Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-06-20
CHAPTER Y

CHAHIER '.
Max lnglesant went to Mrs Wvnne's
AT Home" and as it CHANGED. there
were only few people that day, so that
he saw a good deal of Valerie Lockwood.
| They met a few days later at dance
and again at the theater, and these two
last meetings were quite by chance. As
Tor Valerie, she was greatly puzzled by
/ Inglesant.
Il can't make him out" she said to her
sister. you wouldn't imagine he ever
/ had been the kind of man he is said to
have been"
The devil isn't as black as he's paint
ca, Val"
But Valerie was not satisfied. She was
more concerned in the matter, too. than
she thought she was, for each time that
she saw lnglesant she liked him the bet
ter. As for him, he was drifting into
! very perilous waters, and was, moreover,
/ beginning to experience results which
had, naturally, not occurred to him
namely, that as his feelings towards Va
lerle strengthened and deepened, the sense
| of his own falscncsS grew anon him. In
regard to his imposture, he had found
many arguments in excuse. though none
OF them were quite satisfactory; but now
all these arguments We're becoming spe-
cious and utterly tlimsy before the bar
Of Nalerie's purity, in the light of love
which brought out all that was best and
noblest in the man himself How. if he
were free, could he WOO a woman in a
false identity, usurpcr of another mans
rights? How expose her to the shame
and humiliation which must fall upon
her if his crime We're discovered ?-as it
might be any day. And he was not free!
Herein was another crime against the
woman he loved-yes, loved! He was a
man of the world, and could not deceive
himself in this matter; and if he could
WOO, he might win; and, not wooing, vet
might win. Could he so wrong her?
Yet, by his own sin in the first instance,
he had woven a net about his limbs from
which it was hard to escape. To avoid
| Valerie he must leave London; but. in
leaving London, how could he keep watcl,
on events? What if Alexis took it into
his head to come overly chance, or be-
cause he heard some rumor of his in.
| heritance? He-Max-must be on the
spot to meet such 4 contingency Or La
Belle Lola might, in q fit of caprice, at
tempt to claim him as her husband.
Who could forecast the acts of a vulgar
and Ignorant woman? No reasons of
common sense, or even of self interest,
could be held as safe guarding any out
break on her part. If the head that
wears a crown has no easy pillow, how
uneasy lies the head of the impostor-
even when no pangs of conscience add
terrors to the night! And Max Ingle-
SAINT had not reckoned with his own ma
ture when he gave way to temptation.
He was of fiber too fine to sin deeply
without suffering. No, he must remain
in London He must himself stand SEN
tinel before the gates of his secret castle;
and, being IN London, how could he
avoid-though he might not seek-the
girl he loved?
1t CHANGED one morning that, riding in
the park, he came face to face with Va
lerie Lockwood. He had not seen her for
more than a week; he had kept out of
her way, and found the struggle most
bitter: and here. suddenly, she was be-
fore him-and alone! In a moment they
were side by side, and their hands met.
n look had sprung into the mans eyes
that he was not conscious ola look
that made hers droop; his clasp on her
hand was so close and tense that it al
most hurt her; the flush that exercise
had brought to her cheek deepened; she
spoke quickly and lightly because a wild.
sweet confusion made her tremble, and
made her fearful
Isn't it lovely today. Mr. Inglesant?
And the Row not crowded yet-one can
get a good galop."
He had mastered himself before she
finished speaking, and released her hand. |
but he felt the nervous tremor that went
down to her very fDppr-tjuS
Yes" he answered quietly. MANY |
people, too, will find il hot to ride today. |
May | turn with your" For Valerie was
riding westwards.
with pleasure"
He wheeled. and they rode on together. |
talking easily of one thing and another, /
and yet both living a vivid life, with /
which these commonpaces had nothing /
to do; and the bright foliage, and the .
blue summer SKY, were the background I
and made more perfect setting. Yet /
the outward scene might have been of /
gray skies and a long road bordeTed by 1
tall hedges or blending into dull flats I
and still the sun would have shone. and I
the sky smiled, for the girl, at least: for /
the man it was a feverish happiness. q /
passionate unrest, that he would not .
nave put from him if he could, and vet (
was pain and anguish; the sense, too. /
that he was self-betrayed stabbed him /
as with a physical blow; self-bctrayed-
and Valerie was startled, but not Of 1
Tended; nay, more, her eyes had dropped; /
over her whole face came light and n
glow that no lover can misread Was it /
not treason, indeed, to have won from
her SO much. and he dared not confess
himself IN words her lover?
They turned round by knightsbridge
barracks, and there drew reir. listening .
TO the band which was playing in TIE /
quadrangle.