Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12

I
man. As for Isolde. the small prompt
inss of wounded vanity at once absorbed
her.
Very unwillingly Hollywood obeyed Be
tween those narrow walls one was within
hand-reach of everything in the room.
that, although he was beside the countess,
lie was not yard from Mile. selpdorf.
so you would not come to me last
night?" began Isolde. abruptly. You cam
not be made to understand that we Maa-
sauns hold human life of very little ac-
count 1t is stupid of YOU Jack, but you
viii be forced to believe it now Do you
know that the driver of the sleigh"
The attempt at assassination was hor-
rible enough in itself but from her lips.
wearing that strange, innocent smile, he
felt he could not endure the story.
II have heard of it, he interposed, has
tly. The lieutenant told me. But
Isolde leaned upon her elbow to look in
What, You don't believe even now that
Simon is trying to rid himself of me? VAL
erie. speak, You, too, refused to believe
me last night. What do you say now?''
TT may have been an accident said
Valerie, with a tired movement.
Absurd, But whatever you choose to
say 1 will not go back to the castle! Re
vonde is perhaps safe
My father is there. and you will be
safe" said Valerie, in tone of quiet GER
tanty.
Isolde laughed scornfully. ~ don't know
that; for. after all, Sagan is the most pow
erful man in the slater she cried, with
that perverse pride in her husband that
his daring personality seemed to develop
in all his dependents.
AS Valerie made no reply, she harked
back to her former subject. II was in
danger last night, Jack. yet you would
not come to my help What excuse can
man offer for such thing?" Her voice
and lips had grown tender in addressing
him.
THE duke, madame.
That for the old dukei' with a charm
ing gesture of wing h0th her little
hands. What is he in comparison to me?
Jack. you are but a poor lover after air.
Hollywood began to see that some
tive underiay Isolde's wild talk. The kind
eyes with which he had been watching
her changed.
1T is very true he said.
Jack, Jack, how am L to forgive you?'
she swept on. Yet you remember when
l was a FREELY at the palace ball. told you
that. like a FREELY, my life would be short
and merry My prophecy is coming true.
An almost imperceptible alteration in the
pose Of the quiet figure by the open stove
was not lost upon Madame de sagan.
The sweet treble voice resumed:
You took q FREELY from my fan and
told me that one always wanted the beau
tiful things to live forever. Jack, you
promised to be my friend that night. You
have not forgOtten?'
Il have not forgotten.
And the FREELY? Have you kept that
as careiessiy as you have kept your prom
Use? Where is your cigarette case? Ah.'
come here.' He dropped it into his cigar
cite case and it is here still, If you had
Only reminded him of that
Valerie stood up, cold and proud and
exceedingly pale.
Il forgot
at does not matter now Isolde replied,
taking the glittering atom from its hiding
place and holding it up on her slender fin
ger to catch the light, "since we have met
after all. You meant to fail, Valerie, Were
you not ashamed to deceive me last night
|
perate. and oh. so horribly afraid?"
Hollywood absorbed in other thoughts,
gathered very little of what was being
said. After avoiding Isolde Of Sagan with
more or less success on the frontier, he
had, since his stay in RevOnde, yielded in
an odd reserved way to her infatuatian for
him. partly out of desire to secure meet
inss with Mile. SelpdOrf, partly from a
mans stupid helplessness under such cir
cumstanees. The more chivairous the man
the more helpless very often. But all this
vas entirely and forever unexplainable to
Mile. selpdorf- He drew a deep breath
There was nothing for it but to accept the
situation.
I'VE both owe debt to Mile selpdorf
for carrying the message" he said.
| You are Mistaken said Valerie and he
! WINGED under the contempt IF her voice.
! I should never have stopped to carry it
| had l not had a far different object in
view
| Isolde laughed to shrilI echo. Valerie
| Speldorf's naughty spirit was about to be
| humbed- She dimly felt why Rallywood
| held the girl to be far above the level of
| ordinary womanhood-a cold and unattain-
| able star But she should be dragged down
/ from the heights before his eyes.
Il was not so blind as you supposed"
| Isolde said aloud, pointing an accusing
| finger at Valerie. Il knew why you went.
| Shall tell you, jack"
Rallywood looked up quickly. Colendorp
naturally required to his mind
You could not have known" Valerie
| answered.
| But I did, thought Isolde went on.
| Listen to me, Jack. Do you know why
| she undertook my message and why she
| forgot its most important point? Ny life
has CONT tonight to crisis; | will not
! spare those who have been cruel to mer'
! Isolde was trembling with excitement, as
J she leant forward, one hand holding by the
| table that stood between her and Valerie
| the other clenched in the soft fur of the
rug on her knees. why? Oh men are so
sinplei They believe woman to be pure
and true, If she but knows how to tenn
| per her coquetries with a pretense of re-
| serve. Jack, Valerie has been false to me
| and to you, because she is jealous of me,
and-because she herself loves your
Hollywood rose slowly. Hush, madameE'
Valerie stood for instant scarlet from
neck to brow. then the blood ebbed and left
| her of curious deadly pallor like one who
| has a mortal wound, but she still faced
= them.
Wait, Jack You shall hear the end now
| that We have gone so far" Isolde laughed
] again. she was so sure OF ncr lover. 1t
| is we'll for the truth to come out some
! times, you know. Yes. Valerie Selpdorf
| the proud. unapproachable Valerie, loves
captain of the guard, who"
Rallywood strobe across in front of her.
| After suc,a words of outrage his very near
| ness to Mademoiselle Seipdorf seemed in
| itself an insult. With his back to the door
| he stopped and took up the last unfinished
| sentence.
You have made a strange mistake
madame he said. in a low voice. but very
| clearly. ION the contrary, 1t is the captain
| of the guard who has loved Mademoiselle
| Selpdorf and even dared to tell her So al
| though she had shown him that she re-
/ garded him with scorn and dislike. 1 hope
| / may be forgiven for acknowledging this
| now mademoisele. And let me say one
| thing more, that though / have no hope.
| though I am one of loves beggars, the
! greatest honor of my life will be that I
| have loved such womanr'
| The door closed behind him. Isolde sat
! stupefed at the result of her stratagem
1.-the stratagem by which she had intended
1 to humble Valerie in the most cruel way
/ a woman can be humbied.
| Valerie, sinking down into her chair,
| burst into an uncomfortable food of tears.
! The secret of her heart which she had
| denied to herself. sprang up at Isolde's
words ard confronted her, filling her