had inspired any feeling in him.
he would be helpless in her hands.
She would snap the whip and watch
him perform. What fun it would be,
and what really delicious revenge
Lyra had forgotten all about her
own reaction that evening, and when
she finally dropped asleep her lips
were still curved in a satisfied smile
CHAPTER XIV
Tonight Is Mine.
HVoU say you despise me-
Tex said very slowly. IF
that is the truth, why have
You looked at me differently to-
night? You have been kinder to
me than you were during the first
two days of my visit; were you tri-
fling with me?'
Lyra laughed, an insolent scornful
little laugh
Perhaps I was. Every one does
it, you know. If you weren't such
barbarian. you would know that.
Surely you weren't credulous enough
to believe that | was encourag ing
you for any other reason were you?
That would be too funny
Again the flame of his blue eyes
met the starry gray of hers, and she
threw back her head and laughed
aloud. 1t was a tuneful laugh like
the sound of bells, but it was cold,
and lacking in any real merriment.
1t was scornful, derisive, it rang out
in the air like a challenge, and it
made Tex suddenly see red.
A thought like a searling flame
flashed across his mind He loved
this woman, and she was utterly
cruel and selfish. He couldn't have
used the words she had flung at
him, to the least deserving person
in the world. He hadn't it in him to
hurt any one deliberately, but she
had been ruthless with him.
She needn't have treated him as
she had, she could have let him off
easy, for if she had not deliberate
ly tainted him, he would never have
touched her. He would have gone
out of her life without this pain in
his heart, thinking of her perhaps
in a kindly fashion. 1t had all been
so unnecessary.
Quite suddenly he leaned forward,
and, gathering her up, lifted her
bodily from the seat into his arms.
Her face was a white blur against
his breast, a white blur in which
he could hardly make out the fea-
lures for the mist before his eyes.
With every breath he drew, the
perfume Iof her hair came to him,
poignantly sweet, and her lips were
his for the taking.
''Lyra." he said, a deep note in
voice, II love you. God knows [
never intended to tell you this, |
never knew it myself until I kissed
you the other night. l, swear that,
but now the thought of going away
out of your life is something. / can
hardly face sanely, the idea Of an
other man possessing you is more
than l can bear l know I have
no right to tell you this, know
only too we'll how you despise me,
but tonight is mine, mine, do you
hear me? Nothing else Matters
He was bending over her, his
lips sought hers, and he was kiss
ing her .mercilessly, relentlessly. as
though he wanted to carry the mem
DRY of the touch of her lips with
him through the eternity Of years
ahead
In that moment he had no thought
of her wishes He was carried out
of himself by the strength and drive
of his passion. Having kissed her,
he wanted more. He wanted her
to give him the right to kiss her,
and because he realized that this was
the last, he was for the time be-
ing hardly conscious of what he
was doing.
When he finally released her and
lifted her back into the seat by his
side he started the engine with a
furious intensity. He wanted to
drive hard. fast. His blue eyes
blaZed rs the car leaped forward,
and huddlea beside him. although
he was hardly conscious of it now,
was a white-faced girl. Her head
rested against the back of the seat
and her eyes were closed the
straight, black lashes resting against
her cheeks. Little tendrils of her
silVery hair were blowing in the
wind. Her chin was almost buried
in the white fur collar of her coat,
and from time to time she caught
her under lip between her teeth
as though to stop its cease1ess trem-
bling.
(To BE Continued