Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-05


memories are brought into vivid life by these
charming sounds! What sad but exquisite
recOllections make the pulses beat? At least
they bring tears into the eyes of one.
She Is quite young girl: and in her Absorb
ton is leaning rather more over the cushions of
her box than she is aware. Her whole soul is in
htr lace. which Is extremely beautiful.
sit back a little, dearest; you should think
sometimes, says pretty woman. half dozen
years her senior. and evidently her chaperOn
tapping her furtlyely with her fan. you
Know how people watch your every movement
and they will not believe"
what does it natter Let her be happy in
her own way, says young man hurfiedy to
the pretty woman, stopping second message
from the fan.
Indeed the girl has been SO engrossed with
Patti. that the first warning has gone I'M
needed. Her eyes are full of passionate de-
light. tiHetured with sadness who is ever
merry when he hears swee: music:1-her lips
are slightly parted, Her gown is Of costly
white silk. bToid2red with pearls. and she is
older, gTaycr, get altogether strangely unal-
tered since that time q year ago. when she sat
amid the fragrant clover AMI watched the roses
dying. and listened. with tar-off dreamy gaze.
70 the plaiutiye mUrmuTing OF the waves as
they beat their foGmy breasts against the cruel
rocks far down below.
Then ner false love- sat beside her: now.
Her eyes grow dim. Slowly. as though some
inward force cOmpe!s her. she turns them from
the stage, and looks into tie stalls below There
she sees him,
''Yera,' The voice comes 70 her vaguely. in
distinctly. rs i were through q hazy mist. II is
her cousins. Lady Nyn0r's. yoiGe and Il avakes
her 10 the necessity Of calm. she is still leaning
on the cushions OF the box. but now she draws
herself up and leans back until she is so hidden
by tie curtains Gil her side that she is no
longer visible TO the stalls beneath Raising
her hand, she passes it rIrrieJy across her fore
head.
she is ILL.," says Lord Dighy. hastily. He is
the YOUNG man who had taken her part mo-
mcnt since
ened way. Vera, dearest"
at is only the heat" says the girl compelling
herself to srcak by passionate effort. 1T is
really nothing" She leans back again as if ex-
hausted.
What is 70 be done?" says Lady vynor. help
lessly, half rising from her seat She is q ner-
vOus woman. always on the lookout for mid
night contlagrations and sudden deaths
Nothing" says Digby, quickly. The opera
Is nearly over Give her time to recover herself
a little and then take her home. The heat is in
tense: it is no wonder she feels It"
Indeed. Vera is ashen gray but has by this
time feigned a certain amount of composure
and with it the knowledge that the old love
upon which he had set such store fs-dead; bu-
ried, lost, gone, past all recall in that brief
moment when her eyes had rested upon Stain
er's.
Digby, taking a scent-bottle from Lady
Nynor, presses IT into Eeras hand without
looking at her The delicacy. the tenderness
OF this action falls warmly on the girls bruised
heart. How good he has been to her,-hOw
sincerely he has loved her and obeyed her
slightest behest for two long months without
reward or any hope of it,
Twice Vera had refused him, and twice he
had taken her refusal very well, but with an
evident determination to perseyere in his suit
Being an Engshman. he had declined to recog-
nize defeat. And now, indeed, in this hour,
does he ind his cOnstancy crowned with sue
Cess. The generosity and spirit, the gentle
ness that marks him for its own. becomes fully
known TO her as she withdraws her ewes from
that unexpected recognition in the stalls She
turns with a shudder of repugnance from the
dark beauty of the false face there and CHANGING
at Digby. tells herself there is surely beauty
greater than the merely physical; so thinking.
she says some little kind thing to him that lifts
his heart from Hades to Olympus
To explain to you abOat Stainer. When his
eyes had fully met hers. and he is satisfied that
the radiant young beauty. up above, is in very
truth the simple Child whose love lie had played
with for awhile and then flung carelessy aside.
he turns to the man next him.
Who Is that girl il white in the box up therc?"
he says. hOarscly.
My dear fellow, Not know the reigning
beauty of the hour" says his friend That is
Miss Wriothesly, the most exquisite creature in
England. recognized as SUCH
Il have been abroad" stammers Stainer, with
a poor attempt at indifference. The scent of
dying roses, the roar of lar-on ocean, is in his
ears.
"Ah, Just So" says his friend. ptyingly.
Greatest mistake in the world to 90 one foot
out OF town. They say travelling enlarges the
mind. 1t narrOws it to my thinking. The
sweet, shady side of Pail Mall and the Row will
teaeh you al that ever you may want to know
Tell me or Miss Wriothesly," Interrupts
Stalner, impatiently.
Don't you see my theory exemplified straight
through: If you had stad at home. like sem
sible man. you would not have had to ask the
question: year ago she was unknown. Then
fortune found her. Some forgotten relation in
Canada died and left her sole heress to his en-
0rIn0us wealth. whereupon other relatives sud-
denly discovered they had for years been pininc
for her society. Her cousin, Lady Tynor
(pretty woman in the box with herr swoopei
down to the country grange where the girl was
buried alive, and, bringing her up to town,
flung her upon the world of fashion A beauti-
full heiress is rarity. Need l say how ma.niti-
cent was her success"
land the man with herr asks Stainer. with
dry lips that almost refuse to speak for him
Vera has now withdrawn from the front of the
box. and wild desire to rise and 30 to her. to
see her again face to face. to hear her voice, is
,naddening him.
THAT is Lord Digby Good catch too and
terribly epris in that quarter. Dare says she'll
marry him after all. though she has refused him.
OFF and on, it's whispered ever since their first
meeting. They say her maid brings her bou-
quet and fresh offer from him every morn
ing"
she has refused him them saws Stainer a
fierce glow OF hope springing up within his
breast Inc one glimpse caught of her q mo-
lnent since has walked in him second love. be-
lore which the first seems cold and tame. Can
TINS radiant beauty. with the pure proud face.
be indeed the little fond girl who had told him
OF her longing to be q great 'layde" and
whose aspirations he had SO mockinrlv
crushed?
YES. But time works wonders. and most
women GO down before title. Perhaps. with
Fer beauty. she aims at higher game but
l should think an earldom ought to count. On
yes. I've no doubt she'll marry him in the long
run"
WHY" demanded Stainer, so savacely that
his companion pauses to stare at him in simple
wonderment through his eyeglass.
why shouldn't she!" he replies at last. "He
is all any ones fancy could possibly want to
paint, and he Is her slave into the bargain She
must be the most ungratetul woman born if she
doesn't show grace to him in the end. His love
for her has been earnest and FAITHFUL"
At this last word Stainer winces How can
he. whose love has been so unfaithful hope for
forgiveness: There had indeed, been moments
during the past few months when lie had suf-
Tered his mind to wander to her. and he had
thought OF her with regret and longing, During