The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-05-19


lead him. He looked at Marguerite; her
face was deathly pale. She said below
her breath, You did not believe in me;
10 You know Who Her voice died
away. the lights were suddenly extin-
guished, and in the silence and darkness
Bellingham awoke.
Too much disturbed to sleep again
for the dream. grotesquely extravagant
though it was. had seemed absolutely
real TO him-hc got up. lit u pipe. and
sat smoking at his window watching
the dawn slowly illuminate the eastern
sky.
He took an early breakfast and went
for solitary walk along the coast. and
from the summit of lofty hcallnnl
saw II great ocean steamer pass west.
ward through the gray sen. She was
bound for New York As he watched
her diminish and vanish in the distance,
till only Il faint plume Of smoke remain
ed on the far horizon. for the first time
since his journey began he was conscious
of nm urgent longing to return-to return
at once. The unfinished question in his
dream kept ringing in his ears, it assum-
ed II momentous importance; he must
know what it meant. He laughed at his
own absurdity. but the longing remain.
ed AT last he returned to the inn.
He found Helwise painting in the
room he used us studio: he was in his
shirt sleeves, slippers down mt the heel
were on his feet. and he wore I'm old
straw hat to shade his eyes from the
light. He was whistling softly to him
self. and would turn his head on one
side after putting II touch ON the canvas.
"Did you hear any noise last night
he asked after they had chatted for
while.
II had bad dream What was it,"
THAT young fellow who calls himself
Edwardes. His room is next TO mine.
He came in Il little later than usual last
night, and by and by fancied heard
him crying. was debating whether
ought to go in and see what was the
matter, when he knocked at my door.
He looked badly cut up. made him
sit down and gave him some whisky
and cigarette He seems to be in
scrape."
"Did he explain the mystery"
"Well, he talked somewhat. He fell
in love with this woman in Moscow,
From what he said judge she is an act.
ress or singer, as we We're saying yes
terday. She is n public character Of
some kind. and has had adventures be-
fore this. She took great fancy to
him, so he says. and believe him. But
it seems to have been somewhat as you
suggested: she liked him too well TO
let him have his way She wouldn't
risk disillusionmcnt; perhaps her
heart had never been touched before.
She would not marry him, either;
for that matter, ! suppose the one
thing is about the same to her us
the other. But she did an odd thing
she offered TO suspend her career, what
ever it is, and be with him as long ms
he wished And she appears to have
given mp some important pecuniary ad-
vantage to do so. He accepted her offer,
thinking no doubt that she would capt.
ulate in due time, in the meanwhile
taking care that she should lose nothing
in the way of money. He represented
himself to her as inexhaustibly wealthy,
|
fact is, after he had spent II hundred
thousand or so, and ruined his father
and sister, as he tells me, there was nc
more left He was ashamed to confess
this to her, and it is only within the last
few days, when he had got down to his
last fifty pound note. that she found il
out"
"And now she means to shake him-is
that it," said Bellingham.
well, apparently not. She seems tC
have plenty of money herself, and shI
has made him proposition which does
her credit. She has proposed to marry
him and pay back the money that ht
has spent ON her. have begun to fal
in love with her myself! And | may dc
it if she'll have me; for Mr.. Edwardes
pride, as he calls it, would not allow
him TO accept her proposal, and hence
his misery, which at one time last
night assumed quite n suicidal complex
ION, but demonstrated with him, and h
felt little better this morning."
While they were sitting there tn
door was suddenly opened, and in camt
young Mr.. Edwarles himself in state o
great excitement. He had newspape
in his hand
"Did you know what was in this pa
PERI demanded he, striding up to Hell
wise.
"What one generally finds in q New
York Sunday paper two weeks old" re
turned Helwise, tipping back his ha
and looking up at him. This is Mr.
Bellingham, Mr., Edwardes."
The latter looked at the architect, and
seemed to hesitate whether or not to pro
eeed, but the emotion by which he was
possessed was too much for him; he wen,
ON. 1T says here" he exclaimed, hold,
ing the paper toward Helwise, with his
finger ON the paragraph, "that-here,
read it yourself!' -
Helwise took the paper and read
"Mlle. Mariana, the great Russian prima
donna, who has endeared herself to all
New Workers during the past season by
| aer charming behavior as well as nv her