Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-08-23
CHAPTER vi


ion," he cried Indignantly, but my
answer is; he could see the blue
veined lids of the girls eyes CULVER
ing imperceptibly and the shapely
well manicured fingers closing ever
so slightly on the arms Of the back
leather armchair. "No, it would bt
a terrible mistake. don't love yor
and you certainly couldn't love poor
struggling devil like me. II CAM
understand what ever made you ask
anything of the Sort" His eyes dark
ened with a return of suspicion. "Look
here, are you playing with me?" The
expression of his mouth at that NOM
ent was far from pleasant, and on
seeing it Helena WINGED. "One Joke
tonight has already cost me lot OF
happiness"
Helena's glistened head inclined a
little. eyes," she murmured, II heard
about that; Kitty told me. It's be-
cause of it, perhaps, that l thought
of asking you if you'd marry me?"
"I'd say, Helena" was Peters brief
comment, chat the proposition does
you very little credit"
"But Peter" the girl sprang impui-
sively to her feet, an inexpressably
eager look on her delicate features
"Don't YOU, can't you understand?
do love you! 1 love you with all my
heart!"
Incredibly beautiful, she swayed
near-incredibly desirable and her
eyes became simply enormous. In
voluntarily, Peter started to clasp her
close, but Cara's twisting, laughing
little face intervened-an his arms
sank while Helena Merwin's features
grew suddenly old and tired looking
"No," he said, "we can't-it-it's
impossible"
cts not impossible" was the girls
desperate cry. "Please believe me,
Peter, you must believe me! do love
YOU more than anything else on earth
At any other time the engineer
might have understood the declara-
ton at it's true worth, but now his
mind was too hopelessly obsessed with
duplicities and disappointments to
analyze it.
"Nonsense!" he said harshly, STEP
ping back and plunging his hands In
his pockets. "a girl doesn't fall in
love with a man like that. If you're
afraid of something or want some.
thing, why not be honest and speak
out?"
The color faded magically from the
perfect oval of the girls face, and her
hand crept uncertainty to the bosom
of the filmy negligee as her eyes
sought the floor.
"Then-you don't believe me?" she
stammered, her voice barely audible
as an overwhelming sense of shame
gripped her. She, Helena Merwin,
was actually being refused!
No less outraged, Peter was glaring
down at her.
"No, l don't think so for second "
every we'll, then" A change as
abrupt and complete as the quick shift
of a plays scenery came over Helena
Merwin. In an instant the soft lines
of her uplifted pleading face became
rigid and she stood erect, her eyes
cold directed and fixed on his. every
well, then I'll have to go at the ques-
ton from a business point of view
Please sit down."
Very unwillingly the engineer re-
sumed his seat, feeling bewildered and
very, very tired.
$50 it's a matter of business, eh?''
he commented, coldly surveying her
"Why did you try to camouflage it
with lies about loving me?"
He looked steadily at her from un-
der brows that the fire light tinged
with glowing bronze. They were hard
rnsympathetic eyes, eyes such as Hell
ena Merwin never recalled seeing in
Peters face before.
81 want something" she began in
brisk, passionless tones. Il want il
very much"
"Why not buy it," suggested Peter
grimly. Everyone knows you Mer-
wins have money enough to buy any
thing you want"
That's what I'm going to do" said
Helena demurely, smoothing the neg
ligee over her knees. "But please
don't adopt that tone. The man I'm
going to marry can't speak to me like
that"
$50 you're going to marry me, Ell?
mirthlesS chuckle issued from the