Eve to the Rescue Part 32

"I hope he gets away. Perhaps he is not so bad as they think, and may do better next time. Or maybe he had a reason."

"I am sure of that," said Hiltze with some earnestness. "There is always a reason, I think."

Through La Mesa, through El Cajon, they drove in silence as they had driven once before, when they went for Marie the first time. Only then Eveley had been quivering with anxiety and nervousness--and now it was only hope and joy. But was it only hope and joy? For she realized suddenly that her hands were gripping the wheel with nervous intensity, and that she was shivering.

"Are you cold?"

"I do not know," she faltered.

He turned slightly in his seat, and reached for a rug.

"A disorderly pile on the floor as usual," he said with a slight smile.

"Don't your friends ever put the rugs back on the rack, Eveley?"

"No, never," she replied, smiling, too, but gravely.

He tucked the rug closely about her, but she still shivered, and a sense of dread was heavy upon her.

When they came at last to the branch in the road, he looked carefully about in every direction, and then told her to drive quickly. Under his direction she took the car far back from the road in a sheltered place, and stopped the engine.

"Please hurry, will you? I have not Angelo with me this time, and I am afraid."

"Eveley, I must talk to you first. You know I love you, you must know it.

You have tried to discourage me, but I will not take discouragement. I shall never go away without you."

"Are you going away?"

"Yes, to-night. Business takes me away. I am going to South America. I have money--lots of money, and we can start afresh and do well. But I can not go without you."

"Mr. Hiltze, it is impossible. I do not love you. I told you that before."

"But you will love me. If you come away with me, and take time, you can love me. I will be good to you, and not hurry you. You must let yourself go, and try."

"But I do not wish to. Love should not be forced. It ought to come spontaneously of itself. And I love Nolan."

"d.a.m.n Nolan! Oh, I don't mean that, but--Eveley, you will forget him.

Just come with me, and give yourself time. Marie will go with us--"

"Marie."

"Yes, she has promised to go with us, to help make you happy."

"Then she is not sick?"

"No, not sick."

"You only brought me here to--"

"Yes, Eveley. I am sorry, but I had to. We are going out by aeroplane to-night, and there is a fishing fleet at sea waiting to pick us up. I hated to trick you, but it was my love that forced it. I can not give you up. I will not. Did you think I was a fool to be with you, and know your loving lovely ways, and--and--"

Suddenly he crushed her in his arms, and for a moment she was helpless.

Then he released her.

"Your bag is here--yes, in the back of the car."

"My bag?"

"Yes, I took Marie to the Cote this afternoon and she packed it for you--things necessary until you can shop again."

"Marie did that?"

"Oh, I told her to. I told her you wished it. Oh, yes, I lied, but I would do worse than that for you, yes, I would kill for you. Now be reasonable, Eveley, and come with us nicely. You shall have all the time you wish. I know you will love me."

"Love you. Love you after this! I hate you, I despise you. Do not say you love me."

"Eveley, be quiet, this will do no possible good."

"Then it was you they were looking for, in the car? You are a common criminal."

"Not a criminal, no," he cried furiously. "Yes, they wanted me, of course. You should have known there was a reason why a man like myself should live as I have done here. But we are not criminals--we are advance agents of freedom."

"Anarchists," she interrupted, in a cutting voice.

"Some time there must be justice and equality in the world--"

"And you have got rich by preaching lawlessness."

"Eveley, do not talk like that. I--I lose my head--and I do not wish to frighten you. Sit quietly, and let me tell you. Peace can come only through warfare--and out of the death throes of an old world, a new world of peace will--"

"You are traitors."

"Eveley, you know I was in the service, but there must be a union of the free men of the world against oppression--"

"Do not make stump speeches to me. I will not stand for it. Justice and freedom will come to the world, but not through lying and trickery and bloodshed. Justice must come through sympathy and love and comradeship."

"It did not get you far with Marie, though, did it?"

"Marie."

"Certainly. That was my interest in her. Marie was working with us, doing what she could for us, for what we could do for her in Mexico. She is a regular traitor if you like, putting things over in great style, on you and Nolan and Ames--the whole bunch of you. She is a slick little devil.

But I fell--because I loved you."

Sudden illumination came to Eveley. "Then that is why she left me. When she learned to love me, she would not profane our friendship. That is why she left."

"She left because the cops were getting wise, and she had to get out in a hurry or get pinched."

"And she is going with you--"

"Sure. She will be the idol of the revolutionists for what she has done--they will carry her about on a tin platter."