Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-11-14


Khan anything else. In his course ears
hung silver earrings. and on his dark.
greasy hand was n silver ring. He
approached bis mistress, with a
familiar Az that seemed 10 lne most
onensive and spoke to her In Spanish
she answered i'm the same language.
not imperatively. AS I had expected.
out In ton. that seemed to Imply
confidence. friendliness. After shrug.
ging his shoulders at her answer. be
lounSed away. aud sat down some
where In the shadow OF the road.
DO you mean TO say you travel alone
with this courlerT'' said Where are
you going and where have you come
FROM
She raised her INDECENT arms over
her head and stretched her 1.-THE BODY
as leopard does in the sun. She open
ed her strange eyes To their fullest eX.
tent and stared. Whatever she found
In my face seemed TO satisfy her. for
moment later she spoke:
Yes. travel alone with my courier.
l have come from spa n. ana am
going somewhere. don't quite know
where. What does IL matter? | would
-.
nor what the country is. nor tn,. day.
nor the month. nor the year. l wish l
had never learned these things What
Is the use OF ciaSsins tomorrowS and
yesterdays! Isn't IL enough that every
day is todayf'
As she said this a look Of fatigue
came over her face. her lashes fci AMI
covered and hid away her peculiar
eyes. her bosom hraved feverishly. c.h
her breath came aud went hurrleJ;v.
hatever she WAS. the woman had
feelings. and very sensitive ones.
An hour went by. | questioned her.
and learned some curious details OF
her life. Her name was Sylvia. her
husbands name Whitworth. He was
merchant. but he failed and deserted
her. Il don't think | minded much"
she said with her wonderful smile.
He was never true 10 me. Perhaps
he Is dead.
Had l been In my sane senses. as
now am. II years later. l should have
laughed In my sleeve. AS IL was. |
was not In my sane senses. and fell
In love with her. She was travelling.
she didn't care where. For the night.
at least. she was 10 stay AT the same
hotel as myself. at the Brocken. From
NE she gathered my slight history. my
nationality. my appointment at Ber-
lin. my family. my age
Il suppose" she said frankly, that
some people might wonder at my going
about so Independently. but l don't
care button what people think.
suppose If | had any inclinAtions to-
ward wickedness l should be a very
wicked person. but you see have no
inclination. ! don't look at IL from
the moral point OF view. because
don't believe In morality. have no
creeds. but l don't think IL would
amuse me the least TO be wicked"
Presently we waded ashore. She
dried her feet. or rather dried them
for her, on a dainty lace handkerchief
They were very lovely feet At the
contact Of her warm. white flesh my
fingers trenbled. She saw they trem-
bled. and gently pushing ME away, she
finished the task herself, and then
| looked up at me with a smile She
Invited me TO enter her carriage with
her, and did so. AS we got In the
courier muttered something rather saw
agely. and my charming friend bent
her head down and conversed with
him eagerly In a tone which sounded
conciliatory. 4 little farther on we
met my carriage. We stopped. and
with a pretty air OF command Mrs.
Whitworth signifed her intention OF
changing carriages. We got In, aud
arranged my rugs about her feet, my
10 h NaNsNG sne hx..-
eyes and went to sleep, while sat
watching her. AS ] watched her. a
madness seemed to come over me. /
have never In my life experienced any
thing like II before or since: II was like
magnetism. Perhaps IL was due to the
sultry heat. the utter stiffness. the slow
progress OF the carriage through the
most beautiful scenes. OF. more likely
still. the back thrown head. the sensi-
| tive and fine profile. the parted GRIM
son lips. the regular breathing the un-
| defined languor OF pose. and the pecul-
lar perfume that hung about my COM
panion. that fired my ardent spirit. At
! last ! softly took possession Of the
hand nearest me. 1t was warm and
pulsating: the very touch OF II seemed
| dormant In me. ! bent forward eau
tously; In another moment ] should
have kissed her parted crimson lips,
when suddenly. swiftly. the strange
eyes opened. wide and full. as IL she
had not been sleeping at all.
"Ah." she said softly. what were
| you going to DOR
l. flushing scarlet. was murmuring
some excuses. when she interrupted
me:
"Never mind. l am not angry. But
you were very bold"
was going to answer. when. in quite
q different mood. she inquired the use
OF strong black box that lay on the
! seat opposite us. replied that II was
my dispatch box. containing my
papers. my passport. my valuables In
the way OF jeweiry. and all the money
and promissory notes possessed at
The moment. But before l had nearly
got through my list my friends In
terest had faded. and she was leaning
~.