but had returned and stood listening at the door for some moments-long enough indeed to hear all t

oarsely. "Woe be to you, Irene

ts over the corsage of her ruby satin robe, and her black eyes flashing forth jealousy and defiance. The jeweled

ooked at her, honest amazement

nderstand why you should wish to complicate this unhappy affair still fur

e proud wonder in his. Then she asked, wi

made love to me? That you c

color drifted

f-reproach struggling together in his voice. "If you have, I beg your forgiveness a thousand times, for I thought you we

lightnings of the brunette's eyes. Strong man though he was he shivered under their baleful glare.

playing with edged tools? Ah, beware, Guy Kenmore, beware! My love would have been a thousand times better tha

r to his girl-bride, as if to shiel

," he answered. "Irene is

at willful child to the fetters so unwittingly forged! It is the Kenmore pride, that is afraid of being dragged through the

e best way out of our troub

creature whom we have shielded with our own honest name to save our family honor! Ha, ha, Guy Kenmore, are you not proud of your high-born bride-Elaine's base-bor

ran to Bertha. She clutched her small white fingers in the brunette

"How dare you malign the honor of my beautiful, pure-hearted Ellie? How dare you name us-

ke my word for it! Ask that woman there whom my very words have crushed down to the earth! Ask her if she is not your mother! Ask her the

n in her trembling hands, her golden hair falling loose, and streaming in sad beauty over her quivering, prostrate form. Guy Kenmor

that I come to

e to curse th

t pity almos

aying there th

appier summer

ostrate form. Her small hand fell heavil

id; "I want to see your face! I wa

ised her head and looked into Irene's clear, searching eyes with a woful, white, w

ot curse me," she moaned. "It is

kward with one hand pressed on her heart

God may forgive you, but I never can! Now I know why they hate me, your mother and your sister. I have no right in the world, I have no name, no place, I am the living badge of my mot

of the maddened Bertha had almost stunned him. He was a proud man, as he had said. It was horrible to think of the stain on the girl h