Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-06-13

shoulders. darting with lightning-hke
rapidity their eXtensile, club-shaped
tongues half out of their hideous bod
les. Ericsson shuddered with disgust
at the sight, and turning, strobe from
the room.
He paced up and down a deserted
veranda for Is or 20 minutes, after
wards standing quietly near an open
window where he could watch his OPP
portunity to join Mrs. Mainwaring. In
a little while it came. He saw her
speak to a debutante in pink, and then
move off aimlessly IL the direction of
a vacant corridor.
you look warm" he said, going up
to her, suppose we walk outside
When they had stepped out on the
piazza he turned TO her with an odd
light IL his eyes, and drew her arm in
his.
'.Do you know, y he said quickly, zone
thing has givenme inexpressible pleas
ure tonight"
'And that is?"
"That you are not in there-one of
them, those women with the loath-
some little things clinging to their
bosoms and shoulders. It's utterly
nauseating. How can refined women
stoop to such as that?''
Mrs. Mainwaring laughed in an in
scrutable fashion and said nothing.
Then presently: 1T does seem absurd"
she admitted in curious voice, half
sober, half-contemptuous.
81 could never marry woman who
lowered herself to such things" he
said musingly.
Mrs. Mainwaring offered no protest,
and Ericsson went on in a different tone
Speaking of marriage" he said, flush
ing under cover ofthe dark, that is a
change which has come to you since"
"Come-and gone" she interposed, ir
low voice, 'my husband has beer
dead three years"
Ericsson gaaed at her tncredulously,
tremulously-Uith a bee, thless heart
beat. Under the impulse of this great,
new JOY, he bent Suddenly toward
her; then controlled himself and
said, quite carelessiy, that he had
not heard.
MIR. MalnWaring was very much old :
er than I,"she pursued, presently. eve
never were congenial; he was nearly
always occupied with his business, and
well, [ quite inadvertently drifted
into this life"
Ericsson was regarding her intently;
he could not altogether comprehend
her mood. He wondered vaguely If
ever so faint regret for the old past,
their past, stirred in her heart. She
had refused him once, and, man-like,
he had accepted her words as final, and
put the ocean between them.
The orchestra was playing some
dreamy thing of Chopin's; the spirit
music fired his blood, and he looked
down into her eyes with a strange,
compelling intensity. Mrs. Mainwar-
ing felt his gaze, and her cheeks Grim
soned in swift response There was no
word spoken, but he caught her sud-
denly in his arms. For an instant she
lay there, her cheek against his. Then
she freed herself and glanced up into
his face, shyly. Her scarlet lips were
slightly parted, and her breath came
through them in tremulous little whis-
pers.
Ericsson bent and kissed her twice.
"Can you be ready to go with me to-
morrow" he asked, eagerly, 81 can't
lose any more time, and can't possibly
part with you again"
Mrs. Mainwaring did not speak at
once. But presently a wonderful smile
came into her eyes, and she laid her
hand in his.
Mrs. Mainwaring was standing before
a picture looking up at it when Tavares
tapped gently on the door of her pri-
vate par1or.
81 sent for you, Teddy" she began,
waving him to chair, "because-" she
appeared to hesitate moment, then
hurried on: Because I wanted to ask
favor of you"
Teddy" size went on, folding aud
unfolding her fan, in a nervous little
way that did not belong to her, ''Mr.
Ericsson does not-must not know who
L..
came and stood in front of him, re-
garding him with oddly anxious eyes.
Tavares gave her quick glance of
amaze. Il don't exactly understand
he observed, in a puzzled tone
Then musttell you some thing, TED.
We are to be married to-morrow-Jack
and land go west mediately. I
knew him many years ago; [ have al,
ways loved him. Something foolish
and Insignificant came between US
What he saw here tonight sick
ened him. I could never marry
woman who lowered herself to such
thlngs-that is what he said. He is
going to take me away from it all
the sham, hypOcrisy-emptiness of
such life. And I, ali, I shall be the
happiest of women, Teddy, the very
happiest!"
Tavares' eyes sought hers piercing