loved you, I have never had
one kiss. Shall I have the first to-night?"

The girl turned and faced him squarely with flashing eyes.

"Neither to-night nor any other night," she cried in ringing tones.

"You mean it?" Gordon's face was pale and drawn.

"Yes."

"Is that your final answer?" he asked, after a pause.

"It is," she replied defiantly.

"Then listen to me," declared Gordon, his face flushed with sudden
anger. "Either you pledge your word to accept me on my own terms here
and now, or you will never make your entrance on that stage. Ah," he
added, as Martha reeled at the sudden realization of how completely he
controlled the situation, "that hits your vanity, does it? A nice little
story for the newspapers to-morrow. Theater closed, audience dismissed,
new star such a pitiful failure that she is too frightened to appear."

"But that isn't true--that isn't true," cried Martha.

"Isn't it? Try and convince the public otherwise."

"I will, and that curtain shall go up to-night" Martha faced him bravely
enough, though her courage almost failed her.

"Try it and see whose orders will be obeyed. Listen--the orchestra has
finished the overture. Think carefully, for your final answer now
decides your fate. You are at the parting of the ways. A future with me,
everything you desire, or back to your days of poverty."

Weldon appeared as Martha seemed to hesitate.

"Shall I ring up the curtain?" he asked quietly.

"Wait," replied Gordon. He turned to Martha. "Your answer?"

Martha did not look at him. "No," she replied simply.

Gordon drew in his breath quickly, and the concentrated anger seemed
almost ready to burst its bonds. He stood looking at her intently for a
moment, then apparently realizing that he was unable to alter her
decision, he threw up his hands with a despairing gesture and started
toward the door.

"There will be no performance, Weldon," he said roughly. "Dismiss the
audience, pay everybody their salaries, and wind up the whole cursed
business. I have sunk twenty thousand dollars for a hobby and a pretty
face, but now, thank God, I'm through. I'm cured. That's
all--good-night."

"One moment before you go," cried Martha, stung to the quick. "You may
have dazzled other girls before with your golden shower. You may have
rung up curtains on success, and claimed your reckoning, but this time,
even though you have brought me failure and humiliation, you may mark
one failure for yourself.