Page:The traitor; a story of the fall of the invisible empire (IA traitorstoryoffa00dixo).pdf/323

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goin' to help us. She told me so. She's rich—she'll get us a lawyer."

Stella climbed the stairs to John's door with a great voiceless fear in her soul. The thought of his discovery of her betrayal stopped the very beat of her heart.

To her surprise she found him strangely calm.

"It's sweet of you to come so early," he said with a smile.

"Love makes one's feet swift, doesn't it?" she answered softly.

"And beautiful!" he cried. "I'm going to make you happier by giving you more work. Don't bring me anything more to eat or any more flowers until you've made the other fellows comfortable. I'm all right, but a lot of the poor boys who have just come have broken down. Oh, God, if I could have gotten my hands on the throat of the traitor last night!"

Never had she seen a more terrible look on a human face. Stella gazed at his convulsed features fascinated with fear.

"You'll help the boys, won't you, dear, for my sake?" he asked suddenly. "Susie Wilson and her mother will join you."

Stella answered with a start:

"Why—of course, John. I'll go at once."

"And dear!" he called as she turned quickly.