"To convince you," said Truth in a dispassionate tone, "that I entertain no fear whatever, I shall ask mother to kindly leave us alone."

Mrs. Ralston arose with a sigh of relief and without a word, left the room.

Scarcely had the door been closed when Vallero rushed towards Truth, as if ready to embrace her - . Impulsively she shrank back with a commanding gesture.

"Do not come any closer, Clarence. Because I have consented to be alone with you, shall not permit you to take an unfair advantage of my position."

With ill-concealed disappointment Vallero replied questioningly. "Take advantages of my wife?"

"Your wife in name only," interrupted Truth, looking sharply into Vallero's piercing eyes. He became confused at her attitude of strength and the resolution with which she was confronting him so calmly.

"Why, Truth, my darling. I don't seem to understand" - he faltered, then pleadingly asked:

"Don't you love me any more?"

"Love you, Clarence------? No, no," sighed Truth, as a feeling of pity for the man before her crept into her heart. She continued firmly: "I know now that I never loved you, Clarence; never realized what the word implies. Under the power and influence of others I made a terrible mistake and wronged us both, by not being strong enough to break the obligation from which I begged you to release me the hour before our marriage. Bight here, on this very spot, you overcame my fears and objections with the assurance that it was too late to consider my fanciful theory - and - we were married."

"And now that we are married and you have become my dear, sweet wife, why not make the best of it, sweetheart? Let us compromise."

"I'll ask nothing hard of you and will try to be more kind in the future, so you will in time learn to love me better------."

"Never, Clarence! After that terrible experience on our wedding night, you do not realize that you are demanding from me the impossible."

"Impossible! Surely to live with me as my wife is nothing impossible?"

Truth trembled slightly - as she flashed upon Vallero a look of pity and contempt.

"My very soul shrinks from you, when you ask me to live with you as a loveless wife, sacrifice my honor and self-respect, and sink into the depths of degradation."

"What a strange notion you have, Truth, that living with your legal husband would degrade you in any way."

"Not in your estimation, Clarence, but many things which are made legal by man, are but a violation of God's divine principle, and the very fact that you are unable to make any distinction proves that our ideals are worlds apart, and how utterly hopeless it would be to attempt a reconciliation between our opposing standards of life."

"We won't try to reconcile them," remonstrated Vallero, impatiently. "What in thunder do I care what your ideals of life are? All I care for is you - sweetheart! Don't you know I love you, darling, as man can only love a beautiful, sweet woman like you."

With one swift movement Vallero grasped both of her hands. - Truth made one step backward; her dark blue eyes flashing like jewels, she surveyed him with a look, so intense that his whole body began to quiver. - In a frenzy of passion he drew her to his breast, - her cry was muffled with kisses.

Desperately Truth fought to release herself from his lustful embrace. Each pleading word she attempted to utter was silenced with loathsome kisses, until she lay helpless in his arms. Madly, he dragged her almost swooning form across the room and she fell exhausted upon a couch, while in tones of wildest passion Vallero muttered!

"I love you, darling - love you madly! I can no longer control my passionate love for you. The glance of your beautiful eyes - the touch of your flesh - makes the blood leap through my veins with a mad desire to possess you! "I will not give you up - for I love and adore you - you must become mine - do you hear?"

"You must say that you will - ! "I will hush your lips with kisses until you yield - until------"

With superhuman strength, Truth released her arm, and struck a desperate blow upon Vallero's half crouching form - he fell upon the floor - ! With one quick move Truth leaped to her feet - ! like a tigress at bay she watched Vallero spring to his feet again, pacing before her like an infuriated beast ready to leap upon its prey. With fascinated horror Truth kept her eyes steadily fixed upon his dark cruel face. Again he approached her, wiping the perspiration from his brow he panted heavily!

"Forgive me Truth - I could no longer - control my feeling for you - I tried to make you understand, - how I love------"

"Stop!" commanded Truth with a spirit that arose defiantly! Fearless and strong as steel, she defended her womanhood. A strange light flashed from her eyes! Her slight figure seemed to grow taller, and her mien was that of queenly command as she uttered with contempt!

"You dare to speak to me of love? Coward that you are - I despise you I You say you love me - Love -? - Oh, give it some other and lower name - I The very atmosphere exhaled from your words and presence shrivels my soul with horror! You have proven in the clasp of your fiendish clutch, that what you desire to possess is my body, to gratify the cravings of your depraved mind, regardless of my heart - or dictations of my soul - "

"Oh, to hell with your soul!" hissed Vallero, again enraged to white fever heat - ! like a demon he uttered another curse, which had a paralyzing effect upon Truth.

She stared upon his distorted features with a speechless fear - ! Then, as if some invisible power was guiding her hand, she mechanically reached for the bell and - rang it violently------!

The servant entered hastily! In a low, toneless voice, Truth commanded the frightened girl:

"Show Mr. Vallero the door------!"

Vallero stood baffled! Malignantly his eyes flashed from mistress to maid. With another curse escaping his livid lips, which in his defeat were drawn into a fiendish expression, he left the room like a whipped dog.