Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1916)

The Glorv Roiul 121 changed, and that morally June isn't hound to you any longer." Maddening and despicable as tins was. remple could not den) it. Whatever his personal feelings, ho know himself to ho helplessly in the wrong. Ami yet fearful thoughts thronged Ins brain. Ho took a sudden step toward the other. "What I want to know is how Car this has gone," ho snarled. "Juno, has this man hurt you, or harmed you in anv way?" "Oh. no. no! Paul! Please i" ' Vividly into her mind Hashed the memory of a little river island in the wilderness where on another occasion Temple had fought for her with his bare hands. Ikhad been incontestably right in doing so then, but lie would not be now. At Paul's implied threat Holt's desire leaped forward to a combat for which he himself yearned. But victory in another direction was more essential. He recognized that so far he had the upper hand in the present struggle. — and that the moment had come to make his position unassailable. And just as he had known in his designs upon June, that if he tried to force her without the apparent cloak of honorable intention he would have wrecked his chances instantly, he knew now that a repetition of that intention was doubly necessary. "I want June to be my wife." he said coolly. "That's how far this has gone." "Well, you're long enough saying so. damn you !" "I've always wanted it." Holt lied, "but honorably. That's why I fought to have her break her engagement. I love her, and 1 demand a fair chance to make her love me. "And she wouldn't do it." "No." "Well, why wasn't that enough for you?" "Because it's not fair." That he felt himself deeply injured was obvious. "The question is are you going to leave June free to choose the man she loves, or aren't you?" Paul was silent. The instinct to snatch back his own by force, to avenge himself upon this man who had stolen the woman he loved, still throbbed through him, but he perceived clearly that the right was not his. In truth, with matters as they stood, Holt's position was without vulnerable point. i [e raised eyes i ull oi hatred. "I release hei i rom hei i aent," he said. A low cry broke from th< girl, bowed in her chair, and she Buddenlj burst into sup pressed but uncontrollable weeping. After the long bitter Struggle to --pare Paul this, after her brave defense and protec tion o( him in her own heart, to have him throw it all away ! Temple turned to her. "Come, June." he said, gently. "I'm going to take you home, you're worn out." Then as Holt made a protesting gesture, "And if you say a word I'll thrash you within an inch of your life." For an instant the other's face grew s.i\ age, then relaxed. Let it go! He had won his point, and his rival could have all the emptv satisfaction there was in an unaccepted challenge. TTHF, brief walk home was accomplished almost in silence, but as they nearer! the bungalow Paul said : "I'm not going to ask you tonight howall this happened, June. Neither of us is in any mood to be reasonable or understand, so it's better not to talk about it at all. But I'll come tomorrow morning if you can see me then." "Yes," she said, "come here. My picture's done, and I'm not working now7." "I was in the middle of mine when I started West," he said, dryly. Then he glanced at her face which showed white and tired by the light of a street lamp. "Poor dear," he said, compassionatelv, "you must have been through a lot." She was ready to burst into tears again, but commanded herself. "But don't think about it tonight. Whatever you do in the end will be all right, and you must have a good night's sleep. Try to get it. will you?" "I'll trv," she said, obediently, as he took her hand in his at the steps. "Good ! And I'll come about ten. Good night." Dropping her hand, he lifted his hat and walked away. The shock of this parting was like a dash of cold water. Not since coming from the North had they separated thus, with no kiss, no embrace, no clingings in a hundred farewells each sweeter than the last. That uncompromising reality brought home to her as nothing else could have done how