to her that he was honest in his desire to protect him for her sake. Yet it was impossible. Certainly it was not the moment for a declaration of love to this proud and sensitive girl. She saw his confusion and softened the irony from her voice.

"I assure you there's not the slightest danger in such a function. I have attended several."

He watched her steadily and said:

"Your father agrees with you in this?" She laughed softly.

"I haven't consulted him yet. He has just returned from his circuit this morning. Would you like to tell him about it?"

Her

The challenge had crept back into her voice. words were carefully chosen. And they cut. And they cut. But the thing was too important for compromise. He could not stand on ceremony. He pulled himself together and answered steadily:

"I will talk to him for a moment if you'll be kind enough to call him

"Certainly

She stepped to the stairs and called her father. The tones were clear, tender, and silvery with girlish banter. They found his heart. He cursed the fate that had made it necessary to hurt her.

Hawkins came down immediately, looked in amazement at Craig, and turned to Claudia.

"What on earth-"

Craig dreaded to hear her bantering explanation and plunged at once into his message.

“I—I have come, Judge Hawkins, to ask your daughter to please stop preparations for the Klan ball here to-night-"

Hawkins flushed with excitement and turned again to Claudia.

"A Klan masquerade-here-my dear?" he faltered. The girl saw his deep agitation and spoke assuringly. "Why, it's all the rage now, father-"

The Judge frowned, lifted his hand for silence and turned to Craig.

"I thank you. I'll not forget your thoughtfulness, sir. It was kind of you."

The girl's lips tightened at the rebuke. She smiled and turned to Craig in a way that plainly said: "Now that you've started a fight between my father and me-suppose you go."

He bowed awkwardly and passed out. As the door closed, Claudia smiled at her father. The smile was not returned. Hawkins was trembling. When she laid her hand on his arm and began to explain, he cut her short with the first angry command he had ever given:

"You must stop this thing at once, my child-" "But I can't stop it, now—"

"You must."

"The boys will be here at nine o'clock-"

"You must turn them from the door."

"But, father-dear-"

"You should have consulted me

99

"How could I? You were away. You made me the mistress of your house. Why consult you about a harmless social gathering of boys and girls?"

"The Ku Klux Klan is a secret order of oathbound assassins-"

"Please, father, don't!" she laughed. "These boys are of the best families in town.”

"How can you know this?" pleaded the Judge. "They

come disguised. Not one of them will make himself known."

"Which makes the romance all the deeper."

"And its dangers the greater—”

"But you are not really afraid?" cried Claudia.

"You have heard of the outrages committed by these masked raiders ?"

"Not these boys-"

"You must remember, my dear, that I have sworn to send these men to the gallows. You cannot see that their presence in this house would be an insult to me?” "Certainly not. They come to do me honor." "You must stop it, my child—”

"It is impossible. My friends are getting ready. I've hired the band.”

"Come, my dear, you must be reasonable. I know I've spoiled you. I've loved you too well. I've indulged every whim of your heart and allowed you to rule me, but you can't do this absurd and dangerous thing. You forget that you are not only making a fool of me but that you are putting my life in jeopardy."

"I'll assume the responsibility—" she broke in smiling. "If you receive the slightest insult or a hair of your head is harmed I'll give my life to avenge it."

The Judge hesitated a moment and then said with stern determination:

"For the first time in my life, I forbid you a thing on which you have set your heart. These masked men shall not enter my house!"

Claudia stared at him, burst into tears, and sank to a

seat.

Hawkins wrung his hands helplessly and walked to the stairs. It was unthinkable that he should give in on such an issue. He would be firm. He put his foot on the

first step, paused and looked back. The bowed figure was sobbing pitifully. The first and only tears he had ever caused her in all his life. And she had no mother to tell her troubles to.

He stood torn between love-foolish, indulgent, tender —and a duty hard and cold. He took his foot off the stairs and watched her until his eyes grew dim. He walked slowly back, touched her shoulder, stooped and kissed her hair.

She smiled through her tears and said:

"I'll turn the boys away from the door-"

She took his outstretched hand. He lifted her and slipped an arm about her waist.

"No, darling, it's all right. You shall have your fun-" Her arms slowly stole around his neck and she kissed him. She was not demonstrative. She rarely kissed him except under deep emotion. The touch of her lips were never so sweet to his stormy spirit. He had hurt her cruelly. She had forgiven. He wouldn't do such a fool thing again. A woman's intuitions could be trusted in such matters. He should have thought of that at first. He stroked her shining brown hair and laughed.

"I reckon you'll know how to take care of your daddy in the scrimmage?"

"I'll show you that I do!" she cried gayly.

She hurried upstairs to complete her preparations. But the smile on Hawkins' face slowly faded into a look of deep seriousness.

C

CHAPTER XXI

THE MASKED BALL

RAIG walked to his office with a sense of relief that

he had gotten off so lightly in his encounter with Claudia. She had not uttered an angry word. She had not shown any hatred. He wondered after all if that were a good sign. Had she loved him she might have shown the most violent anger. If he could only know that she cared a little, she might rave all she liked.

Her indifference was ominous. She neither liked nor disliked him. He simply didn't count in her life. The thought made him ill. A feeling of depression swept him. He walked three miles in the country and back again swiftly. He couldn't throw his depression off. He had no right to expect anything of her but indifference, yet he did.

As the hour approached for the masqueraders to appear at the Judge's Craig was drawn to the spot by an irresistible impulse. He stood in the shadows of the trees on the sidewalk and watched a little squadron of white horsemen wheel into the gate past Julius' cottage, and gallop swiftly up to the front door of the old mansion.

They had scarcely passed when Julius suddenly stepped from the shrubbery, through the open gateway, and ran into him.

The Apostle gasped in terror.

"De Lawd, Marse John, I thought you wuz one er dem ghostes 'scuse me, sah, I'se er gettin' away from here!"