Evening star., 1926-09-05

few yards of the she'd He went over
passed between them; then the sud
den throwing away of the hypocrisy
of years; the lurid outburst when
once he was sure Of his man; the
restrained passion of months, blazing
in a torrent of words, nerving his
arm to that unforgettable deed. 1t
had been almost easier than he ex-
pected. Even a strong man, half
stunned, is not so very difficult to
kill.
GEORGE UNWIN sat in his chair
~ and gloated. The silent hatred
of those miserable months, so well
concealed, had spent itself in those
wild moments. He became more and
more exultant. He told himself that
he had made no mistake. that he
was safe, and that that silent. gnaw
ing agony at which no one had
guessed, which had made his life
miserable, had gone. 1t was early
yet for the new horror to be born.
There was the sound of light foot
steps in the hall. and his fingers
stiffered upon the volume which he
was holding. He threw it down upon
the table just as the door opened and
his wife entered. He half rose to
his feet as he greeted her. His man
ners were always precise.
You're home early. George she
remarked.
He nodded.
There was very little doing at the
office. hope Rose is going to give
us tea i'll the garden
''Of course she can
He watched her cOvertly as she
stood with her finger upon the bell.
She was a. woman OF negative COM
plexion. with a graceful figure, ,ips
unusually scarlet and eyes of elusive
color She had the air of being a
foreigner. although. as a matter OF
fact, she had been born and lived
most of her life In the neighboring
village.
AS he watched her he remembered
some of the legends of the Span
lards who had made a settlement In
the vicinity hundreds of years ago.
He felt very un English this after
noon. lie felt very unlike George
Unwin. Esq, of Cnwin, Brooks 4
Calvert. Solicitors. clerk TO the
county council. undersheriff Of the
county. the holder OF many other
pubic bltltcS. bdb IrEViii VI tci
eign blood was probably true. of
George Cnwin. so much respected as
the embodiment Of legal distinction
and upright living. would never have
felt the fierce JOY he was feeling at
that moment.
II thought perhaps that | should
find you motoring" he remarked.
Il don't go out every afternoon,
she answered carelessly.
A lie, he told himself. He knew
for DAYS he had knoWn--;sll about
those picnic luncheons: little eXcur-
sions 10 the wood; the telephone first
to his office TO be sure of his move
ments lie knew very we'll why he had
found her at home that afternoon.
From the extension to his office he
had listened to her casual inquiry
outside TO the clerks, heard the reply
given according to his Instructions
"Nr. Unwin will be coming home
early" 1t had been necessary to
keep her out of the way that after
noon Would she ever guess? he
wondered.
CHE gave him tea in the shade of
the cedar tree. and they spoke of
Indifferent things-their neighbors,
a coming tennis tournament, a gar
den party TO take place In a few days.
Then, without %l tremor in his voice.
he introduced the name of the man
who was lying dead by the roadside.
Seen anything of Sir Michael the
last few days.
She shook her head.
"Iiow should t." she asked. lie
very seldom calls unless you are
here
Liar" he thought to himself. He
studied her with Il new and strange
interest. Such perfect deceit was in
itself an attribute of the science
which for Years had been his hobby.
What a criminal she would have made
herself. Perhaps if he had not dis
her secret by the mereSt
chance he might have been her vic
tim a woman who rou-d deceive
like that could also Kill.