New Britain herald., 1926-02-19

you agaln,'
 "You--you destroyed something beautiful for mo- MT Rand.' He Winccd at her mention of his name. Perhaps I'm talking liko TO- mantle young school girl but keep remembering the way We met It was so your saving mo from being annoyed by those men, and fighting for me"
 "l remember" he mnrmu"cd. "You called mo Sir LHWcclot and you were Elaine.
 You seemed so clean and man. ly," she went on, 'and then you had 10 spoil it. You were not so different from other men. after all"
 "Spoil it" What do you mean"'
 ''It's not necessary to ask, is it""
 Mary" he said 'you judged mn without q trial. You didn't give me q chance to explain"
 What was there to-"
 "I know what you're going 10 say" he went on hurricdly. "That there was nothing 10 explain, Now hear mo. You've got to hear me. You say you keep remembering tn" way we met, Don't you suppose do? God help me. I've hardly thought of anything else, You Woro so fresh and bcautifUl--So different from any other girl I'd ever known. You seemed that way right from the start from the time l first saW you sitting there in tho church,
 And then that night at tn" restaurant" he continued, th" words tumblng from his lips, "and you said you wrr" going 10 call Inc Jim. Mary. that seemed like the most wonderful thing in the world to | me"
 "Don't" shn hroathod, turning away from him. You have no right to remind mo of that after what has happened"
 "Thon I'll take the right, You cant stop me now. ] thought-I thought you cared little and it was wonderful even to think 1t, That evening. while We were sitting there at the table, 1 heard some men men ton girls name-~a girl l had been looking for Mary. you don't know how important, how necessary 1t was 10 find her"
 She surveyed him critically from beneath her long black oyelashes. And if was so important and ncces- sary," she asked collly. for you to be lifting her into a taXicah the next night-holding her in your arms on q public street,"
 He flushed houy. You speak" he said bitterly, Hike q jealous woman.' lie tried to hurt her, and he did, but he was instantly sorry that he had,
 Two bright spots of color glowed your opinion" she said. Perhaps I was jealous. At any rate. it was sufficient 10 kin whatever regard may have had for you. '-=~
 "Mary, I'm sorry. I shouldn't hayo said that. I've hurt you
 'What does it natter?' she said wcarily I'm getting used to it."
 Mary, I've been fool. It's this temper of mine. II makes me say things I don't want to say"
 "Nou said" she put in, that you wanted chance to explain. Eve given it 10 you and you still haven't old mo anything l don't already know. l saw you with this woman | in your arms, lifting her into taxi cab. You choapcncd me in front of tho man I was Nith,-Mr Church. . had hcen telling him about yon. i You chcarcncd. me, l tell you, and i yet you wonder that 1 didn't want i 10 speak to you the next day"
 "Shc had fainted," he said That's why I was lifting hcr into i the cab, Mary, let me tell you the , wholo--"
 Painted? ." There was an edge Of sarcasm in her voice. T was in- formed differently"
 "Informcd?" he said bew'ilderedly "Who could have informed you, anu what?"
 "What you called faint was de scribed 10 me as intoxication,"
 And you believed that?" he ask cd, hot anger mounting into his voice. "Who told you that"
 She answered coldly. "1sn't it suf- ficinnt that l believed it?"
 He let his hands dangle Imply over his knees and stared unsecing- ! ly at the ground, "Yes," he said. "I suppose it is" Listlcssncss was in | his voice.
 Something in his tone caught her. Her hand went to her throat and there was pain in her eyes, But he didn't see it.
 She touched his knee with her hand I'm stin listening" she en- couraged.
 He kept staring at the ground. ! His mouth twisted Querrly as hc spoke, as if the words cost him a i struggle to utter them.
 Mary" hn said, 'youve hurt mo more than you'll ever know, They say that I'm stubborn -- that stub | hornncss runs in the Rand family, Maybe they're right-mayhc I'm be- ing stubborn. It's costing mo some thing 10 say this, Something tells me I shouldn't, and yet I am.
 ''I was going to explain all about this whole affair. I was going 10 tell you what brought me to Bridge port and who this girl vas and why it was so important for me to find her I told yon she tainted, and ] I vas going to tell you the trouble she got in that caused her 10 faint.
 But you've prevented me from i going it. 4 man likes to feel that he can be trusted. l don't know what kind of men you're accustomed 10 nesting" she winced at the words but I would feel that had been robbed of some of my self-respect if I r3 initiated in fhe fare of what