The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-13

lips, dear heart-come. bring them to me.
l await your summons slavishly, with
feverish Impotence"
IN such strain he wrote, thaving and
heating In the confession and plea until
he was molten. The mans heart oozed to
his fingers, and his pen wrote in blood
So rapt he was that he had no eyes for
the tOddling child that peeped around the
corner II the corridor and then battered
back breathless herald
Its papai It's papa! Tome an see"
ctately, fair haired woman, issuing from
one Of the secluded drawing rooms, caught
the child IN her arms and stilled her with
a sibilart warning:
''Sh-h-h, Star, hushi You're mistaken,
, darling. stay there. Don't move. Mamma
VIII see
She closed the door and for a moment
stood irresolute and trembling. Then.
CLAN ing right and left, she swept along
the narrow passage and darted a look
into ths sitting-room. Her hands went
convdlsively TO Ter breast, and she fed,
rustling Ike a frightened thrush. Star,
wide-eyed and eager, awaited her.
ITS papa, isn't 1t, mammal"
BABY, baby, you're-youre up too late,
my darling. Come. let's find that pretty
star-baby's star"
If Casper could only have seen her pant
ing,
But 1 want papa"
After awhile, my love"
Even the sentimental Doubleday could
have found no fault on the score of self
abasement with Caspar's letter 1t was
contEition run TO seed once begun, no
single adjective was adequate enough 10
/ please his swelling cry for pardon. And
when all the changes had been rung and
( his pet connubial name attached-it look
/ ed so, so familiar, but it shall be name
/ lesS-when the letter had been enveloped
and after painful thought directed to the
/ likeiiest address, st, Paul. care of Mrs.
/ Caspars sister, then tie misery of the
man showed fagrantly. 1t must be mail
ed, mailed at once. How long would it be
en- route? He was dashing through the
/ train in search of Doubleday when hap
PLY It flashed upon him that he was ap-
/ preaching Chicago by one of the feetest
trains in the world. So he subsidized to d
! sober walk and thrust the letter in his
pocket, the letter which bore message to
the liquid eyes which followed him una
wares.
! She hurriedly summoned the maid, a
trained attendant, demure and alert. Did
you notice the gentleman who just passed
through the car? Well, let me know,
please, when lie has begun TO dine"
A fading flush chung TO the western sky.
The moon. fairly alOft shed its mild light
10 the deepest reaches Of the narrow val
ley. Sheltered in corner of the Observa-
tory, her face almost hid in a shawl. the
woman looked out and down upon the
scene. 1t soothed her for moments even
to forgetfulness. The sharpest human
sorrow would soften under it's spell-the
faraway sparkle of the stream, the bril-
liant heaven, the deep shadows, the faint
soughing Of the wind. Then quickly to
/ the woman who sat there came a sense of
Eer loneliness. her utter desertion Only
a week ago she was in his arms Now,
3 though separated only by the length Of a
car or two, they were divided by more
than miles. But was it so? Must it be?
BY token of her throbbing pulse she knew
her weakness.
Useless TO close her eyes and try to
dream; useless to lean ont and let the
cool wind smite her hot cheeks useless
TO fancy strange shapes in the moon
light. Why had he come again into her
life? If only Star, sweet sleeping, in
nocent-
The car door opened, and a man
came out upon the platform. She drew
close within the shadow of her corner
and the folds of her shawl, afraid TO
glance upward. Then he stepped 10
the railing, and she breathed freely
again. 1t was not he. But something
familiar in the figure fastened her gaze,
and when he turned partly toward her
she recognized Doubleday.
X is not unlikely she would have
spoken TO him, her need of sympathy
grew so urgent in the recognition, but
the door opened again, and this time
she knew without lifting her eyes tina;
Caspar was before her. He was hum
ming tune, For You, For You, Ny
Darling" All, how we'll she knew Il!
But how could the man stand there in
musical mood? And was it of her he
was thinking? Yes, yes; no other wo-
man. Not that; il was unthinkable But
she almost cried aloud with a sudden
fear.
Bob" she heard him say, isn't il
glorious%'
There was no answer, but Doubleday
made broad sweep with his arm and
wagged his head expressively.
81 telegraphed the last station" con-
tinued Caspar presently. Then Double
day laughed, and somehow Mrs. Caspal
took alarm.
Couldn't wait for the mail, Ell? All
Dickie, Diekie, a man in love is a mar
; in haster'
, 81 wish she were here now. It's the
, sort Of thing she likes. By Jove, Bob
if she meets me in Chicago, I'll bring bel
back on the Limited sure-'
of course you will. Don't worry about
her meeting you. She'll be there"
Mrs. Caspar listened no more. She
opened the door, passed rapidly through
= the sitting-room 10 her apartment, and
casting herself in a chair, gave way Il
tears. only week had gone by, and al
, ready he was content Who was the wo
man? If she could only confront tn.
creature! And he even knea
that this was the sort Of thing she liked
They were TO meet in Chicago
and he would take her back in the Lin
| tied" surei Who could the braZeI
person be?
Sustained until now by her pride and a
secret confidence in her power over tht
man she loved, a.! suddenly her strength
failed her and she say herself a home.