Evening star., 1881-12-31
IF it were any one but Beatrice Lloyd" CRY

"1f it were any one but Beatrice Lloyd" CRY
passOnately. II could bear it"
But know just as we'll as if could see into
the years to come that she would make him
| wretched, and that this dream into which her
! loneliness and fascination have lulled him must
| have sorry awakening. Hard thoughts of the
| beauty OF the woman who has supplanted me
| Ill my heart; and clench my hands in impotent
fury. am afraid | am rapidly reaching that
| state OF mind which l naiveiy expressed to
Miriam once as child: II feel little bit good
and great deal naughty"
Evening on the same day. The sun is set
long shadows chase each other over the earth.
Oh. how delicously cool it is, 1t is worth living
through the heat of the day to be able to enjoy
/ with such keen intensity this glorious shade.
have been in the garden all the evening.
thought dinner would never end tonight it was
| so long and tedious. Messrs WhitepOll and
canary Plush moved about as if they were at
| tending at funeral. If Hugh had been here
they would not dared to be so abominably slow
But he was away; he went out ON horseback at
! 10 o'clock this morning
He did not remember to bid me good-bye al
though see he did not forget the daily tribute
TO MSS l'lOyds perfectOns. and she wore it
that hateful little bunch Of mignOnette-a din
ner, arranging it Ostentatiously every now and
then and bending her swan-like neck to smell it
with such an amount of consciousness and affecta-
tionthat | kicked. .metaphorically and literally
| thought it was fOotstOOl nv foot came i'm con-
tact with under the table, but, from the sudden
| reddenlng of Miss LlOyd's face, | shrewdv srs-
pected that made acquaintance with her ankles.
suppose for the sake of politeness Iought to be
sorry, but am afraid cannot be-
III L mad only been on the other side of the
taole and could have managed to sprinkle a
! little pepper over her bouquet. But, alas. fate
had ordained that BERTHE Roberts. the Young
oIhcer whose beauty was sOextOlled in the sum-
mer-house, should offer me his arm to conduct
me TO the FESTIVE board" and / followed
meekiy where he chose to lead. which happened
TO be just opposite the smiling beauty | tried
10 De polite to my cavalier although despsed
| little men with fair whiskers and ewes of a
green-gooseberry tint; but by-and-by found
| MS gaze was rivited on the magnificent pink
Drocade and its wearer on the other side of the
mahogany, so left him to his own reflections
and consumed my turbot in peace
| lie came out of dreamland when the desert
| appeared and favored me with steady stare
,c1nlng TO the conclusion after five minutes de-
llDerate survey. that l looked ''pale aw" To
whlch responded somewhat pertiy. fear. that
pfoDaoiy 1t was due to the same cause that
rendered him tongue-tied. He looked mystified
Aiw, the heat. Miss Mayne." he said pre-
thh'y thinF what see Ton nowpon my soul couldn't
aW-down on fellow, don't you know!"
"Who?' Miss Lloyd asked transgressine all
rules OF polite society and speaking across the
uIS oo"i olroses ana hel1Otrope which perfumed
the room. mot Hda l am sure: she is
usually very tolerant of the faults of Others"
scOrned to make any reply As for nv bril-
liant companion, Miss Lloyd's notice and re-
marx caused such stir in his infantile mind
that ne never recovered from it, but gazed al
teInately at MS plate and at the fair siren who
had bewtched him with a weak. watery smile on
his fair face and with his somewhat large mouth
agape should have liked to non q rajSin in
but was on my best behavior.
ana mere am and - the beating of nv own
heart is all the sound heard" have watched
the sun go down and the birds 90 to rest and if
is nigh time for me to follow their example and
go IN doors. 1t is not because do not know
the path of duty that do not walk in it. but
because am resolved to witness the meeting
to-hight between Hugh Morgan and Beatrice
Lloyd. OF course l am fully aware that I am
DONG very wrong, that | am acting in a dis
graceful and uniadylike manner, and that. If il
were anybody else but me, should be perfectly
; aSnaSt at such unheafd of deprayity. Neyerthe-
less. mean TO stay
Beside the sun-dal" she said Well. T do
not know why need stand any loneer-I am
awfully tired. There is splendid bush of
rh0dodendrons which will completely hide me.
Was that step? No. there is no one in srbt
How curiousiy strong the scent of the flowers
grows III the evening! / ask myself the reason.
anu clasp my knees with both hands and in this
attitude, more restfu than elegant. [ watch and
walt, and think of Beatrice. and hate her with
should like to put pin into that creamy, blae-
man9e-lOOkng skin of hers!" i think viciously.
wohdef Il scent OF msn0nette, subtle
and sweet, comes over my senses and then
here she comes. her elegant dress thrown over
her arm, and her steps tagging somewhat. /
think. for one who seeks her lover How hate
fler! Now she stands with both arms resting on
the snndia, and that insolent, triumphant look
still ON her face. AS | watch her horrible
thought rushes to my mind-if she were dead
Hugh would care for me.
Like flash OF summer lightning the thought
comes and deepens with strange intensity into
resolution. l steal from my ambush softly
over the gravel path until only step divide US
She does not see me.
''Ha hal" she laughs merrily. "Poor little
silly Hilda!"
The mad blood dances in my veins; there is
a queer singing in my ears, an odd buzzing in
my head. l dart forward, and before she has
time to call for help throw her down and plant
my foot VIGOROUSLY on her chest. She laughs
as she looks up at me. with that scoInful smile
playing round her mouth. / press nv hands
around her neck-tighter and tighter. Is she
nesh or spirit! Quick as thought / tear off the
Dlae SILK glrdie that encircles my waist and
twist it ruthless round and round her slim
white throat; but my hands trembe, and as l
draw one fold tight the others loosen and fall
apart Desperate, l seize the ends together in
my hand and rush frantically over the gravel
and greensward, never pausing to look behind
me. dragging my victim after me.
At length reached the pond at the farther
end of the grounds; it lies cool and dark, sleep
ing under the moonlight. drag my burden to
the edge. and with one mighty effort push it
into the quiet waters. There is q great splash,
numberless eddes. that is all, and then white
face, the beautiful face of my rival, with the
siken girdle about her slim throat, appears
above the surface Of the water. She holds out
her arms supplicatnglv. but turn away;
have no mercy Then shrill cry arises; 'Hugh!
Hugh!"
stand paralyzed with horror; they will hear
her. turn back The water is unrufiled there
is no Indication on the CLASSY surface of the
death-struSge of a moment before, but the cry
still echoes. weaker and fainter, ''Hugh! Hugh!"
Sudden horror seizes me. What is this that
have done? tell myself stOutly that it was an
accident: that she Overbalanced herself and fell
in, but the girdle-my girile-hOw did it come
around her neck? From afar comes the whis-
pered cry of Hugh. Hugh!" On, that could
undO.the mad deed!
hesitate a moment and am about to plunge
In myself. when the scent of mignonette comes
over me-sO strong that it well nigh suffOcates
me. stO0p to pick up the bunch of flowers that
lies at my feet, and as throw it into the pond
far. far down. see the face of Beatrice LLOYD
not dead, but smiling the old hateful. mocking
smile, and with wild effort / Shrek out.
'Ilugh!" and awake to find him bending over
me.
my darling, what is the matter? You will
AaAl <,fn Lii.