The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-10
.NNnsnaez .Nsseethe0Ht1 { ; By Mabel MeEIliott
0 Isss, NEA Service. he

MICHAEL HEATHEROE who runs riding school, Katharine's father is rich and her stepmOther BERTINE, is snobbish.
 ZOE PARKER, KatEerine's friend, has an unhappy love af- fair and is saved from suicide by young Dr JOHN KAYE.
 SALLY MOON, local cOquette, tricks Michael into an engage ment and, when he tries to wrig- gle out, tightens her hold. Kath- arine. hears Michael is to marry Sally md is broken-hearted.
 She overhears two detectives asking for Michael'S address and thinking him i'm danger, rushes to warn him. Michael sets of with Katharine in her car. He tells her he loves her and asks her to marry him. Impulsively Kath- arine agrees. They are married in an obscure little town. After ward Michael insists on return- ing to face the detectives.
 CHAPTER XXV
 Michael said quietly, "Tricked you? No"
 "But you did!" Katharine in- sisted. Her eyes were wide with @ sort of horror. "Oh, if you knew you'd nothing to fear why did you make me come off with you like this? You said you wouldn't go unless I went with you."
 Because" the man said with deliberation, "I loved you"
 "Ah, that!" She struck one palm against another, as if in fury. Tt is a queer sort of love that doesn't trust-isn't open and aboveboard."
 "This is,' persisted Michael Heatheroe. "Ah, don't let anything come between us now ."
 But why the detectives?" pur- sued Katharine, in that bewildered tone. "Why should they be looking for you, without reason?"
 "We can go back" the man said quietly, land find out what it's all about"
 It had been different when she had thought she was racing off with a vagabond, a fugitive. The whole affair had worn sort of brave air. Now-what could she say to her stepmother, to all the others? She had married Sally Moons fiancee. Katharine Stryk- hurst, the girl who inspired jilt. s"I hate you!" she cried wildly, striking at the hand she had caressed five minutes before.
 No, you don't. Katherine"
 She thrust him away. T do. l swear it."
 She was close to tears-perilous angry, choking tears. But she would not let them come. What they'll say of mel" she ragged. ';And it will be true. A fool :"
 "Does it matter?"
 She did not deign to look at him. "Of course, it does."
 "That, my dear Katharine" said the man beside her, in a coolly conversational tone, "is your trou- ble. You have picture of your self as others see you. You are con. tinually altering that picture to suit your audience, living up to 1t. It's too hard. Snap out of it. Be
 "Oh, oh!" she choked with rage. "How dare you talk like this to me-. After all, T."
 The words almost flew out. "After all, I am your wife" But she checked them.
 T dare," said Michael Heatheroe, "because love you. Don't shake your head. It's true. I've loved you since the first day I saw that mu- tinous red mouth and those con- strsdictory, cool eyes of yours. I knew you were my girl the only one I'd ever seen and wanted" Some dangerous softness touched her heart but she steeled 1t against him.
 Good talk" she scoffed, but it doesn't mean anything"
 Katharine = darling" he said, "don't be like this. You were so sweet a while back =. thought had never known such sweetness. You were a statue come to life at last"
 1T wish I were dead" she choked in rage. "I'd better be-"
 What strange wedding dayi The sun had been out, but now the clouds were lowering. Thunder in the air!
 Do you remember" he asked, sthe day the rain drove us into the cabin?"
 Mutinously she refused to answer. The drawing voice went on. "You were so high and mighty" Michael Heatheroe said. s'I longed to teach you a lesson. Little Wildcat!'
 s.But you didn't" taunted the girl. "You didn't dare"
 That was it," he told her. 'I was - afraid of you.'
 She had kept her eyes resolutely will, she whirled and stared at him. The emotion that flared be- tween them was at white heat anger fused with love. Her com posture broke. She was in his arms. ha1f-sobbing, laughing.
 "Michael, Michael, why do we quarrel like this? How horrible of us."
 T don't know. Let's stop it."
 
 She strengthened, dabbing at wet eyes with his big handkerchief. s'It doesn't matter what you've done. Some power brought us to- gether. But one thing I've got to ask you ~"
 What's that?" 2 ''We mustn't announce our mar riage now"
 His eyes darkened. Quietly he said, Every well. That's for you to decide"
 If you're sure it's all right for you to go back--and you must be sure, Michael--come along with me now. Wen go on as if nothing had happened. Meantime you can break your engagement with Sally ss plainlessly as possible. Then we can make plans :"
 ''Tt would", said Michael fhoughtfully, "be easier in some ways. But I don't like it."
 'We've got to do it this way" tho girl said. 'It's the only thing" She started the car. The air was