The Dickinson press., 1893-05-06

expectant pleasure. Jose gave her his
hand. She clasped it in her own, and
thrilled through to the core.
Never, the poet thought, had he seen
her look prouder, more lissome,
more beautiful. He paused, and sur.
veyed her approvingly from head to
foot. "Well, Maisie." he said, with
unfeigned Joy in her beauty, "you are
a splendid creature, and no mistake;
supple and glorious and warm like a
tiger. How good of you to come
across all this way to see me! I've
written you a poem, too. pvebrought
it here to-day for you"
you've brought me better than u
poem" Maisie answered, flushing still
redder with delight, in her imperial
beauty. "You've brought me the
poet. You've brought me yourself.
What more could you bring me? And
Jose. now, w%hatever's mine is yours.
am rich, so are you. You can free
yourself at last from the milestone
round your neck. You can cast of
the encumbrance."
Jose looked down upon her with a
strange smile, fitting lambent about
his lips. He enjoyed this slow playing
her as he would have enjoyed playing
a noble salmon, darling madly down
stream with the hook in its nostrils.
Free myself from the millstone?" he
said airly y, after q long deep pause.
"And why? And for what? Not sure.
ly to go back again, my child, into the
self-same slavery" .
A sickening horror came over
Maisie's soul. What could he mean
by this-her Jose, her poet? Shestead-
led herself by q chair, for she was
still standing in front OF him. Her
heart sank in her breast. "Oh,
JOSE" she cried wildly" "what
do you mean? What do you
say? And with me, too! Slavery!"
Jose laid his two big hands ON her
shoulders, and pushing her down un-
resisted, seated her u a chair. Then
he surveyed her from above with crit.
ical calmness. 81 like you when you're
gone that way" he said, rolling the
words on his tongue. "The tigress
looks grandest when she fghts-or
despairs. You're as noble a creature
rs ever lisaw in my life. It's worth
while wounding YOU. Your death
theories deserve any sculptor's atten-
ton. That attitude, now-ah, what
grace, what revulsion, what hopeless
ness!"
Maisie gazed up at him, appalled,.
In truth and indeed she had met her
fate. She could be heartless in her
small feminine way; but suchcolossal,
gigantic, egotistic, male heartlessness
as this lay wholly beyond her scope.
She had no strength left, were it only
to speak. She just gasped out family,
in q voice OF incredulous despair,
"But, Jose, do youmean to sayy you're
not going to marry me-"
The strong man put one hand on
his hip, poised his head on one side,
drew back u pace, still fronting her,
and looked her over steadily.
Beautiful" he said, onc more, in q
voice as if entranced; every beautiful
indeed! No painter everdrew, no poet
dreamed lovelier."
She held out her arms to him i'm.
ploringly, enticingly. She could hard.
ly believe her ears. This was CHASTITY
incredible.
"Oh, JOSE" she cried in an agonized
burst. "would you kill me? Would
you kill me? But you're only in Jest!
You do it to try mt. You mean in
the end, OF course, to marry me?"
But Jose looked hard at her still
with that cold alarming smile of his
Truly lie was right in what he had
said to her at Westinghouse was the
complement OF her kind, the male o
her species. And the male is always
more terrible still and more deadly
than its mate, because stronger anC
%tiercer. lie watched her throes, al
attention.
. MARRY you?" he repeated lowly, il
II deliberate voice. "Ah! marry you
Marry you? ...... ...... We'll, Maisie
it's bad for a woman to act on he
+ own responsibility too much, with
out advice sought beforehandfrom he
natural affinity, the born lord of he
I being.
The penalty of failure for her is
very bitter one-to lose his compan
+ ionship for life, which might other
. wise have been hers if she'd acte'
more wisely ..... ."..You'vc man
q aged this matter clumsily, my child
you've managed it clumisly. Regar,
Tor my own position, if nothing else
makes me unwilling to go with yo'
o quite as far us you wish 800. go.
You see, l cashed that cheque q
Washington in person. Now, if onl
you'd told me what you meant by il
i in full. Id never have cashed it my
4 self. I'd have waited patiently. Blu
4 it's all spent by this time OF course
cigars, hotel bills, champagne, tt
opera! l enjoyed that week no enc
And our little Dreams over If
t. married you, after that, andanythir
h strange came out, why, Of cours
a you must see for yourself I'd be con
IA promised - seriously COMPROMISED
a And being q man who could MARI
W any woman l wanted, if l cared t
X give up my freedom once more.-wel
" not to mince things to small, or ri,
fine names to plain actions, l don
N care to compromise myself even for
shape like yours, by marrying a Won
a. an who's poisoned her mother"
" Maisie heard the words rs in
dream,-those awful words-tho
true, true words-those words OF tt
cruel, INSCRIPTIONS man who hs
her to her crime, but who W.
~ nevertheless the instrument
"a Heavens vengeance against her. +
~ hadfound out all. Hehad OWNED
oy IN tuition, just because he was iii
her. Hercheek grewdeadly white. H
D. jaw dropped slowly. She answer'
it never a word. She just gazed, al
sazed, and eazed at him like an lido
,r The poet was really quite sorry
ID see how her eye lost fire, and her ia
g. lost vividness. She was a beautif
sn creature once, what q pity this sho
al Interview should have changed her
1t. II by magic. at a single blow, into 6
nd ex~presslonless imbecile!
DIV And now, in the Nebraska Sta
nd Lunatic Asylum there are two v
ne, tins OF Jose Mansheld's treachery.
she THE EMF
i've
NnsVAut NIu.Drps-- ----