Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-09

lance. At last We stopped at the frame
house on the hill overlooking the Hud-
son. There was a number of cabs and
carriages waiting. The veranda was filed
with well-dressed people; wine was being
opened; silks and sati1s and bad English.
You know the set.
I'VE dined together at little table in the
corner. If ever q mar made love did.
didn't know myself 1 was swept away.
Den, 1 believe 1 scinallated-I could sec
nothing but gray eyes looking at me across
the cloth. l could hear nothing but the
low. purring laugh and the casessing tones
of her answers. My heart beat so fast /
almost smothered. I pwas wild-crazy, If
you like. -. Suddenly | noticed she had IA, gone
light on the wine had ordered. The bot
tom of my own glass had seemed to go fur
Their and further always The bubbles would
rise at me and seethe as If they played
little tune of pleasure. Never had felt
in my life l was the hero of fairy tale.
Life was great and grand and given to
JOY. A river steamboat swept up against
cleaned like great opal. I felt that I
could nave waved my hand and stopped it;
that she and l could have gone on board
and sailed away to some country where
Charile paused-"where there never was
hell he added
Now follow. Well, we came to go and I
had paid my bill. She had laughed at all
my attempts to find out who she was. 1
was In despair, and yet had the sensation
that there were only two persons on earth,
that woman and myself and what should
>.'AO LII lsiS rest. II was ldte. HdQ
dismissed the hanson and nothing but
solitary four-wheeler stood in the driveway
near the shed. called the man to me and
We got inside and there I told her how 1
loved her: there / asked this creature that
Tour hours before had never seen-whom
did not know-thts Sphinx-this,' he
stopped, "this.God, ! know not what, to
marry me, as If she'd been princess whom
I'd served, l asked It, Her only answer
was a SOUND l could not distinctly under
stand, but she allowed me to put my arm
a he Sh,1,r1 1t.
her upon the lips! I was crazy, mad, wild
ana yet, L thought victorious. Oh, how 1
lived in that one moment.
mad noticed what lovely throat and
neck she mad, round and full, with that
ilttie crease across it, beneath the chin
t1er head was on my shoulder, or, better
on my chest. What perfume it was in my
nostrlls could not fathom. She was MAX
ing a strange chittering sound, attractive,
but like the noise of some beast, or, maybe
bird-and yet like laughing! -.
we passed by an electric light 1t flashed
for an instant through the cab window and
l saw what made me almost die as l sat
there. Ihere was something cleaning at
my chest-she held a narrow bit of steel
grasped in her right hand!
Have you ever seen mechanic fit
plunger In its place? She was adjusting
the point above my heart with her fingers!
AT once the murder of my brother came to
my mind. The stab wound and the story
of the woman, Die Druid All the horrid
scandal 1t was hard to hush | was
strong; my months of padding on the lakes
mad given me grip. 1 moved softly and
slowly; raising both my hands. l caught
her by the throat. She made a strike at
me, and something jingled at my feet. 1
could feel my fingers sink into her flesh
it rose under my nails; they almost met:
She struggled strongly, but not a sound did
she utter nor did /. l held her there until
everything went black and l was so tired
that my arms ached from thumb to Shout
der; and l flung her back dead. Dead. Do
you hear me? DeadI'
Cummings was painting SO hard l feared
some sudden trouble with his heart. But
l remembered it noW-the strange woman
found murdered in a four-wheeler The
half-drunken driver. The mysterious din
ner party of two at the Claremont. The
man who disappeared The ten days mys-
terry But L remembered nothing of the
finding Of knife: a mans silver watch
chain was found on the floor of the cab.
however. and roll of bills. No motive had
been assigned for the crime, and the Wo-
man had been traced to a hotel frequented
by foreigners. She was known to the po-
nee FOR various reasons, pocket-picking
among them, and the reporters had de-
scr1bed her as being beautiful. That was
all 1 recollected.
Charlie had poured himself out a copious
drink of the smooth brandy.
The rest is easy" he said, as if relieved
at getting over that part of the recital and
yet speaking Intensely. L opened the door
Of the old rattletrap softly and got out on
rope. There you have it,
What do you think?' said l.
Think. repeated he. Il don't wish to
think. You see'-he lowered hts voice-.I
love her yet. D-n it, man, she rises be-
tween me and all other women. Verlaine
thinks me an immortal"
looked at him again. He had taken the
position in the chair which he had held
when had told him my own gruesome
story Somehow I was feeling so uncom-
f ha that l could not stand it longer
began to gather up my hat and cloak. Char
lie watched me without a movement or
sound and, without speaking to him again,
L walked away. e''t'''
La dame de compton, as passed the
desk, looked at me curiously and then
back at the silent figure at the table
~ est poete. votre ami?' she asked
glanced back into the ROOM ''Oui. mad
anne / answered. III reve"