Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-09-22
BY CHARLES J. BELLAMY.
Copyrighted by the Author, and published
by arrangement with him.

--el-44
He rose suddenly from the satin covered
sofa and looked wonderiEgly at a wonan's
form in the doorway. Could this be the poor
little factory girl, this fashionably dressed
woman, with a train like queens! He had
stupidity enough expected to find her in the
same old calico dress, perhaps with the
dingy, plaid shawl about her shoulders.
But the girl was not so sensitive as to be an
noyed Had not she kept him waiting while
she dressed on purpose to enjoy Triumph
And now she was quite pleased at the plain
evidence of it. She smiled rather consciously
as she extended her jeweled little hand to
him.
tWhy haven't you called beforef' Her
voice had lost the desperate or sullen tone he
remembered in it of old, but he was not sure
he liked it any better. He bowed, like any
gentleman, as he touched her hand, and
noticed tho great gold bracelets on her slim
wrists Philip was unpleasantly reminded of
manacles, and then the massive chain around
her neck, with huge locket shaped like a
paddock, had suggestions, too, of sort, he
fancied, the girl would hardly have liked if
she had thought of them. He glanced at her
olive cheeks, and the slightly oblique eyes,
and the voluptuous fullness Of her form.
How could an American village have pro-
duced so perfect an odalisquea
81 did not wish to interrupt your honey
moon" He seated himself again
She was looking oddly at him. as if curious
whether he had forgotten her indiscreet visit,
when she had told him of her own broken
heart.
Philip suddenly met her eyes as she sat op-
posite him "The truth is, Mrs. Filings
worth, l have hardly been in the mood for
polite calls of late. l suppose you under
stand"
GLOW should I9' She elevated her dark
brows rather unpleasantly as if to dismiss,
once for all, any further condolences with
him. Philip smiled, in spite of himself, at
her tactics.
do you know where Bertha is?" he asked,
simply.
A sudden flash of color lit up her cheeks.
at hate the very name of her, she exclaimed,
as she rose as il to leave him. She was not
yet wonted to the customs of her new rank.
Don't CO." he urged, II am SO anxious to
know where she is. No doubt you have
cause to be angry with her" Philip did not
notice the growing passion in the girls eyes,
''but you surely would not have her starve to
death, or suffer and die alone"
perhaps not" Jane meant to smile, but
she only produced the effect of showing the
cruel white of her teeth. Hasn't she got"
the word stuck in her throat, chimp
"Why, didn't you know" cried Philip
breathlessly, ''she has LEFT hims She is alone
somewhere, for all we know, in want; think
of it, and she too proud to-
LEFT her -husbandF'
''If he was her husband didn't know" he
hurried on, as if afraid of the answer that
would come; 81 never heard, and l didn't
like to ask"
She had seated herself on the pink satin
beside him and caught his hands as she bent
toward him to read his thoughts before he
spoke.
"Did you hear they were not married." she
almost hissed at him.
"Why, yes, that is" he looked away in
his shame "It was told about the village,
but you know better, of course" He tried to
laugh, then grew sober again "How vile of
them to whisper it, and it was vile of me to
let even the taint OF fear into my mind"
But she did not answer him yes or no. Her
eyes had grown preternaturally large, and
there was happiness in them as if she looked
right into the gates of heaven. All the com
mon expressions were gone from her face.
One could read there now nothing but purity
and sweetness, such as make up the substance
of dreams of love.
"And he is alone. Oh! where is he2
must know. l must go to him. 1t cannot
be true" The angelic look fitted, the ex-
quisite dropping at the corners of her mouth
was gone.
'If you have dared to lie to me-" Philip
was perfectly astonished at the sudden
- IL II.
eyes blazed ungovernable passion into his.
The quick transition from the height of
blissful hope to the depths of deep despair
seemed to bear her over the line of humanity.
s'Tell me, have you lied to make show of
mel"
She trembled for an instant, like wild
creature before a spring, then she clutched
with her hot supple fingers at his throat
magnificent as a tigress and in every motion
a perfect, terrible grace Philip threw her
1t was hard to remember her womanhood
then.
She sat where he had left her, as if just
awoke from terrible nightmare, her fingers
\ parted and curved and moved spasmodically
as if she yet held him by the throat. Then
4 she buried her face in the cushion in a flood
OF tears.
81 ~ didn't know what was doing" she
eobbed ''Don't remember it" l was mad. !"
She rose trenblingly To- her fee. and came
Forward covering her face with her hands
She might have been an abused child, so
gentle and sweet she seemed now. She took
down her hands from her face; what man
could be so cold and hard as to stand against
such eyes as hers looking through their tears
But she was alone.
CHAPTER XIX.