Between Friends

"What!" she whispered, bewildered at the sinister change in him.

"And I want to tell you another thing. I am alone in the world.

What I have, I have devised to you--in case I step out--suddenly--"

He paused, hesitated, then: "Also I desire you to hear something else," he went on. "This is

the proper time for you to hear it, I think--now--to-night--"

He lifted his blazing eyes and looked at the other man.

"There was a woman," he said--"She happened to be my wife. Also

there was my closest friend: and myself. The comedy was cast.

Afterward she died--abroad. I believe he was there at the time--Kept

up a semblance--But he never married her. . . . And I do not intend

to marry--you."

After a moment: "And that," she whispered, "is why you once said to

me that I should have let you alone."

"Did I say that to you?"

"Yes." She looked up at him, straight into his eyes: "But if you

care for me--I do not regret that I did not let you alone."

"I shall not marry you."

Her lip trembled but she smiled.

"That is nothing new to me," she said. "Only one man has offered

that."

"Why didn't you take him?" he asked, with an ugly laugh.

"I couldn't. I cared for you."

"And now," he said, "are you afraid of me?"

"Yes--a little."

He leaned forward suddenly, "You'd better steer clear of me!" Her

startled eyes beheld in him a change as swift as his words.

"Fair warning!" he added: "look out for yourself." Everything that

was brutal in him; everything ruthless and violent had marred his

features so that all in a moment the mouth had grown ugly and a

hard, bruised look stamped the pallid muscles of his features and

twitched at them.

"You're taking chances from now on," he said. "I told you once to

let me alone. You'd better do it now. And--" he stared at the

distant man--"I told you that hate is more vital than love. It is.

I've waited a long time to strike. Even now it isn't in me to do it

as I have meant to do it. And so I tell you to keep away from me;

and I'll strike in the old-fashioned way, and end it--to-night."

Stunned by his sudden and dreadful metamorphosis, her ears ringing

with his disjointed incoherencies, she rose, scarcely knowing what

she was doing, scarcely conscious that he was beside her, moving

lightly and in silence out into the brilliant darkness of the

streets.