White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-11-14
CHAPTER Ix-Continued
wNU Service
copyright by Evelyn Campbell.)

care TO say tnaC. you LOlu me-you
lied" Her voice was lost. There
was nothing she could say when he
looked at her like that. Her face
dropped upon her clasped hands.
II told the lie you wanted me to
tell-the thing you wanted to believe"
He shrugged. "In the beginning you
were no doubt credulous. But, my
dear young lady, you were seventeen
then and ignorance is charming at
that age You are now-twenty four
twenty A lady who has trav-
eied far. You must have learned
from all this adventure" His calm
ness took all the rebellion out of her,
and when he went on after one of
those devastating pauses she listened
with muted face. The personal note
was vanishing from between them
and his words, flashing as they were,
failed to sting her soul with the
shame his naked eyes had put upon
her. He struck another match to his
interminable cigarette.
"You must have learned" he went
on slowly, that everything has Its
price-it's give and take. You must
have known that these years have
formed a tie not to be broken
easily"
lit is broken now"
He gave her a long, steady look
from which passion had evaporated.
Then he said:
You are more selfish than most
women, Linda. How did you learn 1t?
You were sweet child-once. But !
don't suppose that you realize what
breaking with me means-yet. What
are you going to do?"
She shook her head. 81 don't know"
She was not thinking of conse-
quences. She was driven by Gin ir-
resistible force to destroy one by one
those ties of which he had spoken.
She had to be free of him at any
cost. 1t was like climbing black
tortuous mountain to meet summit
lighted by a marvellous secret glow.
Once this was ever there would be
something for her-reward for lonel1-
ness-for the coldness of her night
He looked at her again and smiled.
He could bide his time. She was a
little mad just now as women are
when they fancy man. He would
have to wait little longer.
"You will not let the boy marry the
right woman, then" he said. You
are determined to Interfere Well, he's
frightfully poor, you know. He can't
afford to play around with women
like you, and you've got to be careful
If you want him to get on. You'd
ruin him in week"
She smiled as his eyes questioned
her. How little he knew.
Converse's voice took on note of
evaporation Good Cd! women
can be idiots when they choose. l be-
lieve you'd marry the young fool!"
She opened her eyes widely and
closed them again. The room, the
world was full of rosy light She had
sensed that glow long way off but
she had not known it for what it was
L But now she was at the top of the
mountain and could look over into the
valley beyond and she knew.
eyes, l am going to marry him." she
said.
There was the secret between them
in the gay hurry of crowds. across the
dinner table where Daisy. prettiest OF
hostesses. made her futile bid for
what never could be hers. their eyes
spoke to one another. There was nc
opportunity for more than hand
clasp or swift word without begin
ming or end. but carrying with 1t the
vibration of his heart to hers. They
stood upon the brink of this tire
mendous experience. hesitating to
grasp what was theirs. Sometimes
she read doubt in Brian's eyes and
this was sweeter than assurance.
She was Jealous of her power-only
she could dissipate that doubt-make
him happy.
She did nothing to avoid what must
come but still she prevented it with
that resistless force which women
bring to bear upon their ultimatums.
She could not understand her own
passivity. Happiness lay in her hand
but she would not clasp her fingers
and make 1t her own. She was like
sleeper shielding her eyes from the
first rays of the sun. Morning was
hers-the long perfect day was ahead
of her, yet she chung to oblivion.
She watched Brian and Daisy to.
gether. Their companionship seemed
ideal but now she knew. and Simon
Fentress knew. that 1t would never be
more than II was.
"You are happy woman" the mil
lionaire said to her one day "And
you have never been happy before.
What is 1t"
II have learned to look at life diff.
ferently." she told him.
He shook his head. "A pity. You
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