Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-02-20

ceased to work and was sitting on
chair, her head bent down, her hands
clasped on her knees, staring desc
lately in front of her.
Lee stood beside her. Dearest, If
1 could do anything to help you"
"You can't help me. II don't
know what to do"
Her voice was strained, hard, al
most unrecognizable. Lee knelt at her
feet conscious of a sense of utter help
lessness. He took her hands In his,
and found that they were as cold as
Ice. Her body was strained into I'M
natural rigidity 1t was almost as If
she were a prisoner on some torture
table, so set were all her muscles, as
though she were -bracing herself
against some uncomfortable pain.
eyes, you can help mel"
The words came quickly from her
lips, and, raising her head, she gave
him a strange, penetrating look. you
you haven't been frank with me,
Lee
"You know all that there is to know
about me. But what do l know about
you? You say you love me, you won
my love-my love, that of the name
less woman; and you have my poor
little two weeks life story in your
possession. You know everything that
there is of me-oh, you know it so init
mately. Can you not see how it hui
initiates me, to think that / have no
personality of my own at all, nothing
to myself, no life, hardly thought,
even, that is not yours?"
Dearest"
But she went on implacably: "What
do know of you? Who are you? Lee
Anderson? That's only a name. You
have your life, your past. How many
women has it contained, women you
perhaps think of regretfully, some
times even with tenderness-Y
I'D have told you that when the
time came. l loved one woman-I
thought l did. She was-well, l gave
her my love foolishly, that's all. And
it wasn't love. There is only you,
has only been you"
How do know you are telling me
the truth. Lee Anderson?'
you don't mean that. dear. We've
given our love to each other, with trust
and faith. It's just the loneliness and
the dread and the fear of remember
ing the past that makes you doubt
everything Look into my eyes and
see if you can doubt them"
q 1. To-, sol
him. II don't trust men. Lee Ander
son."
Lee felt stupefed. But deeper than
the hurt was his pity for her, a soul
cut off from the past, with only him
self to guide her. He could under
stand that the desire for personality
of her own might well inspire her
bitterness.
II think the best way can prove
my love for you" he answered, sis
just to say nothing till your mood has
passed"
mo, Lee, there is a better way than
that, much better way. Be frank
with me. Let me share your life. Who
are you? Lee Anderson? That's only
a name to me. Tell me why you came
into the range, and how you found
me-"
He began to tell her; but, because
it was impossible to speak of their
experiences at Siston lake, he made
1t appear that he had saved her-as
he had said before-after the fall, and
carried her into the woods. He
omitted much, but he distorted nothing
"What were you doing in the range?
| What are you here forY Her voice
was breathless, her eyes seemed to
burn into his face.
I-think-I-know. You must tell
me the truth. You came here to find
someone. You are a member of the
police. Whom have you come to find?"
And as Lee remained silent, she
continued:
1T wasn't man named Pelly, was
it? An old man. an old friendless man,
\ who had been betrayed, sold by some
one he trusted? A man who had done
no wrong to anyone, but who whole
generation before, had killed the scoun-
uT6l WHO tIleu u rum ulS WllC! Iduu
he atoned for that by lifetime of
exile?"
"What do you know of himY" cried
Lee
"He is my father This is our home |!
Yes, I'm Joyce Pelly, his daughter, as
you have always suspected And /
suspected you from the beginning.
And you--you forced your presence
upon me under the guise of protecting
me from my friends"
THAT Is not so r
ITO gain your wretched ends by win
ming woman's confidence and then
betraying her And you dared-yes.
you dared"
II never dreamed who you were.
Won't you believe my word of honor
that / am incapable-T
But she went on, still implacable !:
you dared to pretend you loved me,
1 -. 90, NV