Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-17
Continued from Yesterdays start
CHAPTER XXXIH.
The Test.

ut her table Joanna looked up, curl
ously. When she recognized the I'M
masked face she started. The re-
lieved greeting she would have gwen
any one close to her, who might pro
vide intimate companionshlp through
the rest OF such an exciting adventure,
trembled for an instant at her tongue.
But something in Brandons lace
numbed her lips.
She rose to her feet. hand up, over
her breast. with faint recoil.
The fear that she had never shaken
off crashed down upon her in a tu-
mult-the uniformed. unutterahle fear
that came to her when he first touched
her fingers at the table across from
Eggleston In the bank when she had
written her first check against her
mysterious money.
You here" she breathed. Il
didn't know-have you been-?"
IT have only arrived" he said, his
words suaye, but irritatingly ironic.
81 am happy to find you-alone!"
Joanna knew, from his tone and his
manner. that a climax perpended. A
climax Of some sort; something asso-
ciated with the night. with her, with
whatever Brandon had stood for in his
relationship to her since that day in
the bank.
Out on the dance floor and at the
tables near she saw men and women
looking at them curiouSly; at her, the
Golden Girl whom every one recOg-
nized and for whom many eyebrows
had been raised when she came in
with the bedraggled troop that had
been ushered back to the clubhouse by
brigands, looking at her and Brandon,
whom they also knew. Her chin went
up little, and she braced herself in
wardly.
Il am alone only by chance" she
said. coolly. II was here with Kenil-
worth. He has been-"
II know" he broke in. Some
mountain bandits have taken charge
of him and returned you here--so that
every one may know that for your
relaxadons you choose a society and
surrounding that are. to say the
least, daring"
you to know. Why have you come? l
feel that you are here-because of
me-
II am he said shortly II am
here to tell you, at last, that the play
is over. AS you have put your mask
aside for the rest of the night, so your
interesting little masquerade must be
dropped. You came up here, imagine,
to color an amour. Instead you are
Of
She sank back into her chair. Her
face blanched. Her brain ached with
the knowledge of an animal that in
some mysterious fashion 1t has been
caught In a trap. Before he spoke
again she laughed, a short, I'M
musical laugh. as If she were amused
by the foolishness of her feeling, the
utterly ridiculous about it.
Tha lprrrb Ite6 al che
watched the man who still stood look
Ing down at her unsmiling, ungrac ious,
unconsiderate.
II have a great deal to say to YOU"
Brandon declared. He paused a mo-
ment, and then continued:
There is a room-a small supper
room, just off the balcony. If you do
not object, may we talk-in that
room?'
She got to her feet silently, and.
when he had bowed his acknowledge
ment Of her assent, walked with him
TO the circular stairway that led to the
mezzanine. At the door of the private
banquet room he stood aside that she
might enter ahead of him. A waiter
met him at the door.
I'VE shall not be served" Brandon
said to the man, but, as I shall leave
the door open, perhaps YOU will stand
near to discourage lettering on the
balcony"
Joanna faced him when he stepped
across the threshold.
Don't spend your wits in skirnlish-
ing" she challenged him. What is
IT."
He ignored her challenge for a mo.
ment, while he lighted a cigarette first
offering her his platinum ca Sc. When
he had evened his light to his satisfac-
ton he went to the fireplace and
dropped the burnt match into it. For
another moment he puffed calmly,
Then he turned to face the girl, who
leaned back against the table in the
center OF the room.
Would you mind" he asked, softly,
deliberately, telling me what is your
general impression Of me? Not an
analysis of my character, please, but
an expression of the quality of your
regard for me?"
She replied without hesitation. II
have always distrusted you, but have
never been convinced that I was tusti-
ned. If l hadn't feared you I'd have
liked you. AS 1t is. I am afraid I de-
spise you, at times. because I know
you are Observation-Disclosures with me
and with Tvonne, who loves YOU. Is
that the answer you want?"
Not exactly, but it will serve. Sup
wife?"
You used to tell me that YOU might
DO that, some day. I've always had an
answer ready. I'd never marry YOU.
because I could never love YOU. If |
could love you | wouldn't marry YOU,
because, by all the laws of decency.
you belong to Tvonnc, whom YOU al
lowed TO love you before you decided
TO laugh at her for her pretension that
she would be worthy of YOU
He examined his cigarette fame and
then drew In its smoke. THAT estab-
fishes our position toward each other y
he observed. and was silent for an.
other interval. But the situation is
that you are going to marry me,
nevertheless, because you will have
to-"
She swayed Her slender white hand
went to her throat again. She knew
he was not talking idly She had gone
through one sort of battle with Kenil-
worth; now, she sensed, she was at
The beginning of another, and, in some
unsupported way. more desperate
one. She waited for him to go on.
He threw the cigarette into the fire.
place and faced her across the table.
BE pleased to understand the i'm
port Of what I am about to saw" he
breathed. you have wondered where
your money came from; you have
wondered why it was given you. l am
about TO solve for you at least a por-
ton Of your mysteries.
II control the source of your money
guard it's secret and It's reason and
it's purpose. ! am the one to whom
you have made Your accounting, the
accounting YOU haven't known you
we're making in every whim, in every
spendthrift mood. in every choice of
the paths you have elected to follow,
your accounting has been fully
made. It is totaled up--by me. give
YOU now the results. / demand that