The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-04-15

, with such a woman.
fiance when I thought about 1t
afterward."
"oh, you knew that she was en-
gaged?"
Eyes"
"How did she happen to tell you
that?"
"She told me that night"
ooh. Suppose you recount the
conversation"
"She apologized for her informal
appearance. She was wearing
green silk lounging pajamas under
a gold-embroidered Mandarin coat.
understand women wear such
things to teas in their own homes
in the city, but in st. Joseph she
feared, no doubt, that they were
unconv ,ntional garb in which to
entertain me-"
"And did you think SOP"
IT thought she was extraordt
narily beautiful: the jade green
was the shade Of her eyes, and her
skin was Of transparent whiteness;
the gold coat was like the light Of
her hair"
"And did you make these poetic
statements to her?"
He twisted in his chair. 81 did"
"And just how did she take
them?"
"She was surprised. I had al
ways been most formal in our
previous conversations"
"And how did you happen to
changer"
IT don't know. II guess I lost
my head a little, she was so beauti-
full. I've told you I loved her!"
"Go on"
"Well, I told her that, too. I
raved about her and how much I
cared for her." rs"
what sort Of response did she
make"
"She said that she had o fiance,
that all was not going well with
them, however: but that she hoped
they would work out their prob
lemS."
'How did you take that?"
He was silent.
"PerkinS!"
Ell guess I was jealous"
"You know you were. You flew
into a rage, didn't your"
''I said some wild things"
"Then she asked you to leave?"
eyes,"
sand you, out Of jealousy and
Illustration, shot her?"
IT didn't! I swear to God I
didn't"
His terror and his weak, shrill
cry were terrible. I still hear them
in my sleep sometimes.
Then what did you do?"
"I left, as she asked me to do. ]
went down the stairs"
"And no one saw you go?"
'No-yeS-I don't know"
1.-THE whole story, Perkins!"
IT met Mrs. Sardoni at the foot
Of the stairs. She had been listen
ing, I suppose: had heard the quar-
rel. She tried to stop me. cried,
Get out of my way then I went
out the door,"
CHAPTER XXXIII
The silence now was the Inspec-
tors. When he spoke again, his
voice was not so insistent. It was
low, steady, cool. It had a calming
effect upon Perkins.
when you told Miss Sinclair
that you loved her. and that you
found her extraordinarily beauti.
full, she told you she was engaged.
You say that you flew into a jeal-
Gus rage. Yet she had told you
that all was not well between her
and her fiance. Most men might
have taken hope at that. might
have asked her to marry them in
spite Of the engagement. It &C.
currS to me to wonder what you
found in that situation to make
you so violent"
Perkins shifted In his chair
again. His terror had passed: his
voice held only surrender.
MY despair was not because Of
her engagement. It arose from nv
own situation. In the fifteen min.
uteS I was there, realized that
Constance Sinclair was the one
person in The world I wanted to
be my wife, and that she was way
beyond my reach forever"
"Why?"
"Because-because I am already
q married man."
Perkins was taken away without
further questioning, much to nv
disappointment as I wanted to
know where Mrs. Perkins was AS
! was released" from my cubby.
mole, was on the point of ask.
ing OBrien why he had dropped
the matter SO quickly. but his ex.
preston was forbidding. He
scarcely seemed to see me, saving
over his shoulder as an after.
thought, "be back here at 1880"
(To Be Continued
Copyright. 1895. King Feature.