The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-26
A TEMPTATION.
"It's confoundetlly awkward, Don.'

"Fato seems to have given you all the
honors in tho game
II hate tho thought Of leaving Gladys.
She's such a darlingl Hang tho foreign
officop'
when to be oven chosen for such an
intricate affair Is the highest distinction.
IT you carry it through, you'll win your
lnurels with his lordship. Lucky dog!"
And Two only been married six
"You will DO back in throe OF four
weeks"
GAS IL you don't know whit oricntals
arc for delay. Three or four months
most likoly.''
"Shall you decline it. thenp'
Look hero, Dou. ] want you to tnko
caro of Gladys for mo whilo I'm away.
The men rave about her SO, she can't help
flirting little. OF courso she doesn't
mean anything"
Temple spoke hurricdly, but no looked
doflantly Mt Desmond, with courage in
his handsome eyes that did not show tho
anxiety he folt.
LADY Arlington will como and stay
with her But ii you'll promise to SEQ her
every dizzy, Don, it will be such weight
off my mind. Poor little girl! am afraid
she will DO Very dull without mo. Give
mo your word, old man, and l shall 20
away happy"
"All right, If you really mean it. But
won't Mrs. Temple think mo frightful
boro? She might not like mo to como cv-
cry day. Arc you particular as to tho
hour?" laughed Desmond, MS diplomatic
ms tho othor in his turn.
II shall tell her that I havo loft her in
your care" Temple declared cmphaticnlly,
snn1 will xvh
1 shall start tonight, leaving my happi-
ness safo in your hands,
1t was cold, frosty night, and tho
wood on tho fire cracked chocrfully,
throwing n bright light on tho furniture.
Very pretty tho boudoir looked, with its
delicate hangings, thick Persian rugs and
carved cabinets, chairs and tables of no
particular date, but NIL In harmony with
each other. few palms and bowls of
flowers, placed about the room judiciously,
relieved tho wintry aspect, ns did tho vari-
Gus knickknncks, chosen with good taste
Tho necessary tone, without which all
pictures are wanting In perfect beauty,
was supplied by tho woman reclining at
her case in tho low chair by tho fro. The
subdued light from tho lamp shndc, made
to resemble II gigantic blush rose fell soft
~ ON her slkcn drapcrics of amber, con-
fined Mt tho waist by broad golden Cir
do Her hair was of that rich auburn
which glistcns ut night, and tho delicate
complexion which accompanied 1t was en-
HANGED by the faint flush on her checks
and tho deeply tingcd lips. Tho eyes were
almost understandable, their hue matching
tho hair, but darkcncd by tho long, curl
Ing lnshcs. Ono could sec that she was
tall and svclto, her figure daintily proper
toned. The hands and arms left baro by
tho long loose sleeves were white as ala
bastcr, rounded and deicatcly tlimplcd
Tomplc had not exaggerated when he said
his wife WAS very lovely woman
II took the liberty of Calling" Desmond
said, "to ask if might have the pleasure
OF cscorting you and Lady Arlington to
Sir Patrick and Lady Lilndy's:"
1ou 'lro Very kind. but my aunt has
neuralgia, so VIC arc not going
II am sorry for Lady Arlington. May 1
stay little while, or do you prefer nc to
leave you?'
Are you not going to Lady Lundy'sf"
sho asked, holding up her roses to her face
and inhaling their fragrance
am not dancing man, so it Is no
prlVntlon to me to stay away, he laughed
his tall, well built figure rs he stood there
by tho mnntclpicce making him look very
the plainncss of his features
what II good likeness this is of Tenn
plc!" taking up photograph on porcelain
from tho littlo table under tho lamp.
Yes. People say it is 1attcring. 1
must get frame for it,
Has Temple said when no is coming
bncks" he asked ms no replaced tho photo.
graph md sat down by the fire.
Not for another month, he thinks. I
get letter nearly every day. Quito n
wonderful man, is he not? Women arc al
ways tho better correspondents"
When any one cares us much for his
wife ms Temple does for you, ho can gen
orally find time to write to her."
II dare say he is flirting desperately
with the pretty Turkish girls all the
same, in spite of their yashmaks"
Il am sure not When Temple saw YOU
first, no nailed his colors to the masthead
and went down with them flying, so to
speak. know he has never thought of
another woman since, and he Is too hon
orablo to be capable Of in1dclity, however
slight
''How do you knowf" And she looked
at him with laughter in her face. You
have never boon in love, and you know
nothing of it. You said so once"
Forgive me- Mrs. Temple. I never
said that, " he said, looking into tho fire.
What did you say, them Diogencs?
Will you not tell mc!' There was untold
sympathy in tho low, haunting voice, and
ho thought that tho winning tones were
like the chords Of IL Lutte struck by trcm-
bling hands-whcn she chose.
'If you wish" He reused himself from
the momentary abstraction. II may have
said once that no one had ever loved such
an ugly DEVIL beg your pardon-as my
self. But am not bound to be IN iceberg