Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-24

Hkss sa her s tSss tim. vas short et
killed. in a distant room. and she took up
the lamp Come" she said and do you,
sir" she continued. turning to me and
81 ,Is, akins SHARPLY; n9id up your head and
You are going to see an old woman. DO
you think that she will eat your
lot the gfbe pass. and, wondering Of
whenever she spoke. 1 followed her up q
short, dark fight Af stairs to q second ante
room or closet, Situate, as far as I could
Judge over the others. It was hung with
dull, faded tapestry. and smelled close as
If seldom used, and more seldom aired Set
ting down the lamp on the little side table
whereon lay already alcrumpled domino, a
couple Of masks and an empty perfume bot
tie. she bade US, An a low voice. wait for
her and be silent. and. enforcing the last
order by placing her finger On her lip, she
glided quietly through a door so skilifully
masked by the tapestry as to seem one
with the walls.
Left alone with Mr.. Smith, who seated
himself on the table. l had leisure to take
note of the closet, and remarkipg that the
wall at one end was partly hidden by
couple of curtains. between which a bare
bracket stood out from the WALL 1 was
not slow to conclude that the place had
been secret oratory. and had witnessed
many a clandestine mass I might have
carried my observations further, but they
were cut short at this point by the return
of the woman, who, nodding In silence,
held the door open for us to pass.
Chapter XVI.
The first to enter. and prepared for many
things. among which the gloomy surround
ings of an ascetic, devoted to the dark
usaGes of the old faith. held the first place
in probability. I halted In surprise on the
nf
suffused with rose-tinted light, and fur
nished with a luxury to which had hith-
erto been stranger. The walls. hung with
gorgeous French tapestry, presented a sue
cession of palaces and hunting scenes. in
terspersed with birds Of strange and tropi-
cal plumage, between which and the eyes
were scattered profusion of Japanese
screens, cabinets and tables, with some of
those quaint Dutch idols brought from the
east, which, new to me. were beginning at
this time to take the public taste. En-
bracng the upper half of the ROOM and
also a rueile. in which stood a stately bed
with pillars of silver, a circle CT stronger
light. dispersed by lamps cunningly hidden
in the ceiling, fell on a suite OF furniture
of rose brocade al silver, in the great
chair of which. with her feet en- foot
stool set upon the open hearth. sat
elderly lady leaning on an ebony stick. A
monkey moved and gibbered on the back
lance with the broidered birds on the wall,
hung by its claws from a ring above her
head.
Nor vas the lady herself unworthy OF
the splerdor of her surroundings. For
though her face and piled-up hair, painted
and dyed into an extravagant caricaturc
of youth. aped the graces Of sixteen, and
at the first glance touched the note of the
grotesque rather than the beautiful, it
needed but second look to convince me
that withal this a great lady of the
world. so still she sat and proud and
dark was the gaze she bent on me over her
Clasped hands.
At first it seemed to me she gazed like
one who. feeling a great surprise. has learn
ed to hide that and all other emotions. But
presently, Come in, BOBBY" she cried. in
voice petulant and cracked with age.
Does a woman frighten you? Come near
er, | say Ay. have seen your double.
But the lamp has gone out"
The woman who had admitted me rus
tied forward. 1T has sunk little per-
haps, madam, she said in smooth voice.
But L"
But you are fool" the lady cried. 81
meant the lamp in the man. silly. Do you
think that any one who has ever seen him
would take that block of wood for my son /?
Give him brain and light a fire in him
and spark up these oyster eyes. and--turn
him round. turn him round woman
Turn Smith NUT cred, In a fierce whts-
per.
"Ay." the lady cried. as 1 went to obey,
see MS DacR ana lie rs ike enough
And perhaps. madam. strangers-''
Strangers? They'd he strange, indeed
man. to be taken I'm by him. But walk him.
walk him. Do you hear. fellow?' she con-
tinued. nodding psevishly at me: hold up
your head and cross the room like a man.
if you are one. Do you think the small
pox Is in the air that you fear 1t 80? Ha.
That is better. And what is your name.
mouth and that turn of the chimp
Charles Taylor, made bold to answer
though her eyes went through me and
killed the courage In me.
"Ay. Charles. that is like enough" she
replied. And Taylor, that was your moth
er's. 1t IS a waiting-woman's name. But
who was your father. my mani?
Charles Taylor. too. I stammered, fall
Ing deeper and deeper into the lie.
odds my eyes. no. she retorted with
an ugly grin. and shook her pied-up head
at me. land you know 1t. Come near"
and then when I obeyed. take that for
your lie" she cried. and. leaning forward
with an activity I did not suspect. she
aimed blow at me with her ebony cane
ana catching me smartly across the shins
made me jump again. That is for lying,
my man she continued. as I stopped rue
fully to rub myself Before now / have
had man stopped and killed In the street
for less Ay, that have 1, and a prettier
man .ha ns, YOU and and gentleman! And now
floor imperiously. land fancy that you have
money In your purse"
L obeyed. but naturally the smart of the
cane did not tend to set me more at NV
ease, or abate my awe of the old witch
and. left to myself. I should have made
but Door show But both the man and
the woman prompted and drilled me with
stealthy eagerness and whispering me con-
tlnually to do this and that to hold I'D
my cnin to lay back my shoulders, to
shake out my handkerchief to point my
toes, l suppose 1 came off better in this
strange exhibition than might have been
expected. For by and by, the lady, who
never ceased to watch me with sharp eyes,
sruhted and babe me stand. He might
pass, she said. among fools, and with his
mouth shut! But odds my life!' she con-
tinued. irritably. God ha mercy on us
that there should be need of all thist Is
there no loyalty left in the world. that nv
son of all people should turn traitor to his
lawful kirg and spit on his fathers faith?
Sometimes l could curse him. And you.
woman. she cried, with sudden fierceness
you caJoled him once Can you do nothing
now, you Jezebel?"
But the woman she addressed stood stiff
~ upright, looking before her and answer
ing hothing, and the mistres, with a smoth-
ered curse. turned to the man. We'll"
she said, have you nothing to say?"
only. madam. what l said before" he
answered, smoothly and gravely: my