Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-03-17

Lady 1reSSluy an Ouncement unable.
to speak. Then l q rIned and looked Mt
karine. Her eyes ssemed to have been
waiting for mine. I'D for an instant |
held them with my gaze, until they fell
ana yelled the ans, er mine had asked
with long shadowy lashes.
1t was perhaps the hardest task
had ever been forced to perform when
after that omnious pause which Doubt
less seemed far more prolonged 10 mo
than to the others, / held out INV
hand as L was expected to do. taking
Miss Cunninghams ice-cold fingers in
mine and wishing her happiness.
Then i was obliged to turn to Wild
red, in whose eyes / saw, or fancied
saw, malicious light of comprehen-
sion and triumphant defiance. But his
hand 1 would not take.
at is hardly necessary to conpratp-
late you," l said haltingly. "You are
one of the most fortunate men in the
world"
"And the most undeservingT' 1t was
he who added the words, as though he
had read them in my own mind.
/ have a dim recollection OF saying
something more or less conventional to
Sir Walter and Lady Tressidy, and
then. at last, / got away.
L had fancied that not to have her
face before my eyes. that not to endure
the pang of seeing them together, and
to escape into the open air, would re-
iieve the tension of my feelings. But
Il was not so. The moment the door
had closed behind me the agony Of the
. thought that l had seen her perhaps
for the last time. and the poignancy of
my regret that / had not been able to
put to her one question which rang in
my brain, became well-nigh unendur-
able
walked aimlessly in the darkness,
knowing not and caring not where
went. heard a clock strike eight. real
izing suddenly that l was far from my
hotel, and that l had wearied myself
uSelessly
l hailed n cab and drove back to the
Savoy, from distant and more or less
, Ito mel unknown region of London.
AS / entered the hotel. my eyes daz-
zled by the sudden brilliant light, I
could hardly for an instant believe
that 1t was not an optical illusion
when L saw in the flesh the face that
had been haunting me.
There had been n dreary driZZle of
rain outside. and l was conscious that
my long wanderings through muddy
streets had rendered me unpreSentable.
Still my wish had been granted me.
There stood Karine Cunningham, in
white from head to foot; n long soft
evening cloak, with shining silver
threads straying over its snowy sur
face, hung loosely about her, for she
had fastened ii at the throat. and /
could see n CLEAN OF bare neck, hung
with a rope of pearls. and the delicate
folds of chiffon belted in with Jewels
at her girlish waist
| Her head was turned aside and
slightly bent, n light from above
streaming down on her uncovered hair
and transforming the copper into gold
Sir Walter and Lady Tressidy were
close by-not six feet away-and all
were evidently waiting for some one
Carson Wildred, no doubt, / bitterly
told myself
None of the party had as yet seen
| me. Sir Walter and his wife were talk
ing very earnestly together, and had
perhaps moved a few steps from the
young girl that their words might not
be overheard by her.
i knew that, II were wise. 1 would
at once take myself of without an
nouncing my presence, but sudden
impulse seized aud overmastered me
IL was n desperate one, doubtless, but
none the less alluring and powerful be
l cause of that