Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-17
Eyes, Leon. / received a letter from him

Eyes, Leon. I received letter from him
just now, while was dressing"
II never want to see him again"
But he is coming TO your party tonight.
You must receive him civilly."
HE has no business TO invite himself to my
party-after leaving Paris without a word of
adleu-and never writing to US in all these
months"
HE is your cousin. He heard of your party
from strangers, and it was scarcely strange he
should invite himself. You must be civil to
him. Dolores. You were only too fond of him
once. You can at least afford to be polite and
friendly to him tonight"
Il won't be uncivil." answered Dolores.
moodily. but wish he were not coming. /
don't want him to cross my threshold"
Her face had clouded over. all the grlish
gaiety had gone from her manner, she took
NJ. Joffroy's arm and led the way into the
dining room. where the arrangement OF table,
howers and lighting was exquisite.
All her pleasure in the prospect of the even
ing's triumph was damped by the return of this
man whose coming had once been looked for
ward to with feverish Impotence, whose
absence had made the world seem a blank.
Disenchantment had slowly followed upon
Icons prolonged absence. She had begun to
question the merits of the man she had ad-
mired and whose misfortunes had appealed to
her pity. Little by little she began to see the
charlatan where she had seen the genius, and
tho cod-hearted adventurer where she had
imagined the careless, happy go-lucky student
whose difficulties natural result of the
artistic temperament
She had looked back on her intercourse with
her cousin. looked back with unpreiudiced
eyes. and she had seen that his conduct had
been mercenary from first to last. that he had
taken every advantage of her regard for him.
and had given her not one token of affection
in return. He had extorted money from her
upon every possible pretence, and he had
looked with greedy eye upon her Jewels, and
would gladly have appropriated those to his
own use.
she dreaded any encounter between him and
Pedro Perez. His presence at her reception
tonight would be the snake among the flowers
As the evening went on, however, she tried
to Danish all thought about this unbidden
guest. He would only be one among many
she told herself. She could dismiss him with a
word
The dinner seemed a slow business to the
women of the party, but the financiers enjoyed
themselves and were unanimous in their ap-
proval of the menu.
At 10 o'clock Madame Perez was stationed in
the drawing room at the the entrance to the
marquee, where the electric lamps were art
fully dotted about amidst the tropical foliage,
and the light here and in the adjoining tent
was subdued in tone, SO that when at the stroke
of midnight the velvet curtains of the supper
tent were drawn back the lamps might burst
upon the spectators with overpowerng bril-
lianco.
The two tents for conversation and music
filled quickly. Everybody had focked eagerly
to see the beautiful Madame Perez; a curious
mingling of the grand monde and the demi-
monde was to be noted among the guests
feature i'll the life of great
cities. and an evidence of the march of pro-
gress. Great ladies and their cavaliers fingered
and began even to express a mild curiosity
about supper. which some one had said WAS to
be served punctually at midnight.
Leon Duverdler approached his cousin imme-
diately after he had exchanged courtcses with
and the lovely comedienne, Clara Beauville
He bore himself with his usually assured and
supercilious air, but Dolores noted that he
looked pale and ill. and that he was thinner
than when she saw him last.