The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-08-09
Creole and Puritan
A Character Study in
Three Parts.
PART 1u.-uNDER SHADOW OF THE SPHINX
By T. G. DE LEON.

Perhaps it was well for Lady Martin
dale that her face was in the shadow as
he spoke Over those well trained feat
ures passed flash of joy, quickly cloud
ed by shadow of doubt When she
spoke her voice was calm and low but
its music thrilled him strangely,
"Yet you did love her at West Point"
she said. mot as you might have
learned to love, Adrien, but with the
first Weakening of the boys heart. Had
you forgotten that?'
81 had forgotten it." he replied calm
ly. 1.-The whole past was as deeply
buried as the Caliphs whose tombs these
are. And you knew it, them"
"Knew it!' she echoed. "How could
/, feeling as felt then, fail to see what
others saw? Your tent mate knew it.
She, too, knew it; and her dotard of
husband knew to his COST
She checked herself abruptly, The
caress III her voice had died as she went
on, replaced by the vibrance of an al
most fierce triumph as she stood there
Judith the venger! But it came back,
as she stole nearer to him saying:
Forgive me, please. | was selfish in
the memory of my own loss then to call
those specters out of your past, which |
would help you exercise! And how
did it | cannot guess, for only last night
twice stopped Lord Martindale's alb
rupt mention that we had met-him!'
''Dale Everett" This time there was
eager interest in the mans tone
Noting it the woman turned away her
face, an ugly shadow over it, and the
lips curled in strange smile. But she
answered simply:
eyes; he was the guest of our cousin
Hoyne- Cecil of the guards.
"Did you talk of me?" The flood OF
recollections sweeping through the mar
trembled on his voice,
She turned full to him again, gazed al
him earnestly one instant, then answered
coldly:
mo, why should we? He never men
toned your name. In London l wa
coolly courteous to Cecils guest; in Parl
barely recognized him. You have rea
son to know that | am no prude, but a
open scandal like
pardon me-" Latour interrupted. q
had forgotten that in boyish memorie
of him."
"And of herr" she reioined quickly.
81 have answered that already" I
said quietly. "She has been dead to n
ten long years. You are too much
woman of the world to hold the ma
responsible for the follies of the boy"
1.-THE world does not teach us wisdo
always" she answered, with thrillll
pathos. "The weakness of our you
pursues us often. A man may crush
woman only suffer for it,"
They were face to face in the broi
moonlight. A tenderness unusual to
swept her face and settled in her eye
gazing into his, deep-dark-passionat
Impulsively he seized her hands, hi
drawing her to him, as he whispered;
"What do you mean?"
She did not answer; her eyes fell
fore the hot eagerness of his.
"Tell mel' he urged. "Do you me
that in the past l was blind enough" =
Gently she withdrew her hands. L
bosom rose and fell in tumult, as
answered, very low:
"Hush! was weak then, but thel
had the right to weakness. You 20
self reminded me that now am
with you-that | am-married!'
He drew abruptly off, turning to
lease the horses. She looked after h
Over her raised face hot flush II
and burned there. Her eyes CLEAN
black as night. In them were some W
derment, much tenderness; but throl
both cleaned the hot light of trluml
He stopped to make his hand her
to saddle. Witha sweep of his str
arm he raised the lissome, regal tie
high as the seat. Somehow the per
French boot, clinging round the
more perfect ankle, slipped from
hand. The beautiful form slid dc
between the horse and man, pres
heavily against his breast, as the
nerfr,ne of her breath warmed
cheek.
The CRY that would have escaped
other woman Latour did not hear.
only heard the throbbing OF his
heart, only felt the fluttering OF her
though struggling to break through
sculptured bosom. In the impuls
break her fall, he had thrown his
about her. She did not recoll;
ioy thrilled through him that she ne
closer in its pressure.
For what might have been sec'
might have been ages-for all the
recked-they stood thus.
Suddenly the stately head, restll
his bosom, was lifted; the race,
ing and tender, was raised to ms a
the luminous, liquid midnight OF
ewes melted into his own it fell upe
shoulder.
A dizzy whirl mounted to his Dr.
he felt the warm sigh from the I
scarlet of her lips! His own or
down upon them in one long, CHI
passionate kiss.
Slowly her long, lissome arms 81