Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-01

AS II you did not know, Germaine ]"
81 know? How should / ?"
"Sureiy, how should you? What have we
been talking abost for the last half hour ?'
"Of the weather, the latest style OF visiting
eaLas, Miss Payton's charity school, and Kate
"Kste Kershawi There you have it. She is
beautiful and fascinating, and airts with charm
ing science; and say its shame"
"A shame that she hirts? Cousin Lyle, one
would think you had been wounded"
mot I. 1 am all right But have known
Henry Ridgeway from boyhood, and he is the
most glorious old fellow in the world-worthy
OF q queen. And IL makes me growI to think
he should taste himself on X ate Kershav."
Miss Wilde arched her handsome eyebrows.
"Do you think her Gnworthy?"
81 do She has NO soul And Henry is all
"Ahi fortunate fellow! How much he must
save in tailOr's bills"
"Pshaw! Germsine, your are in q sarcastic
mood! and do not like you then. What is the
natter Was Lawrence inartentive last night?
Lawrence? Really, do not remember"
ado lot remember! And yet engaged to mar
~ George Lawrence! Only hear the woman!
wouldn't George feel hstteTsd?"
al dsre ssy. You mig ht him IL You feel
any curiosity on the subject"
'GerB2ibe, seriously. ain afraid yOu do not
love this man you are promised to! Tell me,
cousin. 1 could hot bear to see my little Ger
maine unhappy"
She flushed slightly, and put away the hand
Lyle Curtis extended 70 clap hers. She WAS not
avomsn to accept sympathy tsmely.
"Lyle, let us not talk upon this matter. pre-
sumo / shall marry Sir. Lawrence. like him as
N6n a. Il 10 any OF the OLueFs. Il nave lived
twenty seven years in the world, and 1 regard
love as q myth"
Lyle held up his hands in much horror.
Twenty seven, and unmarried! Good gra-
cious, GeTmaine [! don't wonder you are des-
perste. Let me see the gray hairs. I'll keep
tie secret Tor you"
"My dear Lyle, they will come in time like all
other things. And now let us talk OF Henry
kldgeway. Is there a romance to tell?'
Hardly. IL IL very simple story. They
met In the country. Two young people thrown
constantly together in a great lonesome house,
summer afternoons in the woods, moonlight
walks, rides st sunset, and then the inevitable
cOnseq She sOftened her pride, and lent
Wiling ear 70 words he was only too ready to
Gus ana loyal"
''PeThaps she is"
SCI tell you she is not. / know her thorough
ly. She IS . gay, heartless woman of the world
He Is heir TO q hundred thousand, and her In
come is barely sufficient to keep her in pearls
and point lace. Don't you see?''
Yes, see. How hot the sun Isl Hand me
that fan, Lyle, please
Lyle Curtis looked at his cousin through his
haf,elosed eyes. She was an enigma TO him;
sbe had always been. He saw a dark face flush
ed In the lips and cheeks to crimson, lighted by
great luminous brown eyes, and framed in wayy
bands Of black hair. The whole face was full
OF passion; he almost trembled with thinking
how that woman might love, and yet by her
own confession, she had never felt single throb
OF sweet emotion
sudden idea swept over him. 1t was so new
that it showed Itself in his face.
well, Lyle, what Is iI?' she asked smiling
ooh Germsine, if it could only be. But,
oonfound It, there are always obstacles in the
way!"
ain the way OF what"
81 was thinking Of you and Henry Ridgeway
and together"
"Lyle7-she rose hsughti,y-r'I forgive Won
because you are my cousin; and, were It not too
much trouble, would teach this Henry Ridge
way lesson"
"And you would teach yourself at the same
time. - returned Iyle q
1--WE shall see," she said, and left him to him.
self.
The next morning Henry Ridgewsy came to
Cedar Bluf-csme as the escort Of Miss Ker-
Old Marx Hartley, the widowed proprietor of
the finest place for miles around sought to sup
ply his lack Of kindred by surrounding himself
with the children OF his friends, and every
year, in summer time, the old halls rang with
merry voices and festive songs.
Germaine met Ridgewsy on the back piazza.
She was tying mp a stray branch of = 70 seDush
ana the branch caught her sleeve.
kidgeWay was smoking just behind her on
the steps, and she did not perceive him until
he spoke in quiet, authoritative way.
"AOu are a captive. Permit me- 70 release
you
He cut the offending branch with his knife.
and detached it from her sleeve. And their
eyes met. She looked up at him, he down at
her. Her forehead reached just To his lips. He
thought of il even then.
What revelation a single glance will some
times make! In that very nrst moment one
soul spoke 20 the other, and the language was
understood. RidgeWsy grew pale as death, and
GeTmaine flushed to the roots of her hair.
She turned from him rudelY, and swept into
the hall. From there she went I'D into her
chamber She was supremely angry with m
and with herself He had exercised over her a
power she had never felt before-this man, who
was an utter stranger, and whose heart was in
the keepIBg Of another woman!
She made a wicked resolve. The idle words
she AL spa ken t. i.y le Curtis about the lesson
she would teach RidgeWay should not be idle
- - Nr-.M-
help her TO any conquest. She shut her small
hands slowly: the action spoke volumes.
AZ dinner MI: KidgeEay was formally pre-
ton with her usual naughty grace.
Ridgeway sat beside Kate Kershaw; Kate,
golden OF hair, with eyes amber brown. and
complexion like cream flushed with meadow
strawberry. Her voice was soft and sweet as the
ocean wind, and her smile 4 glory that made
her false, fair face like the faces we think the
angels wear.
Ridgewsy, cool and calm, talked to Miss Ker-
shaw and occasionally looked at Germains. 1
think he understood at once how IL was to De
between them. week Of fine weather and
pleSsuTe-sseki followed. There was fishing
and bathing, and botanical excursions. and de-
hghtful mornings IN the cool parlors, mellow
sunset rambles by the lake side, before the grass
grew wet with summer dew.
GeTmsine and Ridgeway were polite 70 ca n
other, cOldly 20, and Kate Kershaw, with the
Keen instinct OF a practiced fiirt, understood
them better than they understood themselves.
But she could sffsrd 70 be quiet for there was
shared.
One day the party went to Forest Bluff,
great rock rising gradually from the plain, COW
cred mostly with scrubby trees, and hanging
far out over the sea.
Germaine strsyed away from the others. and
went out on the extreme verge of the rock
The dizzy height fascinated her. She thought
she would like TO stOOp over and look down.
She did 80; but the insecure footing deceived
her, and In another second she would have been
dashed on the rocks below, il Henry Ridgeway
had not caught her back.
One moment he held her tightly to his breast
bis heart beating 50 that il almost stopped his
breath, and then she tore herself from him in
rude haste. Her eyes blazed, her whole face
flashed the scOrn and anger she felt.
81 could almost wish had let you perish, p he
mnttered between his closed teeth.
In his hoarse voice she had a triumph. She
had the power to move him, even as be could
move her. She felt sort of fierce delight in
the thought, and she the betrUthed of a man
who trusted her. She scorned herself the next
moment, wondering to what depths she was
sinking
From Lawrence she shrsnk with a sort OF ner-
Vous dread The touch OF his hand angeFed
her. She vaguely wished she had been In her