New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-08
A DAUGHTER OF THESPIS.
Copyright: 49,: ~ TIE Tri,u1c 4SSoodtion)
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
BY JOHN D. BARRY.

was conveyed to Appeby Terrace by The Tele
graph; It appeared in no other paper that
morning Evelyn thought with shudder that
Miss Finley had made her beat" The column
article. in which the journalists touch was plain
ly visible announced that the death had occurred
about midnight Evelyn wondered how Miss
Finley had received word Of It. Could the nurse
have sent a messenger to the Bellingham at that
hour? Perhaps Miss Finley had been prowling
about the house fearful Of a defeat by her rival
Of THE Item" The funeral was TO be very
private; but the journalist would he sure to make
something out Of Il; If they closed the doors
against her would CLEAN all necessary in
formation from the servants. or reduced 10 the
last extremity. she would have recourse to her
vivid imagination.
Evelyn had confied t. no ono tire story Of her
last talk with Mrs Webb At first she had felt
that she must tell It; that she must ask some
one for sympathy but she could not tell Mrs.
CC.in. for this indefatgable correspondent would
be sure to rehearse the story to her husband:
Roscoe was the only she could connde in:
he would be sympathetic enough. but after all
he was only boy. and could hardly be expected
to understand such things. She wondered If
Mrs. Webb had given her husband an account Of
their interview; she almost prayed that he had
been left in ignorance Of it. OF course. the idea
fancy Of an overwrought brain; but it was a
fancy that. under the present circumstances.
might create painful embarrassment between
them.
Mrs. Webb's death quite overshadowed Harold
Seymour's in the boarding house; Mrs Appleby.
OF course, led in the discussion She openly
declared she wasn't a biz sorry: it must be
great relief TO poor Webb. She had heard
things from the Webbs' servants through her
own; she guessed. if the truth was known. Mrs.
Webb would be considered pretty disagreed BILE
sort Of a woman Pooh, a great invalid she
was! She had probably died Of pneumonia
brought on by her getting soaked through the
day OF the storm. Complication Of diseases. Mrs.
Appleby didn't believe Il for a moment
Either from the shock Of the accident or from
the accumulation OF disturbances in her life for
the past few weeks Evelyn began 70 lose her
capacity for sleep The night aftel the acct
dent she had fallen into kind Of letLargy that
had lasted ten hours; she had awakened un-
refreshed, and since then she had Lot had
satisfactory rest. Her limbs seemed heavy and
her mind was sluggish. Though she was usu-
ally quick study. she had difficulty in COM
hitting TO memory the lines Of her dew part
She feared she going to be taken down with
fever. II was this fear that reused her; II
course, If she fell III she would have u give up
her part. the best chance she had ever had In
this way she would lose whatever prestige she
had gained through her Rosalind She de-
termined TO battle against her depression. and
she threw herself theoretically into her old
habits of exercise, which she had begun to neg
lect. Still. sleep would no, come until half the
night was over, and she aw0kc hacgard and
faugued The bOarders OF course attributed
her pallor TO grief at Seymour's death
One night she determined to sit up late read
ing. in ORDER 10 tire herself OUT I'm this wav she
thought. she might be able TO induce sleep 1t
was, OF course, the worst thing she could have
done for the purpose Her book was Hardy's
Tess and ii excited her 50 that when she
heard II o'clock striking in the distance her
brain was in state Of abnormal activity. she
put her hand TO her head and found that IL was
hot; her glass showed her that her checks were
flushed. The unhappy fate Of Tess" gave her
an acute sense OF depression; she hated Angel
Glare for his treatment Of her. And yet it
reminded her Of her own treatment Of Seymour:
but Of course she told herself the cases were
entirely different Seymour was incapable OF
such suffering as Tess had felt; besides, IL was
she herself who had suffered the more But
how could she know that? Perhaps in the case
of Tess, Angel Clare had suffered as much as
the poor girl to whom he had melted out such
cruel justice. She couldn't think OF Seymour
as martyr he was not Of the martyrs stuff.
But II she had been more fOrgying ne might
not have gone off that afternoon. 1t was a
sign OF her increasing nervousness that she
should begin again 10 torture herself with these
scruples. She knew that no rational being could
blame her for mis- death; vet she suffered from a
vague consciousness Of guilt.
The little ROOM though the window had been
open was hot. almost sitting from the haring
gas. 1t would be impossible 10 sleep in such an
atmosphere. SO she decided to put out the Hight.
10 open the door 10 create draught. and 10 go
down and sit on the piazza for few minutes.
She drew wrap and stole quietly down the
stairs. she had some difficulty in opening the
front door. which Mrs. Appeby. with wOman's
timorous forethought always bolted and barred
with SupcT1uOus appliances.
The night was still and the air heavy with
moisture from the sea; the sky was Of a deep
tlackness. relieved only by occas iOnal stars She
sat on one Of the red benches on the piazza and
drew her wrap close around her the dampness
made her shiver a little. For half an hour she
remained there looking out on the water ana
watching the intermittent CLEAN of Mnots
light. There scarcely sound 10 break the
silence She lived over again the events Of the
past few weeks and cOntrdsted them with the
quiet and happy summer Of the year before. She
wondered If she ever should be happy again; she
had q dim forebOding that she shouldn't; some
people she believed, were destined for unhapp-
ness all their lives. y long. struggling exist
ence stretched out before her; vista Of dubious
engagements. Of wearsome travel OF second
class hotels, Of bad press notices, Of the endless
worry about the next season. She dreaded
that; IL wasn't life; To a woman II was a kind
of death. Like most women she dreamed Of
home of her own, OF quiet freside; II was
better than all the tawdry trumphs Of the
theatre.
While she WAS making these melancholy fore
casts she thought she heard one coming
up the road. She wondered who could be out
walking so late at night She listened and dis
tinctly heard steps approaching. 1t was
dark that she could not have any one that
PASSED the cottage: so she was not afraid of be-
ing perceived herself The steps drew nearer;
they were slow and regular and suggested the
heavy tramp Of long-gaited man. Presently
she could family distinguish the outlines Of
figure. When IL reached Appleby Terrace II
stopped and she was startled to see 1t turn and
walk up to the piazza; She rose. quickly to
make her escape into the house AS she hur-
ried 10 the door the figure stood suddenly still
and she heard an exclamation of surprise. Then
q voice that she thought she recognized said:
II beg pardon. 1 didn't know any one was
here"
She stood on the threshold and chung to the
knob Of the door, rs that you Mr.. Webb
she said
Eyes" the voice replied. This is Miss john
son isn't IL? I'm very sorry. I'm afraid I've