Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-01-12
Nv.

Then ne secs somc drops glittcrins on
Tile long curled laslirs of the lovc!icst
eyes in thu world.
Tears. Why. what's the mattcr!."
and Lord iinnisford liscerns that even
in weeping this woman looks beautiful
and brwitrhins. for her weeping. like
every other notion. is studied.
Drops. like %glistcning dew, flow slowly
down her cheeks. and the origin is so
artificial. 81 little genuine emotion brings
linen that they leave the skin i'm their
enaI'se AS smooth and pink as before
their advent. while the exquisite little
Nii"clan nos" retains its :llabaster white
ness.
Even in his distress at seeing her. dis
tresS II. remembers how fcarfully red
Lady Ennisiori'S little nose grows with
CRYING. and The icmory. trivial and alb
surd as ii may seem. draws him an inch
ar Two closer To this Sylrn. who seems
above the oinmon intirmities of her sex.
SHY man. but men in these days are
prov"i'bitlly silly about women, so that
u one wis" one crops up. he makes u
fuss in tn" world, to which possibly his
merits don't cntitlc him.
What is the matter?" Lady Aylmcr
murmurs. in a choking. gasping voice, be-
H"'"' Nv tlltI. DOIutItsu WllH TIt'l
vaicncicnncs. Only II tritic, you would
think. l leave town to-morrow!.'
Leave town. Edith! You mustn't"
II must 90. have promised"
Nf course he loses his sclf-control at
once. iromiScl.-a and the promise can
only he 10 n man.
He catches her hands and pulls her off
her sofa. making her stand face to face
with him.
promised. did You: And who darcs
to make you proinisr?' he glares angri-
ly. growing white to the Very lips.
II cannoi iell you!.'
You cannot tell me-" he SAYS, i'm an
odd. low, concentrated. disjointel sort of
voice. Edith. you nave to learn one
thing yet. ! never allow anyone to triile
with mo. neither nan nor woman. Leave
mwh Tomorrow: keep your promise to
wi'oms"evnr il may be; l care not. But
IRON that hour you and | are strangers!
L swear it, and he almost filings her
back to her scat.
Whether it is that she realizes by his
face the full cNtcnt of his liking. or
whether she finds him still more adorable
In wrath than in peace, or whether she
failcies ii will he Il very bad move after
all 4" 20 away and leave him to the
temptations of town; this is a point ii
would bc difficult to solve. for she is an
enigma. Il paradox. Il contradictions; and
hrr motives, after all, are not worth div
ing for. but she blurts out abruptly some
thing. which, to Il certain extent. is NOT
true.
II promised your wife,
My wife,
Your wife,
Just for IL second he believes she is
amusing herself nj his expense. and hc
grows angry, but. looking straight at her.
Il conviction suddenly dawns upon him
that there may be some truth in her
words.
II did not know you were even ac-
quainted with Lady l;nnisford," he SAYS.
lightly. crushing down his surprise and
annoyance; for. though he has no prin-
ciple 10 speak OF, he has yet. to an inor-
dinaic extent, grand ideas of what is due
to his wife. simply bccaush she is Mar
clsioness oil Enurisford.
Yes" Lady .Ayllncr replies. rl:bly,
"shr mas chilled upon me-. you know. II
wasn't Il very amusing visit. She did
not say much. but what she did say WAS
to the p~oint-awfully to the point. She
left me in no doubt as to her opinion of
IN" and "f my influence over you: bu
ii never seemed to enter her head about
Nour influence over me. The sum of IN,
oifeniin. is in taking YOU. as she call.
ii. away from her; but you know / dom,
believe thu. anyone can he taken from
.nother-tilat which we lose. we los,
through some lack in ourselves. But yo,
see ! cannot. however unwittinsly. he
the cause of anguish To anyone. can /.
especially when she did look so interest
ing and pathetic. with Il child hanging
on 10 each hand: So ! as much as prom.
User her that | would 20 AWAY. Tel! mo
l.niisford, are You sorry IL little that
am gong! and she puts Il hand on his
and draws him down on IL DELIGHTFULLY."-
soft scat Oh III" sofa. as she plea,iinrly
asks this question.
He is silent. for this snddcn blow has
struck below Ike source of his surfac,
feelings. She is not disappointed. for
though he sits like Il statue of Apollo
dumb. unrespon>ivc-shc knows that tho
idea NJ losing her affects him quite rs
deeply as she desires.
BUT anger and intense mortitic,tion
minglc in his cup of regret. anger at his
wifc's "Snrlky" conduct. He actually
feels quite murderouS as he thinks of ii
and the ridicule TO which her folly has
probably subjected her and him through
her. But even now he cannot forget MI
that is due To that wife. He will moi
speak one word to her dis%paragement
but neither can he attempt to hide the
pain he really feels mt parting with this
woman. whom he has grown to love with
the wild. impetuons, selfish. titful. con.
temptible love of which he is alone cap,
able.
He had turned to give a faint utter.
ance of his regret, and her look, he,
attitude. make his heart stand still with
a sudden rapture.
An impulse, as fast and fierce as 8
sirocco. ,ushes through his veins. This
is not strange, for he has many impulses
and u great many bad ones. But thii
n appeaus to him the very greatest and