Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-05-09
SHE DECEIVED HIM.
"Rineg Whyg,

lamps, OF course. IL growing quite DARK.
But what need have we of the lampg Ac-
cording TO the old saw people con chat more
at case in the twilight. But perhaps you
are afraid. Are you afraid of me!"
afraid Of you! 0, dear, mol" And she
looked at him laughingly.
VERY well, then; please don't send for
the lamp. L think this twilight suits the
situation so admirably. / came to say good
by to you. And as the sun outside has gone
down, and the night is beginning to envelop
us the sun of your eyes win disappear
from my life .. the twilight"
"For goodness sake do stopl Don't try to
overexert yourself trying to find SMILES
OF course, / know how witty and ready
tongued you are; you are so miserly with
your wit that you must possess great deal
Of it."
Springing UP, she ran to the piano and
struck a wailing chord. lie was perplexed,
for he had never known her to act like that
before She was usually cool, self-posses-
sion personiied
But Frau Hortense, what is the matter
with your
She was herself again. 40, nothing. BY
the way, do you like Beethoven
Beethoven! o., yes, pretty well. like
the Sonata Pathetique particularly"
"And you like the adagio movement best
Of all, don't your
She did not wait for an answer. Her hands
wandered over the keys and long, soft tones
crept from under her fingers. He was more
| puzzled than ever. What could possess her
to act so strangely? He simply could not
| understand her Two minutes earlier she
was the woman whom he knew as she had
1 always been, merry and full Of fun, but alto
/ gether free from whims, whereas, now
He did not dare to interrupt the music,
and his bewonderment went on steadily in
creasing. Ofienbach, Lecocque and Strauss
was the music he had heard her play before,
and he had thought that such was the re-
Election of her own self, and that she knew
no other lie had never dreamed Of her
playing Beethoven, least Of all that mag
nificent, soulful adagio movement. And
how perfectly she was rendering it. She
4 put her heart and soul into it. But then to
think Of heart and soul in connection with
her was foolish Like everything she did
her rendering OF Beethoven was, he tried tc
persuade himself, trickery. She was a clever
actress-that was all-in music as in every
thing else. She had already enslaved him
with her beauty, her vivacity, and now she
was urging music merely for the purpose Of
enchanting him more thoroughly, If that
were possible, and it was all done to crafty
her love of power. 1t was cool calculation
and nothing more, for she had no heart
4 The idea was ridiculous. She was only q
dangerous siren.
Still he listened with bated breath, and as
II the twilight deepened into darkness TIL,
Il spell grew more and more powerful. Would
he ever see her again? Not likely, but ever
il it should happen he would never allow any
declaration of love to pass his lips, not i
his heart should burst; for if he should 50
; far lose control over himself sho would b.
sure TO laugh at him, as she laughed a
everything and everybody serious. He hal
/, some to bid her good-by and he had to con
fess TO himself that he had softened almos
to the point Of declaring his love. But just
at that moment she had laughed at him, AMI
had looked mockingly at him with her beau
/ tiiul gray eyes.
Really, are you going. to leave met Ar
| you sure that is no mere speech for effect
How nice it will be for you, won't it?"
!. At which he had gained mastery over him
self-and then they had laughed together, a
i never exchanged a serious word; sh
, ioked and he ioked, and by the tim
/, that he was strolling along the boule
Yards in Paris she would have forgotten
him, while to him she would be only
remembrance beautiful remembrance, a
Otto Bismarck excellently says-but still
r only a remembrance.
And still the room was filed with soft
sweet tones which welled from the piano
1t had grown dark. Nothing could be seei
, except the white keys with her hands Goat
ing over them, and the head OF the Juno il
the corner.
He listened bewitched to the music, AM
wondered why he was SO moved. Was
really she? How motionless she sat there
What music her fingers made No, it wa
not the woman he had known; transforms
ton had taken place.
Suddenly it occurred to him that he ha
perhaps been misiudging her 1t was a
2 least possible, even if difficult to imagine
Surprising that her light, hippant gayet
= was only a mask, under which the real Won
, an was disguised lie himself had worn
+ mask Like her he seemed to be what
b was not lie had pretended to be a seoiiei
for modern society demands that all rei
feeling and emotion be concealed. If one
real self is seen it is in danger Of being rid
culed. It might be that she had only NH
rored him. 1t might be that she, too, ha
r serious thoughts which she feared to expos
( to ridicule. Why should she treat him,
z scoffer, earnestly And still his hear1 va
p chilled and his lips were closed by the fca
e OF her scornful laugh. Her laugh. Ho'
{ maddeningly hooking it wasl
y The last sounds Of the adagio melted ava
into silence, and the room was ST. !. Suddei
ly she left the piano and stood before hir
Surely You haven't been asi1epl Nov
e confess. / really believe you were Goying.
Her voice sounded just as usual, and ia,
brought him to himself once more lie w.
quite dsillusioned now. What lad he bee
n foolishly dseaming? No, she had not a
tered at all; she was just the came as eve
Her seriousness was only one OF her man
moods, and was entirely superficial.
"Sleepingl I wish ! could have slept m.
self away into nothngness."
, Wouldn't you rather have dreumedY
+, "No. I would rather sleep the dreamle
! sleep / shall never see you again. YC
know we shall not meet after tonight, an
what viii my life be without your laugh"
She did not reply, nor did she laugh.
The edge Of the thick dark cloud was b
u ginning to take a silver tinge. The moon ha
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