A Little Traitor to the South A War-Time Com-
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cdy With a Tragic Interlude by Cyrus Townsend Brady
(CYpy right, J90J, by Cyrua Townund Brady.)
CHAPTER X.
The Woman Pleads.
I THINK they would believe rue
agulnst even you," answered
Bempland. "I would teil them
that you ab love me and tlat
you are trying to save me. And
more, if you say one word to General
Beauregard or anyone else about It after
you leave this room I give you my word
of honor I will declare that I was afraid
to (to and that I stayed with you."
"Why will you be so foolish?" tha
asked.'
"Because I love you," he buret out,
"that's the only reason. I have told you
before, but you did not seem to believe It.
at leust you did not appear to care, but
now It won't hurt you to hear It once more.
You won't have to hear It again from me.
Jt'a the last time. I expect every moment
they will be here to summon me before th
court-martial, so I must tell you now. Ytu
ure a cruel, heartless coquette. You en
couraged Lacy "
"I did not!" Indignantly.
"And you didn't discourage me.,"
"How dure you say so?"
"Last night when I held you in my arms
and kisred you"
'T waa powerless"
"When I released you you cluped me
around the neck and returned my caress.
"I'll swenr you did and all the time you
had another man In your heart."
- "Another man?" she exclaimed in great
astonishment.
"Yes. That man on the Wabash!"
"Oh, the man on the Wabnuh!"
"Yea. You wanted to save him, so you
played with me. Why weren't you honest
about It? Why didn't you tell me the truth?
Hut no, you chose to disgrace-me for him.
Well, you succeeded. 1 shall pay the
penalty. I shull keep silent for your take.
Ho may have you and you may have him,
but my death will be ever between you.
The burden of obligation will be luavy upon
you both, more than you can carry I"
Ho had worked himself up into a jealous
rage by this time. His self-control was
completely gone.
"Who Is this man?" he burst out at li st,
whllo a'M- took a wicked Joy in his misap
prehension. "Hia-hla name-Is" she rpoke slowly
and with seeming reluctance as If to spare
him.
"Then there Is a man? Good God! I hud
hoped. In spite of everything, that I might
have been mistaken, that you acted so for
some other reason. Do you love him?"
"Yes," faintly, turning away her head.
"Do you really love him, or are you
making a fool of him as you did of me?"
"But I-love you. too." she said, de
murely, gently dropping her head so that
her face was half hidden from his intent
gate.
"How can you love both of us?" he ex
claimed, angered beyend endurance by her
apparent coquetry.
"lt's-it'r different," she answered, de
murely. "If Lacy were here I suppose he would
understand, but women such as you are
leyond me."
"It seni so."
"But why prolong this Interview longer,
Miss Glen? Your tecret is safe with me.
Probably you came here to leirn that. I
will not allow you to betray it, cither"
how inconi latent he waa, she thought "you
know that I love you. and I know that you
do not love me, that your heart ia with
that man on the ship. Won't you please
leave me alone? I really shall need all my
self-command, my strength, to face the
court-martial, and you you unman me.
I thank you for coming to see me. but for
give my apparent discourtesy I would
Miner be alone. Goodbye."
"Wait," ehe raid. "That man on the
Wabash " -
"By heaven!" he interrupted, savagely
he was a man of somewhat elemental pas
sions when he waa aroused, and he was
thoroughly aroused then "have you no
mercy, no pity? This is tos much! I don't
want to bear a word atout him. Whoever
he la I"
"Stop, slr!" cried the girl. Impressively,
'or you will say something for which you
will be sorry."
"Eorryl I should like to have him within
reach of my hand!" he said grimly, ex
tending his arm as he speke, and his ex
pression was not pleasant to see. "I'd'
he went on hurriedly.
"you would not do a thing
to him If he stood right here."
"Would I not? And pray, why not?" he
asked her bitterly.
"Because " .
Bhe stopped reluctant to disclose her
secret. Once' ehe did so her power waa
gone.
"Because" she said again.
"Tell me In heaven's name! You torture
me!"
"Because he Is my "
Again she slopped and again hi anxiety
got the better of him. He caught her
"T1IKUK IS NO OTHER
hands in hU own and held them with a
grasp that hurt her.
"My God, will you cease this cruelty?
He Is not your you are not really married
to him, are you?"
"Hardly. Let go of my hands." she
answered, striving to draw away; yet
for a fairly tttrong young woman she
exhibited an astonishing feebleness In her
endeavor.
"Wrr Is he?" with Imperious Insistence.
"My father there! Now, will you release
me?"
"Your father! And there Is o other
man?" In great bewilderment, through
which the glimmering of great relief
began to shine.
Bhe shook her head.
"And you did this fir him alone H i
I am sure,
cutting him off.
"No-o-o," with reluctance, "not alto
gether for him alone."
"Who elso then?"
"I told you lust night," she answered
evasively.
"For me?"
"Ye-es." faintly. "I could not bear to
see yon lose your yeur life."
Slowly she felt herself being drawn nearer
to him. Bhe struggled feebly, glad to be
overborne by his superior strength. In
another moment she waa in his arms for
the second time. Her head was bent down
toward his watch pocket. Holding her
safe with one arm he put his hand under
MAN," BHE WHISPERED. ITHERE NEVER WAS ANY ONE BUT YOU."
her thin, and turned her face upward.
There were blushes on her cheeks,
laughter and tears in her eyes. The In
terrupted kiss trembled upon her lips, and
he well .this time it was longer than the
night before and more satisfying. As he
kiaaed her her arms went around hia neck
again.
"There was no other man," she wh ta
pe red. "there never waa any onn but you.
I did wrong, very wrong, but my father
and you that was my excuse. And I loved
you all the time."
When there was opportunity some mo
menta later for articulate conversation he
endeavored to solve the mystery of her
paternity, the understanding of which he
bad put by In the face of more pressing
business or pleasure.
"Then your name Isn't Fanny Glenr
"That's part of It." '
"What's the rest of it?"
"Fanny Glen Vernon."
"What! Is Admiral Vernon, your father?"
"He is."
"How Is that?"
"When the war broke out he stayed with
the north, was true to hia flag, he said. I
had seen little of him since my mother's;
death, when I was 10 years old. I was a
southern woman. It permed monstrous tm
me. I begged and Implored him, but use
lessly, and finally our relations were broken
! "
off. Bo I dropped the name of Vernoa
and came here to work for our cause; the
rest you know. But I could not let him b
blown up unsuspecting, could I? if he
were killed In action It would be terrible,
but this waa a dreidful ending. I thought
I don't know what I thought. I love the
south, but"
"I understand, my dearest," he s&ld, in
no condition to understand anything very
clearly, and caring little for the moment
for anything except that she loved htm.
"And you forgive me?"
"Forgive you? Wllh all my roul. This
moment with you in my arms, with your
arms around my neckv with your kissoa)
upon my lips, with your worda In my ear.
with your love la my heart this makes HJl
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