St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-19

arms.
A rich color bloomed upon her proud,
| flaWIeSS face. and her dark eyes seemed
to sparkle with wOndrous light, and, in
short, she seemed the very personifica-
ton of living, glowing sunshine, beside
which Madeline Harleigh appeared as
cool shadow, or moonlight shining upon
snow.
1t would have taken one more skilled
in reading the human heart than myself
to decide, after that night. which of
those two strangely beautiful women,
each such contrast to the other, hand
some Cecil Vernon admired most, for
he seemed to divide his attentions
equally between them.
A SECRET FIRE.
For many days l watched and waited
for some sign that would betray it to
me; but found my task vain one,
for he would turn from lneZ after gay
passage of witticiSms to Unfold Madeline
in her soft blue wrap if she shivered in
the cool night air. and then, after
sentimental discussion of TennySOn
with her he would as quickly turn fIom
her to IneZ again to throw about her the
crimson wrap that she usually wore be-
cause it was so becoming to her dark,
glowing Spanish beauty.
But at last the time came when |
knew for a certainty which of these two
beautiful women held his heart in her
keeping. aud never can time blot out
the memory of that night.
1t was the night On which gay and
brilliant party had been invited to Sea
View to witness some tableauX that
were Isabefs conception. The last and
most beautiful was to be the one entitled
''The Jealous Wife,"
When | learned that IneZ had been
chosen to act the part of the jealous
wife, and was to stand. half concealed
by heavy draperies, with cleaning
dagger held aloft in her hand oyer the
couch on which would recllne her rival,
this character having been assigned to
Madeline, while handsome Cecil Yer
non, as the false husband, knelt beside
the couch gazing upon her with look
of the most passionate admiration,
strange and awful feeling OF terror that
/ could not understand suddenly took
possession of me.
l strove to shake it off, but in vain,
and so strong did it become at last that
| went to Isabel and sought to diSSuade
her from having the scene.
sit will be too murderOus-loOking,
Isabel" was all the objection | could
feebly utter, for dared not give voice
to the terrible thoughts that had come
to me, that, were, after all, but mere
suspicion.
foolish Edna" was Isabel's laugh
ing response; show absurd for you to
scene for such Puritanical objection"
LOsT-A HEART.
"TOo murderouS lOoking?" she added,
we want: something that will thrill the
hearts of our audience and cause them
to long remember the scene"
Having no more that l dared say,
soon after went to my room to BEGIN
making my toilet.
Finding it to be more early than had
imagined it to be, | decided, before
dressing. to take a short stroll in the
beautiful grounds without, to try if the
cool night air would take away some Of
my nervous headache.
Once without, L made my way to-
ward my favorite retreat, little sum-
mer house heavily draped with vines,
that commanded most charming view
of the sea beyond.
/ had gone about half way. in the path
leading to it, when the sound of voices
attracted my ttention.
recognized them at once as those of
Cecil Vernon and Madeline Harleigh,
and scarce knowing what l did, l stood
As one rooted to the spot, while Cecil,
in voice thrilling with passion. poured
into the willing years of Madeline the
story of his mad, adOring love for her,
and | beheld the white, wrathful face
of IneZ, that reSembled that of some
fiend incarnate, all unperceiged by the
lovers, peering in upon them through
the heavy vines that draped the summer
house.
1t was fitting night for that fatal be-
trothal Of Cecil and Madeline, for she,
after listening to his impasSiOned tale
of love, had crowned it with her prom
Use to become his wife at an early day.
Dark clouds crept over the sky and
yelled the silvery glory of the moon,
and the rising wind walled in the tree
tops like some doomed spirit, while the
sea waves rolled higher and higher to-
ward the shore, like a mass of lnky
blackness, now booming with sullen,
laundering rOars and then dying family
away. as If chanting requiem for the
dead.
Keeping in the dense shadows of the
trees. with wildly thrObbing heart. l
made my way, silently and undetected,
back to the house, and hastily sought
my room.
Summoning my maid, l babe her
haste with my toilet. and when at last
it was completed l went tremblingly
through the long, softly-carpeted cor
ridor and knocked timidly at IneZ's
door.
AN EXCELLENT ACTRESS.
When | entered found her standing
before the long mirror, while her maid
put the finishing touchess to the superb
dress of amber-tinted satin, with its
draperies of richest black lace. caught
here and there with gold and crimson
roses that set off her dark, glorious
beauty as a golden frame does a rare
picture, and that she was to wear in the
tableau.
Surely" thought. with a shndder,
as l gaZed upon her marble-white face
and wildly burning eyes, with their
lurid lights, 'she looks every inch the
character she is to represent, and if she
continues to do so during the tableau,
She will, indeed, thrill with horror the
hearts of all who gaze upon her and
make her acting appear to them for the
time reality"
"Oh, Ednar' she exclaimed, as she
caught sight of me and turned from the
mirror. Il feel as if l cannot take the
part assigned to me; but" she Missed
the next moment, more to herself than
to me, 'dO it l must and will"
was about to persuade her to make
some preteXt 1Or declining 10 take In6
part allotted to her, but just then l
heard the impatient voice of Isabel in
the corridor without, and the next mo-
ment she had burst in upon US, eagerly
asking if we we're not arly ready, and
with that same strange fttlinr of terror
which I could not define, but which
grew stronger within me each moment,
I was forced to leave Inez with my
words of entreaty unspOken.
a little later when | beheld 1neZ in
the stately drawing-room where invited
guests were assembled she betrayed no
trace of her past emotion, for excite
ment had given rich hue to her face,
before so marble-like, the lurid lights
had all faded out of her eyes. and she
passed from one to another, and paused
at last beneath the blaze of the great
chandelier where Cecil Vernon stood
with Madeline Harleigh, her red lips
were wreathed only with the sweetest
smiles.
GEWhat a sunerh actress she is" /