The Washington times., 1894-12-30

! than this common expression OF humanity
held him suddenly in awe. The room seemed
] no longer hist had slipped back into that
austere eonventurai privacy which had first
! impressed him. Yet he hesitated another
strange suggestion-it seemed almost a vague
Isrecollection hind9ike some linger-
ing perfume, iaint far o rs and pathetic In It's
dying familiarity. He tArned his eyes almost
| timidly toward the bed. The coverlet was
drawn up near the throat OF the figure to re-
| place the striped cotton gown, stained with
| blood and dust, which had been hurriedly
| torn off and thrown aside. The pale face
| ceansed of blood and Disgusting color, the
! the long hair still dampfrom the surgeons.
! sponge. lay rigidly back on7the pillow. Sud-
denly this man OF iron nerves uttered a faint
cry and with face as white as the upturned
one before him, fell on his knees beside the
| bed For the face that lay there was his
| wife's.
Yes! hers! But the beautiful hair that she
bad gloried in-the hair that in his youth he
| had thought had once fallen like a benediction
| on his shoulder was streaked with gray along
| the blue veined hoilows OF the temples the Or
bits of those clear eyes, beneath their delicately
arched brows. were ringed with DAYS of suf-
| fering; only the clear cut profile, even TO the
delicate imperiousness of lips and nostrii.
was still there IL all its beauty. The
coyeret had slipped from the shoulder:
its familiar marble contour startled him. He
remembered how in their early married days
he had felt the sanctity of that Diana-like
revelation, and the still nymph-iike auster,ty
which clung TO this strange, childless woman.
He even fancied that he breathed again The
subtle characteristic perfume of the lace en-
broideries, the delisate enWrappings in her
chamber at Robles.
Perhaps it was the intensity OF his gaze
perhaps it was the magnetism of his presence
but her lips part with a half sigh half
moan. Her head. although the eyes were still
closed, turned on the pillow instinctiveiy
toward him. He rose from his knees Her
eyes opened slowly. AS the first glare of
wonderment cleared from them they met him
lin the old antagonism OF spirit Yet her
| first gesture was a feminine pathetic move
| ment with both hands 10 arrange her strag-
CLING hair. 1t brought her white fingers.
cleaned of their Disgusting stains, as sudden
revelation TO her OF what had happened; she
ins an,ly slipped them back under the cover
let again. Brant did not speak, but with
folded arms stood gazing upon her. And it
! was her voice that rst broke the silence.
''You had recognized me! Well, suppose
you know ALL she said with weak half-de-
fianee.
He bowed his head. He felt as yet he could
not trus. his voice and envied her her own
II may sec up, mayn't /? She managed by
sheer force of will to struggle to a sitting pos
ture. Then rs the coverlet slipped from the
bare shoulders she said, as she drew it with a
SDlytT Ol ulSRuSl -dEOuuu utT uedfu. lOr-
got that you strip women-you Northen
soldiers. But forgot also, y she added with
a sarcastic smile. ''that you are likewise my
husband-and this is your room.r
The contemptuous significance OF her
speech dispelled the last lingering remnant
OF Brans's dream. In voice as dry rs her
own he said: II am afraid you will now
have to remember only that | am Northern
general and you q Southern spy.
80 be it, she said grayely. Then, i'm
| pulsively. "but have not spied on you"
| Yet the next moment she bit her lips as If
the expression had unwittiDgly escaped her;
and with reckless shrug OF her shoulders
/ she lay back on her pillow.
1T matters not, said Brant coldy. "You
have used this house and those within it to for
J ward your designs. It is not your fault that
! you found nothing in the despatch box you
! opened 50
| She stared a; him quickly, then shrugged
! her shoulders again. 81 might have known
! she was false 10 me-" she said bitterly, land