Saint Mary's beacon., 1886-01-28

Slowly the heavy VT lNls were
raised. With the sllyl II wo-
man. and the innocsnt andor Of a
child combined. she ls5 I mp into
his eyes.
Linda. Liudaf Tell II came
the passionate whisper kain. The
man was white under be emotion
that swayed him. he Ii bent back
the fair, golden head aa;siFss search
ing her face with burf eyes that
devoured all its swestnex Tell mel
Do you love me. child p
A low "yes." sOa IA breath,
aaj ,ssss-- 60 = ciss..ss.sss-s thi been
crushed in a sudden, fierce kiss. Bu.
the next moment he had relinquished
her, starting to his feet, and Linda,
swift as deer, had glided ont of the
room.
Sebastian Dexter did not stand there
by the mantel Of that old firsit room
many minutes but it alwayi seemed
to hin, as he looked back upon that
time in after years, like ssme long
age. Everything about hin seemed
to have changed. The leaphg shad-
ows upon the tapestried walls were
like weird images in some strange
phantasmagoria. The suddea silvery
six strokes of a Louis XVI. clock by
his side sounded, in the silence, like
the clinohing of some irrevocaDls deed.
What was this that he had done.
He stood there in as great mortal az.
ony as ever man had to face. and yet
live through. In a mechanical dim
way it forced itself upon his conscious
ness that Mrs. Lyle might come in at
any minute. This made him stir. He
went through the long suite of reosp-
tion rooms, where lamps were burn
ing on the old consoles, and throwing
a subdued light over the faded carp.
cts, and brocade hangings and paint
ings in dull frames, and in the ante.
room found the servant.
You will tell Madame Lyle hap
pened to remember pressing engage
ment, and could not wait to see her."
he told the man, as the latter held his
surtoat for him. ~
Out into the narrow street, with
frowning old palaces on either side,
he went, and in a few moments was
on the Corso. 1t was all alight; a
few belated carriages were rolling in
divers directions. He hailed pas.
sing cab. His dinner party was at
$50. He took his hostess hand only
one minute before.
"ff you had failed me |" she mur-
INJURED, raising a mock warning fng-
er.
Madame"
mo; you are not suffering with a
death wound, and nothing short of
that would make such crime on your
part possible. But you don't know
what I have in store for you. You
shall take the English heiress and
beauty, Miss Blood. in to dinner. She
is to be your neighbor."
A few seconds later Dexter was
seated beside Miss Blood. the heire.s
and beauty. She was faultlessly
perfect creature, and she talked we'll.
Dexter devoted himself as much as
beseemed him; was brilliant, as usual;
acquitted himself faultlessly.
At 10 o'clock he took his leave
and went to a ball at the French en-
bassy. An hour later Mrs. Lyle, like
wise coming FROM a dinner party,
swept through the rooms. making a
little stir as she went. She was still
a very beautiful woman, and she held
her own against all competitors.
"Ah" she said, pausing before
Dexter and lifting heavy fan in ad-
monition. "never run away as you did
this evening" What was the NATTER
Was my toilet too long an operation ?
All ! yes. an engagement. Soyou left
word. I am afraid my little Linda
did not entertain you as well as she
should"
Something in the way she lifted her
full, golden lashes-though they were
90 unliks-reminded him Of Linda.
He bowed with perfect ease. he
smiled, he made the proper remark,
but his lips were white. He felt as
though he could not look this woman
light, frivolous. worldly as she was
in the eyes.
Les beau Dexierre," said one o!
the French secretaries. q shrewd, am.
iable-looking man with gray mus
taohe, ''is commencing to 90 down
| He does not look as well a. be used
| Harasssd. driven. ] don't know what.
His companion, to whom he bad