Sunday morning globe., 1901-09-15

teenth. northwest. We rode down
there. and she proposed we should take
a ride thereon She certainly deserved
my title Of Bella, the Magnificent
Her hair. entirely devoid Of comb or
bond found full play, and / didn't in
terpose an objection when stray strans
blew across my face. I must be get
ting back she said so we rode on II
and New York avenue to the spot in
the rear Of the Treasury we just left
Whatever you do, don't come to the
house. If | can, I'll meet you here at
8 o'clock tomorrow evening. If not
then the next evening, and the next
she said, as she rode south alone.
He paused a moment l remained ST.
lent.
zone night # was halfpast 10 be-
fore she reached the meeting place. 4
can't keep this up she began. we
must select a later hour You mean
Garner? No; later. I'll meet you
here at 1.3O a. M 1 told her the hour
was an unseemly one; that it was dan
gerous for a lady to be on the streets
unattended at that time. She drew her
figure to it's full height and said:
Spirit of evil
Man or devil,
Fear not L.
And. to prove it, she continued,
tell YOU what tn do: I'll meet you at
the gate of Harmony Cemetery just as
the clock strikes midnight Sunday
night"
Harmony Funny name for a Gem
eterv. At any other time 1 would have
made a remark about the inhabitants
living i'm harmony; but, realizing his
earnestness, desisted.
Sunday night, as I turned from
Florida avenue into the Brentwood
road. to keep the engagement the
clock Of St. Aloysius struck -. I am
late l said. as I redoubled my speed.
The road was dark, the moon had not
yet risen, and the heavy woods to the
east cut off the light. | was conhdant
there was some one I'm the road just
ahead Of me. pushed on.
Spirit Of evil,
Man or devil.
What cared ~
"I began to climb the long hill The
/ figure reached the summit the moon,
I just making its appearance in the East,
| formed the setting for the picture. 1t
was Bella-truly, Bella, the Magnif-
cent And she was riding-well, like
| the very devil. 1t was a mad race,
down the eastern slope of the Brent.
wood road to the cemetery gate,
Bella Bella!' called Yes, Bella,
| the Magnificent ruin was her reply
| with a sneering laugh / can hear yet
! 1T does one good to ride that she
added
zone night she met me at the trys-
ting place without her wheel. You
leave yours in the lunch room She
said. | obeyed. I had been in the
| habit Of minding her without question
We walked over to hack stand l did
not hear the address she gave the
| driver as we entered his vehicle. He
| drove south of the Capitol, and as we
alighted she turned to him with, You
come back in an hour Then she en-
| tered a house, telling me to follow her
| A goodlooking, stout woman, dressed
| I'm red. answered the bell. Second
| floor back she said to Bella. Then
| realized the nature Of the house. Why
/ did you come here| ! asked. Because
/ I wanted to tell you it's all over be-
/ tween us. I couldn't say it on the
street. How did you know Of the eX-
/ istenCe Of this placer 4 came here
| before I went to live with Miss Irene
/ Who Is Miss Irene% My landlady.'
/ Then you are You need not finish
/ the sentence. Let me talk for mo-
ment Then, If you've got anything
to say to me, hold up your hand, and
/ Ill listen
/ The recital was growing interesting
/ Continued silence on my part.
"The nerve Of the magnificent Gre
ature was superb: she had passed the
stammering suffering stage; her
| enuncIation was as clear as a bell /
was i'm a tremble; the perspiration
| trickling from every limb. I could
| stand it no longer she went on AT
/ first our meetings we're a lark, pleas
antly. Miss Irene objected to my be-
] ing absent from the house, particularly
in the evening. Then you fell in love
| with me. That was nothing Scarce
/ a month passes but a new one puts in
an appearance ] might fall in love
/ with you. Then we would be on the
/ danger line Shall tell him| contin-
uously reverberated in my ears. You
are on the up grade, 1 am on the down.
/ Tonight comes the parting of the
ways She paused We gazed in each
others eyes; then her glance fell on
my arm. ] understood yet was power
less to raise my hand. Imagine, If you
can. my emotions. On the Threshold
Of what promised to be a lucrative
business career, madly in love with
one / could not hope to take into my
home. My story is told she said
quietly. And 1 thank you for the tell
ing. was my reply. Another moment
we gazed at each other. She broke the
spell. Crossing the room to where
was seated she took one Of my hands
in both Of hers. 'Good-bye-and for
get she said, and swept from the
room
He was silent for a moment, then
as be started for our wheels, asked
DO you wonder, after an experience
like this that I make inquiry as to an
tecedents"
When I reached the room that might
7 added several pages to my diary.
j ITO be continued)