Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-01-24
NOT TOO LATE

ut was late when George Atwood
arrived at Mrs. Halleck's party.
There was quite a brilliant COM
pany present. and MI. Atwood stood
near the door to scar the throng.
Evidently he vas looking for some
body-yes, for his eyes rested now on
a young girl.
A girl with a beautiful face upturn-
ed to a fair. hand some man, bending
over the back Of her chair. She seem-
ed in a trance of delight, and wholly
unconscious of %anybody's presence In
the brilliantly lighted parlors but the
man bending W her.
And the girl was George Atwood's
promised wife.
When his eyes rested on her AN aw-
full change came v his face, the
rich, dark color fled, leaving it white
and rigid, and his lips formed n tense
line under his heavy, dark beard.
For days past George Atwood watch
ed Ida Challis, his intended wife. He
knew that Ida loved him devotedly,
and he tried not to watch her; he tried
not to notice Alfred Mays attention to
her, but us he caught sight of her
face when he entered Mrs. Hallcck's
parlor he knew that he ought to have
kept u better watch over her than he
did. Alfred May possessed the fasci-
nation of n serpent. and he had drawn
Ida into the meshes.
George Atwood turned away with an
inward groan. He loved Ida passion
ately; her love seemed lost to him, vet
lie could not think of giving her up.
MIR. Atwood is here" Alfred May
said, looking down at Ida Challis.
The radiant face grew pale, and Ida
| shivered as she looked around her. She
had fallen from her world of bliss and
| she was once more in Mrs. Halleck's
crowded salon.
Ibid you say Mr.. Atwood was here?
| Where is heY" she asked, in a low
voice.
"Ycs; he was here a moment ago. l
saw him looking savagely in this d.
rection, but he has disappeared; l do
not see him anywhere now" and Mr..
May laughed his musical laugh,
changed the conversation, and in an
other minute Ida's face was upturned
and rosy IL C more.
a quadrille was forming, and a gen.
! tleman came to claim Ida for the
| dance. Away from Alfred May and
the glamor his presence cast over her
partly v~anished-she thought of her
lover. Where was he? Did he no.
tice anything wrong in her conduct to-
ward Alfred May? If lie was in the
room why didn't he come to her?
These thoughts flashed through Ida's
mind as she waited for the first figure
to be called. and happening to turf her
head, she saw her lover standing ON
| the opposite side Of the room, his eyes
fastened upon her. One glance at his
livid face and everything in the illum-
mated parlors seemed whirling round
her.
The dance was over. Ida never could
tell how she go Through it. The heat
| of the room was suffocating her. and
when her partner left her. after leading
her back to her seat, she rose and stag
gered over to one of the windows that
| opened out upon the balcony.
AS she stepped into the deep recess
| of the window she let the curtains fall
behind her. shutting in the light and
heat and whirl. How delightful and
cool it was out here. The shining stars
looked down at her from their deep
blue setting through the open window.
But Ida did not shut herself out in the
darkness to gaze at the stars. She
threw herself into a chair which occu'
pied the recess and buried her face III
her hands.
ooh. what a wretch I am" she
moaned. George suspects l think
more Ct another man than ] do of him
I Heaven help me! How is this going
to endy"
Little Ida dreamed that before many
minutes she would know how 1t wal
going to end. AS she asked herself
that question voices came to her from
the balcony without.
Ida's head was erect In an instant. A
lady and gentleman were speaking OF
the balcony. Ida did not wish tQrde
and listen to what was upt Int fase
. mssAsia
We this