The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-03-16
BENEATH THE ROUGE

A woman sat at her dressing table, III
front of the mirror, and dabbed cheeks
that were livid with patches to pink
color. Her maid folded and put away
some drapery that had been flung down
on the bed and watched her mistress
furtively. Down stairs there were prep
arations for a big party, and the daylight
shone on the silver and orchids on the
dinner table much as it shone on the
face of the master of the house, with
the odd pucker of discomfort between
his brows ready and waiting in the
pretty drawing room 1t shone on those
obstinate blotches Of color, which had
to be renewed SO often, in order to hide
the wife's ashen skin.
Mrs. Marston had run away from her
first husband and been the subject for q
famous divorce case. The companion Of
her fight, Lewis Marston, had married
her directly the divorce was made, and
a certain less particular section Of soci-
ETY. consented to overlook her lack Of
morals so long IS she had a good chef
and gave amusing parties.
There was one child Of her first mar
riage left in its fathers care, and this
little girl of ten was lying
dangerously i'll. The glass reflected eyes
that were stained and wild. She PEN
ciled q black line under the lower lid,
and she thought as she did SO:
They ought at least to let me see
her. To be turned away from the house
was cruel, but Charles was always hard.
He will never forgive, and then that
other woman will be bending over her
bed, will listen to her poor little weak
voice, will nurse her and will make
much of her, will take my place"
She blackened one eyebrow, and a
tear fell splash on to one of the silver
brushes.
''Only just to have seen her for one
minute-crept in like a stranger and
looked at her face. Three years ago!
Only three years since she saw me, and
yet they will have taught her to forget.
My darling little girl, my wi little
girl! o God, help met
She began on the other eyebrow, but
her hand shook.
what a fright l shall look tonight!
Marie, bring me all my diamonds. y l
can't do without them, my eyes look SO
dull. Bother this rouge; it won't stick
on. There, I'll make it somehow"
She thought as the maid fastened q
glittering tiara in her hair that il the
child died that night she could have no
mean of hearing, and she suddenly
started up and sat down at a writing ia
ble. She wrote to an old friend, a man
who had stuck to her first husband and
cut her dead when she passed him in
the street, and the letter ran thus:
DEAR SIR JoHN-For PHYS sake, let me
know how Daisy is. l am half mad with anx
iety. Please let the pain ! am suffering ex-
cuse the liberty I take in troubling you.
DOROTHY MARsroN.
She sent the maid with the letter at
once, with a command to find Sir John
Deane and get an answer if possible.
Then, with a walk like a queen, in q
dress from Worth, with her bediamond-
ed head and the roses on her cheeks, she
descended to the drawing room to re-
ceive her guests.
my dear, you're late, " said her hus-
band.
She had long ceased to expect any
companionship or sympathy from him,
50 she answered carelessly:
Am l? 1t doesn't matter, as no one
has arrived"
but 1t does matter he began, when
the door opened to admit a guest.
There was . young guardsman with
. fair face who thought Mrs. Marston
good sort" and firted with her des-
perately in an elementary fashion.
There was . society doctor, with q
plausible manner, gray hairs and keen
enjoyment vt the sympathy and inter-
est of pretty women. He sat next a stout
lady with . contented smile and placid
blue eyes She was Mrs. Marston's best
friend and . little deaf. Most Of the
women were fast, and most of the men
were horsy, and they all agreed at din.
ner that they had never seen their host
eos looking 90 we'll.
I'VE shall meet at birmingham to.
morrow" Whispered the guardsman.
He WIN . nice boy. and he defended
Dorothy Marston when her own sex re-
viled her.
She thought, ITO Nottingham and
Daisy perhaps dying" Aloud she said;
''I'll come. / can drive You down. II you
like. You had better lunch here first. >
Charmed, Of course" he murmured
The man on her right asked her il shs
hAd won money on the Derby. Sh,
1ancied she heard her maids voice II
tho hall, and she wondered If she had re
turned with any news as she answered
II made . little. Lewis was horribly
uulucky. He ipsisted ON backing som,
bsastly outaider."
Then she laughed, slipped her cham
pagDe and glanced at an old admirer