The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-06-07

| hen looked vaguely uneasy, Dut tne en-
| trance at that moment of several actresses
caused an abrupt cessation of hostilities
between old friends. Ken, with an air of
proprietorship. at once advanced to the fore
most, and proceeded to earnest conversation
with her, with the note he still held as q
text.
Devigne and Armstrong advanced upon
them, and next moment John was smiling
into the most bewitching face he had ever
yet met. Very fair, it was, with a dainty
rose-color that varied as she spoke, even
under the makeup; eyes Of dark blue-gray,
the color that you sometimes meet in
mans eyes-seldom in a woman's-shaded
by lashes long and black and curling-a
dainty nose and perfect mouth and teeth.
The hair of the charmer was like condensed
smoke-so soft and silky was it, but withal
perfectly free from gloss.
John, somewhat bewildered by all these
beauties, thought to himself, "If / only
wanted wife to look at, I'd be glad to
marry her myself But I'd want to talk to
her sometimes, l suppose. Can she talk ?"
"a point ON which he was soon re-assured.
She could talk, and very cbarmingly, too;
much better than Armstrong could, and it
was his business In short, Armstrong was
rapidly going the way of all flesh, which
| was exceedingly unfortunate for Armstrong;
plans, the carrying out of which called for a
| clear head.
In the meanwhile, Kenneth, after an in
slant of surprised silence, turned to another
member of the troupe and was soon the life
of the jolly circle around him, till the recall
! sounded and the room was left once more to
the outsiders. Ken then Joined Armstrong
and Devigne and talked 10 them with such
gay good humor that Armstrong was at
once astonished and relieved, and yet sus-
| picious. They saw Fanchette no more
until the end of the play, and then she
only showed for moment hooded and cloak
| ed, and vanished as mysteriously as Devigne
! had said.
Armstrong awoke next morning. sane
and in his right mind, ready to laugh at his
enthrallment of the previous night, and yet
conscious of feeling slightly envious of Ken
and his long-established connection with the
lovely actress. With an idea of restoring
himself to his normal tone he took up
volume of essays that accompanied him
| always, and read the first one he came to.
| 1t chanced to be that well-known paper of a
very brilliant writer, entitled Concerning
Infidelity," the first passage of which seemed
| to strike his case 80 nearly that he threw
| the book aside and started to make his report
to Honor.
He found that young woman in high
| spirits Ken had been there, and from his
very evident depression astute Honor argued
| that John had obeyed Ter behest and made
the acquaintance of La Fanchette. Ofcourse,
| Ken wouldn't like it.
| We'll ?" she said, expectantly.
! We'll" returned John, Il met her. She
! isn't in the least what you said except that
she is extremity lovely. She's very bright,
and evidently educated, and Ken is undoubt-
| edly in love with her, but she doesn't care
! for him."
Honor flushed. She was evidently ieal-
Gus for Ken. docs she care for you Z" she
said, little mockingly.
Not yet" said John, modestly.
ooh! Doubtless she will do so?a
[ Sure to-" sturdily.
Honor laughed. You conceited wretch.
Pm sure / hope she will, but 1 have my
| doubts. Do you "-airily-" care for her ?'
my dear Honor! If that isn't like
woman! Don't you know man never,
never rusbes into things like that. I have
seen the woman Is minutes. Of course /
| care her."
| "Oh, WELT" said Honor, apologetically.
You needn't be SO scornful about it. I've
known men to fall in love in less time than
that"
"You have probably known men who said
| they did. 1t took me longer than that the
| first time. Now I'm even wiser than was
| then"
"Ah "a second Daniel! But beware,
| Oh, wiseacrel Pride goeth before destruc-
| tion,' and your time is evidently near at
hand. Don't say didn't warn youi"
Honor" said Armstrong in abject tones
of fear, you frighten me. You make me
feel that | am stranger in q strange land.
! Won't you protect me? Won't you? Oh,
| won't you marry me?
My dear boy" said Honor, asave Ken
| and l am yours"
Honor bright?" queried John.
"Honor bright" assented Honor.
Ken shall be saved Against his most
determined efforts, he must be saved"
For the next two weeks Johns head was
| in whirl. He had seen Fanchette every
night and Honor every morning. He stood
in the peculiar position of a man who be-
longs secretly to one woman and is making
every effort to annex another That, in it
self, is not so peculiar, is it? But the
| oddity lay in the fact that the first woman
| did all in her power to help him win the
second.
By the end of the fortnight John had gone
as far as Fanchette meant to let him go. |
He had not found that her charm de- |
creased on better knowledge of her. She |
was in every way very charming woman, |
and Armstrong was quite willing to be en-
gagged to her-but to marry? No, not a |
French actress, however charming and cir
cumspect.
Ken was hopelessly in the background, |
where, to Armstrong; discontinue, it some |
times seemed that he might be sent to join !
him, according to Fanchette's caprices. But |
Ken still clung tenaeiousiy to his cbarmer, /
though she seldom favored him with her at
tention nowadays, and John discovered, to |
his horror, that when she was kind to Ken, a |
demon of jealousy ragged in his own breast.
Was he in love with two women? In /
vain he argued that one might worship both
the sun and the moon without being in any /
way false to either, but he could not rid
himself of the impression that he was
vacillating scoundrel who didn't know his
own mind. In the morning, Honor was all !