The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-10-13

to ask it. While conversation was
flowing on smoothly among the others,
fell to thinking of the myriad of in
fantile bodies, each more helpless than
the others, who are being possessed
gratuitously by spirits who wish to
have another trial, to make themselves
less perfdious than before.
They were still conversing in a
desnltory sort of way, when we adj
journed to the great salon, the ladies
to drink their coffee and talk among
themselves and the gentlemen to smoke.
Beatrice and her sister, Mrs. Van
Dudley Cameron, seated themselves on
q divan. | was in love with Beatrice,
and, as usual, | seated myself on an
Indian stool directly opposite, but
some little distance from her.
For few moments my only consc-
lation lay in watching my lady sip her
coffee, which she did most gracefully,
nibbling, in the meantime, small almond
cakes For time ! could not catch
one word Of the conversation; my ears
were hu.uil.Ii- With he vic : of Uncle
Rudolph and Mr.. Forsyth, who were
telling the others some thrilling Indian
experiences. They had related so re-
markable tale that ut least one of
their hearers had grown pale at the re-
cital, when there was n lull. ard |
heard Beatrices voice.
"Charming fellow" she was saying,
between sips of coffee. 81 do not re-
member having met more interesting
man. He has travelled and observed
He also has opinions" She drank the
remainder Of her coffee without inter-
ruption, and Mrs. Cameron continued
the conversation.
Mrs. Cameron is a small, frail crea-
ture. with a soft, weak voice, and quite
unlike Beatrice. On this occasion she
spoke so low | did not gather what she
said, but soon Beatrice spoke again.
"a very considerable fortune, un-
lcrstand, beside" Her voice grew
lower. He is old enough to he quite
settled in his ways. l remember hear
ing mamma say it is a risk to marry a
man who is not settled. One hardly
knows whether to fit themselves for a
physicians or politicians mode of
existence"
Mrs. Cameron had married an Amer
lean, and her husband had developed
into both
II suppose it is comfortable, yet
had not thought of that" Mrs. Cameron
said in an audible tone.
felt that | knew of whom Beatrice
was speaking. Who else of my lady's
acquaintance answered this description?
1t was Maurice Van Dudley, distant
relative | chewed the end of my
cigar into shapelessness, while my
brains seemed mass of electric wires
burning with the truths that were
flashing through them.
SO Beatrice loved Maurice.
ground my teeth. Idug my heels into
the soft rug until it seemed ! must
grind blood from the brilliant c. :inss.
"What right" l asked myself, had
she to love him? Had l not loved her
since ever could remember? We had
played together in the sand, and built
play-houses from the same clam-shells,
all the while swearing our eternal al
legiance to each other. She had given
me her promise again and again.
What was a woman's promise worth,
if it must be broken at the first cor
| venient season? Such woman had
better be dead than living to make
more men miserable.'
My burning fingers clutched ner-
yously at the cushion on my stool. 1t
was soft, and sank between my fingers
as her own soft flesh might sink should
| so grapple her white throat. For an
instant | tancied it was her throat,
and she was looking up at me with en-
treaty in her eyes. But | would not
look at her eyes. | was thinking of
all the happy hours We had spent to-
gether, of all the promises she Lad
made only to break them by one move
mcnt of her red lips. All! they were
white lips now. lprcssed the cushi IN
| harder. to make them still more color.
less
The ladies' had moved away. | heard
them passing down the hall, and invol-
UNFAIRLY looked at the place where
she had sat | could not have aimed
my glance correctly, for my eyes rested
above the divan on the picture of old
Orlando Pembroke. Why had | looked
at him? turned half way on my
stool, and saw my pale, distorted fea-
lures in mirror. | had never seen
my face look like this. The unusual
palor frightened me- Before | realized
| what | WAS doing | was COMPARING the
two,-Orlando Pembroke, with his
stern eyes and wrinkled visage, with
nay own pale face. | reluctantly owned
| there was resemblance. Tue ewes
were much alike; they were the same
shape, and | was sure the eyes in the
picture could elongatc and become
fierce just as my own were doing now.
| The brows above them were arched,
! and met in the same black streak above