National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-06-05
A DANGEROUS LOVE.

A DANGEROUS LOVE.
San Francisco Aroondu.
A winter day cold sky full Of snow
dancing down in joyous vivacity, to cover,
with negligent charity tho ugly little town,
and hide its curious air of incompletion. The
walls of adobe and stone, tho incongruities of
design, the irregular. uneven streets full of
rock in the rough. together with hill setting
of nu merous abandoned prospect holes and
rudimentary tunnels, gave whimsical sug-
gestion that Titans had left unfinished q
| + own they had been cutting out from tho
| earth's material.
This was the outside aspect as seen through
pair Of tall windows, with curtains stretched
back to gather every ray of light from tho
dim, dull sky. The light, scant as it was,
brought the home-like cheer within. The
| warm red carpet and casual fittings comforted
the eye. At the windows broad shelves full
| of plants, that gave the solo suggestion of
luxury, barring tho aromatic brilliancy of
| fragrant cedar fire. A room of whose
possibilities the most had been made full of
the personality of its tenants; o room where
man was very apt to get sense of repose and
ministration-ohief requirements Of mascu-
line nature
Edward Lamb found its effect like that,
leaning ut case in o homely big chair that
had tho knack, like all the chairs at this
house, of fitting tho human frame. large,
fair man, slightly inclined to stoutness, he
| was of that type of Irish beauty that in
| wolves wholesome, clear skin, flushed with
delicate rosness, abundant blonde hair and
deep blue eyes, with more sleepy tenderness
than was strictly essential behind their long,
| thick lashes. t-.
pm very fearful I'm in for another fort
night" he said; mot much chance of the
roads opening while this sort OF things goes
on"
Miss Soulsby left tho window and came
back to her low seat on the hearth laughing.
The impatence of his words was SO COM
pletely at variance with the elaboration and
contentment of his tone.
4" Possess your sole in patience" she said.
1t is onlya question of days for you, and
then-" She made an expressive little ges-
ture of farewell and departure.
And you-are you not coming east some
dayY =
"Oh, yes" she answered, with q certain
blithe skepticism, when we sell mine |"
Mr.. Lamb smiled at her satirical touch upon
the sanguine creed of the camp "Ledyard
was wondering what could keep me here"
he said, inoonsequently; "a Bohemian born,
for whom the noise and hurry of cities is as
the breath of life"
Madelon Soulsby looked at him intently.
"Wel," she said, little sharply, what has
kept you p
And yet he knew that she was perfectly
aware what had kept him. Idlers both, they
could hardly have counted the long, compan-
ionable afternoons they had spent together
that winter. The little town was sgog with
the Irishman's infatuation. 1t would have
needed much more than their joint assevera-
ton to have convinced the gossips that be-
tween these two no love making had been,
Eyes, ought to have gone last week." he
said, ignoring her audacity, when Lodyard
; went"
"Why did you not go ?" she persisted
The HOUSEHOLD cat had leaped upon her Lap
"A vicious big beast, whose claws had a
wicked way of unsheathing themselves upon
fondling fingers Mr.. Lamb found himself
. dwelling on tho fact that he never had seen
Dick 80 requte Miss Soulsby's careless en-
dearmeuts Tho lazy creature laid himself
luxuriously across her knees, like a great
gray muff as the girl nestled her hands on
his warm fur--delicate hands those, always
cold; not clammy, but cold with firm and
reticent force of their own,
Some day-who knows?-it may BIO made O
penal ohense-their exercise of this capacity
some women have for their indirect chal-
lcnge; this tacit wooing that perhaps over
weighs mans prerogative of speaking.
Edward Lamb was phlegmatic man
enough ordinarily, and little given to i'm
pulses but just now he would have bartorod
his souls salvation for the right to displace
Dicks parted fur with his own handsome,
fair head, to feol that carossiug touch press
down his throbbing oyolids. To his dying
day he could not forget tho picture that iu-
slant photographed on the retna of his heart
For him hereafter no wonder of art nor
revelation Of living beauty could dispol the
memory Of the graceful, girlish shape whose
quietudo told of repression, not inertia; the
air of absolute solfConddenco and cool i'm.
partial selfdisdain; tho bright face, with that
hooking phase Of mingled wOoing and warn
ing; the grave, childish wlstfulness on that
rounded brow; the sweet lips now curved in
scorn; the intent amber Dyes,
Mr.. Lamb ayerted his gaze, aud took up
novel from a couch in tho ingle nook. by
. the malignity of that perverse fato who mis-.
( regulates to inopportunity these crucial
moments, it was novel treating of tho do
nestle adventures of young journalist and
the pathetic small economies of his wife
Both had read the tale inevitably theil
comments must partake Of sentimental color.
ing.
SIS 1t tho manier way" said Mr.. Lamb
with fine air Of indifference, "to oAor a
woman such a life as that2-Or would one
better protect hor from self-sAcriico by keep
ing silenccP'
That man is most fatuous who fancics that
woman will not make personal application
of such speech, An eXasperating smile Of
discernmcut bent Miss Soulsby's lip.
"Mon have the prerogative of committing
any madness" she said with women rest!
the veto power of selI-protection against sucl
insanity"
Are you so worldly?"
81 may well ho,' said tho girl, bitterly; 81
have known privatiOn all my life long-that
teaches tho true value OF this worlds goods.
InvOluntarily. his gaze foil straight upon
her garb-soft, rich gray, It's outlines defined
here and there by broad bands of gay Roman
stripe In some velvety- looking wooden fabric.
~ cannot conceive your having known tho