Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-06-26
CHAPTER XI

Peter De Wolfe drew long breath,
put the palms of his hands upon the
tightest area of his waistcoat over his
expanded chest, threw back his head
and exhaled so that it sounded a good
deal like a sigh.
WELL" said he. "That is not very
pretty story"
The lamp had gone out; the slate
gray light of early summer dawn fl
tered through the chintz curtains of
the apartment of Brena Selcoss. She
was facing this watery light, her
dark eyes looking into profound space.
In her attitude and in her expression
Peter saw the suggestion of one con-
demned, who has awakened upon the
day of execution and sits upon the
side Of a prison cot, thinking.
mo, Peter" Brena said at last. at
is not pretty story"
"Tm sorry" he said, drawing his
chair nearer to hers, and leaning for
ward he took her hands in his. They
were cold as marble. She shivered as
one who, having no sleep, feels the
dawn as a wet shroud. After slow,
inquiring glance around the little
chamber where in a variety of soft
colors, in seasoned, suggestive furni-
ture and in the smaller things, some
thing of the rich diversity of herself
had been expressed, she at last looked
at Peter.
Il know" said he II am shaggy
brute. The room is cold--a kind of
still, stagnant cold. I'll light the fire"
She did not protest: for the moment
her own will appeared inert. She
watched him duly as he put the Jumps
of soft coal into the typical London
| crate anu pUncu trrcIn rIeuIrurrv~.J
lust as if be. had been born an Eng
HrSnman and found that a soft-coal fire
was an entertainment as well as
utility. She allowed him to lead her
| to the little upholstered sofa which
he had pulled in front Of the yellow
flames and to put her wrap, laid
aside when they had come in, around
her shoulders and to put his hand
upon her throat and cheek as he
stood behind her still thinking.
"That is an ugly story" he said, as
If determined that there might be no
question as to the premise upon which
his comments would be based.
Brena nodded. She said: you can
see now, Peter, why the one moment
when your arms were about me and
your lips were on mine is the end. If
knew was free, Peter, could not
see more of you. could not bear
the thought that you, too"
Would be rubbed out2" he finished,
and laughed.
She did not answer.
"But you can't believe" he began.
'D-n 1.-THE thing is too absurd, too
picturesque"
He considered it moment.
why. If there were anything in 1t,
Brena, dear one. 1t would be magnifi-
cent r.
"You forget that / have lived close
to this thing. You might believe, too,
If you had heard not my words but
the words Of life ITSELF"
LOu We tOlu me air.
Brena, sensing the presence of
doubt, rose, and, leaning upon the
mantel with her face bent down
toward the freight, waited for sew
eral moments before she said, YEARLY,
Yes Peter-all."
And others knew?'
"Only Muriel Benham," she an
swered. ut was when / was Ill. l
had fed from America. 1t was ghast-
ly there and l had the-what can l
say ?-the instinct for flight. / went
to France. There was pneumonia,
and after that l found my little re-
treat in Beconshire. Muriel was kind.
She attended to my mail / did not
expect letter from Lanfrew-his law
yer. She read it. There was a refer
ence toto both--to both.'
Il understand" said Peter. ''You
explained a little; you had to-"
He walked up and down the rug,
touching the repetitions of the pattern
with the toes Of his shoes.
How long has it been since he
went?" he asked.
"Oyer three years.
"And no word?"
mo word. Like the other--nothing
| complete nothing"
Peter made wry face as If the
phrases had made real to him the fact.
There was no publicity?"
"No-almost none-a paragraph or
two. Less, perhaps. than there would
have been in London or Paris. In
New York we were unattached just
people with little money-making no
acquaintance nobody"
| Peter nodded. rejecting that, after
all, there could be nowhere on earth
! quite the Obscurity OF man with a