The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-10-18
LOVED AND WAITED.

Nine. Novar reclined on lounge in
the magnificent boudoir of her Moscow
house. Between her lips was small
cigarette, and from the salver by her side
she from time to time raised tiny cup
of coffee to her mouth.
Tonight | shall tell him ALL" she
murmured, throwing one hand beneath
her head and gazing at the wreaths of
smoke as they curled upward. at is
scarcely fair to deceive the boy longer.
He loves me passionately, and I-well,
Martha Novar is also in love-" She
knocked the ash of her cigarette into a
silver tray.
At that moment man entered the
room. He was clothed in the uniform of
an officer in the imperial guard and was
as handsome as man well can be.
"Ah, good evening"" he said gayly.
"You see I have not kept you waiting to-
night" He threw down his shake on
the table and drew his chair close to the
lounge.
mo, you are very good, Stanislos." :"
Then, after slight pause: 81 have some-
thing of great importance TO tell You to-
night-something that my cowardice
has prevented me from telling you long
before this, and for which have to suf-
fer by marring the happiness of such a
time"
She threw away her cigarette impet-
uously, and then continued:
"It is about Ivan Novar."
"Do not talk Of him now. Heis dead and
should be forgotten. What reason have
you for speaking of him to me? Today
you are his widow; tomorrow you will
be the wife of Stanislos Feovitch."
"You misunderstood me. Ny hus-
hand is dead, but did not lose him by
death. He married me because was
wealthy, because l had many servants
and was rich in gold, but three months
after the wedding he went away from
me to live with the woman he loved.
He never loved me, nor did l ever love
him, yet believed did at the time
should have told you all before it was
too late, but even now there is time to
retract."
The young officer bent closer to her,
pressing her hand with his lips.
"My poor Martha! What misery You
must have suffered, what pain it must
have caused you! Still there is one
whom you can trust, and one whom you
you love. Is that not so?"
"Yes," she replied simply. II love
you. But" releasing herself from his
grasp and standing up, "my mind is
made up. You do not know the woman
am. Yon do not realize that am dis
graced forever. I cannot destroy the
happiness of your life by uniting myself
to one so pure, SO innocent of the world.
You are but boy, a woman of 2S
winters. Such marriages are never,
never happy ones"
He was looking at her in amazement
while she stood before him as pale as
marble, with a slight tinge of red on
either cheek.
martha, you say you have no wish to
destroy my happiness. Why, then. do
you do SO by casting this terrible misery
in my path? God knows how much I
love you. As for our union being an
unhappy one, it is preposterous." Then,
more calmly: "Do not destroy our plans
for the future in this heartless fashion,
my darling. Your disgrace l have no
thought for. 1t is in my eyes not dis
grace, but a misfortune"
Mime. Novar was happy now. She
felt that her duty had been done, and
now that this passionate boys love was
not only unmoved, but actually increas-
ed, her hearts one desire was fulfilled.
The desertion of his wife by Ivan No
var 10 years before had formed the topic
of society scandal in Moscow for some
time after the event occurred. But the
woman had not skunk away and hidden
herself from the eyes of the world. She
had fought against all and lived it down
Eith all the determination of her char
acter.
No one knew where he had gone but
she. She had never loved him and did
not mourn his loss. 1t was the dishonor,
the degradation that would ever be at
tached to his, to her name when the
truth was known that made her face SO
pale and wreathed her eyes with fur
rows.
When she met Stanislos Feovitch and
he had first declared his love for her, she
had resisted him, not unkindly, but firm
ly, and had shielded her heart agains.
the passion which but.for this precaution
would have plunged her into disgrace as
great as that which polluted the name of
her husband. 4
But one day she received the news of