Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-03-23


her for second as he arranged his tongs
on the spirit lamp, was so curiously white.
The fact only interested her so far that her
daughter ought not to have the atmosphere
overheated, and she left the door little
open when she moved silently from the
room.
Then, as the coiffeur asked the girl to
turn her head and she laid her little white
hand on his arm, the better to move, he
felt as if her fingers went through his coat
sleeve and scorched his flesh.
''You will Overture yourself" he said
gently.
She answered fercely, as if she feared
her aunt, busy over some work in a dis
tant corner, or the watchful religieuse
might overhear
II am not tired. l want it done proper
~, please"
The shaded lamps and the closely per-
fumed air, with the long silence that fol-
lowed seemed like some CHASTITY dream.
She started once and declared she heard
some new arrival come along the corridor
and was quietly soothed by the pale nun.
A moment later her mother entered,
shook her head in response to the pleading
Dyes raised to hers, but as she passed him
she touched the coiffeur s arm. The action
was unseen. He understood, and finished
quickly. He stood apart and let the Others
bring her glass, watching her pleased
face and the last of her childish vanity as
she shook the curls with soft little laugh
and then lay back on the pillows.
AS he moved again to take and wrap his
tongs in a paper she suddenly spoke to
him softly.
"Hush They can't hear, she said, for
the rest were quietly putting the room in
order, land l want you to promise some
thing Will you come after I am dead, be-
fore they let him see mo, and make me
look pretty again?'
So she, for whom they acted this comedy,
saw through it all!
IL can't he said.
Then he caught the despair in her eyes,
and he compressed his lips and bowed his
head silently.
II shall tell mamma to send for you
Thank you for making me look pretty.
Adieu."
He stood upright and faced her, with all
the old beauty and the brilliant unrest OF
the past painter in his face, and he an
swered brayely, N1ademoiselle, it is 'au
revoir.
Il
The courtyard of the Continental was
crowded with omnibuses and cabs. A
young Englishman stood amid the new ar
rivals, writing telegram on a form bal
anced on his racing book. He glanced
round once as a man, walking as if dazed,
was hustled against his shoulder in pass
ing. He caught sight of the white face,
made more CHASTITY under tho electric light
He moved forward and tapped the mans
arm.
g Is it you?" he exclaimed.
"HaddonI'
"What the devil are you doing here?"
II have given up painting"
No use, SUPPOSE"
"None." The man seemed anxious to
escape.
"Just wait till finish this wire" The
Englishman laughed as he wrote. "You
know Zolie, the delnimondaine? Met her
at Monte Carlo last year. and we became
great friends.
81 know her," said the coiffeur and
waited to explain under what conditions.
AS he waited the Latin Quarter and Lisetts
came into his mind. He wondered how
often Haddon had changed his Lisette and
the mans name and where he had last
heard it-heard 1t without noting any thing
but woman s face--struck him suddenly.
Mr.. Haddon," he said, forgive me,
but are you not keeping your fiancee wait
ing while you wire to Zeliep" There was
defiance in his tone and in tho voice which
answered him.
"It's not your business, and how the
devil do you know"
~ have just seen her. am coiffeur,
monsieur; that is all
The other laughed, and, with curt
''See you again LATER" turned ON his heel
and walked toward the telegraph office
The pale man knew that he was de-
spised, as he himself hated and despised,
and the open air and bright street made
him shiver as If great danger had been
close to him and had passed
The hotel was covered with red cloth
and gay with flags and evergreens for a
public ball when the coiffeur entered 1t
two nights later. He showed nothing in
his face, neither horror at his CHASTITY mis-
sion nor grief at the late news. He noted
things strangely "a ball going on! And
she loved dancing! Perhaps the sound of
the music might reach her room and wake
herP'
Two nuns rose as he entered and told
him that the poor mother was Ill with
grief and had gone to rest. He heard the
wild sobs set to dance tune as he leaned
over the small bed. The nuns drew away
and whispered near the fireplace, which
looked bare and was empty.
The man pushed the white roses from
the still, white face and began his work.
1t was ended, and his deft fingers were re-
arranging the flowers when Haddon came.
The two men faced each other in silence,
but their eyes glared as If they were mad.
and the religieuses came forward, startled
by such situation at such time. The
elder took some letters from a side table
and gave them to the Englishnan. He
started, glanced down at the pink, per-
fumed note which lay uppermost and
flushed to its coloring. He met the other
mans eyes again and then hastily left the
room.
In the long pause that followed the Golf
feur bent low over the flowers. Dance
music below, frantic cries unchecked in
the next room and the nuns already open
ing the wardrobe to look at the pretty
clothes the dead girl had worn! They
could not see him, he reflected, and bent
low.
His lips touched the small face, moved
to her lips and rested there moment.
Outside the calm night and the wonder
full river 90 easily reached. How easy also
to drift with its shadows out to the open
sea and forget. He turned abruptly, and
the city noises, the passing carriages and
the many lights meant another world.
He returned to the other world and
went home London Sketch.
Suited Wagner.
Albert Van Biene was first 'cellist at
L. hall H. n-sr,