The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-03-05


FELL ON HIS KNEES.
weight, in last futile attempt at re-
sistance. Then she felt herself bodily
lifted in strong arms and swung to a
mans shoulder.
Thus Holes bore her into the house,
wherein the chair, the poles having
been removed, was also presently be
slowed. The Colonel turned to the
right Of the roomy hall in which two
silent figures stood at attention-Buck-
ingham's other two French lackeys-
and entered a moderat tested square
chamber, somberly furnished and
somberly wainscOted from bare floor
to whitened ceiling. In the middle of
the room a table with massive cork
screw legs was laid for supper, and
on its polished surface cleaned crystal
and silver in the light from the great
candle-braDch that occupied its mid
die. The long window overlooking
the street was closa-shuttered, the
shutters barred. Under this stood a
daybed of cane and carved oak, fur
nished with velvet cushions of a dull
wine color. To this daybed Holes
conveyed his burden. Having set her
down. he stopped to remove the hand
kerchief that bound her wrists.
1t was Il compassionate act, for he
knew that the pinioning must be
causing pain by now to her arms
Under the broad brim of his hat, his
face, moist from his exertions
CLEANED white. his lips were tightly
compressed. Hitherto intent upon the
accomplishment of the business as he
had planned it, he had given little
thought to its ugly nature. Now sud
denly as he bent over this figure. at
Cnce so graceful, so delicate and frail.
as faint sweet perfume that she used
assail4d his ncstrils conveying to his
senses d suggestion Of her dairtiness
and felninisity, disgust of the thing
lie aid overwhelmed him, like physical
nausea
He turned, away. to close the door.
tossing aside his hat and cloak, and
hopping his brow as he went, for the
sweat was running down him like
lasting on a capon- Whilst ne was
crossing the ruom she struggled to her
liberty she tugged and tore at the
scarf until she locsed it so that it
Slipped 4nwn from her face and
han" in folds about her neck and
shoulders above the line of her low
cut mOdish bodice
He closed the door and turned
again, to face her. He attempted TO
smother in smile the hangdog ex-
preston of his coNntenance.
UNLESS you suffer me tc depart at
once, you shall :"
There she paused Hoarse and tense
came her voice at last
who are you? What what
is your name?"
He stared in his turn, checking in
the very act OF hopping his brow
wondering what it was she saw in
him to be moving her so oddly.
You are Randall Hollesr' she cried
in a wild, strained note.
He advanced a step in a sort Of
CONSERVATION, breathless, some sud.
den, CHASTITY emotion tearing at HIS
heart, cycling her wildly, his jaw fallen
his whole face livid as dead mans.
Randall Holles!' she repeated in
that curiously tortured voice. You'll
You of all men-and to do this thingl"
Where there had been only Willis
amazement in her eyes, he beheld now
a growing horror, until mercifuIIy she
covered her face with her hands.
For a moment he copied her action.
He, too, acting spasmodically, COW
cred his face. The years rolled back;
the room with it's table laid for that
infamous supper melted, away to be
replaced in his vision by a cherry
orchard in bloom, and in that orchard
a girl on a swing, teasing yet adorable.
singing a song that brought him,
young and clean and honorable. has
tening to her side. He saw himself a
lad of twenty going out into the world
with a lady's glove in his hat-a glove
that to this day he cherished-bent
upon knight-errantry for that sweet
lady's sake, to conquer the world, not
less. that he might cast it in her lap.
And he saw her-this Sylvia Faruu-
llarson of the Dukes. Theater-as she
had been in those long-dead days when
her name was Nancy Sylvester.
The years had wrought in her APP
pearance a change that utterly dis
guised her.