Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-08
CHAPTER XIV.


entered her apartment, and securing the
door, gave way to the passionate feelings
born of dire suspicion, which had been
ranking in her breast for hours. The
interview between her father and Rose in
the morning, the hint at confession, the
thousand slight yet convincing tokens OF
feeling witnessed that afternoon and
evening in her close yet silent and
stealthy watch over actions and words.
something peculiar in the manner of the
marquis, and the occasional gay yet mys-
terious jests of the Count de Clairville-
all combined to awaken within her the
bitterest and most tormenting distrust
and suspicion.
''I will know-I will knowv' she said
to herself. A little while she waited, till
she was able to assume manner OF per-
feet composure, and then, lifting an ala
baster lamp from the toilet, she crossed
the gallery and entered the apartment op-
posite.
Rose had dismissed her maid and was
brushing out her hair, whose rich folds,
falling around her light shape, almost
concealed it with their shining veil. She
turned from the mirror as Mademoiselle
Montauban entered. and lovely smile
frightened over her sweet face.
"Ah, I am SO glad you have come,
Helenp' she said, running to her and
throwing those fair, snowy arms about
her in an innocent, loving and happy en-
brace.
And Helen Montauban, bending her
beautiful head, calmly and with seeming
kindness and affection, kissed Rose on her
forehead. The girl shuddered.
"How cold you are, Helen! Are you
al? Your lips are like ice!'
mo, I am not i'll. dear child, and L
Fthink it must be because you are so
warm, SO excited, so happy, that you i'm
agine me to be cold. 1 have come to sit
! with you little while before I retire"
"You were kind to come. I wanted to
see you; I was waiting for you" She
sat down by the side of Mademoiselle
Montauban and put her arms about her
again.
'Well, you wished to see me-is that
alp asked Helen, attempting something
like playfulness in her manner.
II wished toto tell you something,
and now have not the courage" Rose
hid her face on her companions breast
again. Helen, it was about-Louis." -
Those sweet eyes were hidden; it was
well; they could not see the stony fierce
grew wilder and whittier as the girlish,
timid confession was made.
Helen Montauban, crushing with calm
and terrible force the thousand mad emo
tions in her breast, that struggled to have
way, compelled herself to utter, softly:
$50 on, Rose; l am interested-I am
listening; go onv'
And Rose told her all-aIl, from begin
10 e. IL.
that stormy heart, whose gathering fires
her innocent, whispered, bashful words
fed with fearful sustenance. Helen
Montauban listened. She heard all this
every word, every syllable of this con-
fession, and each word, each syllable,
struck her with deadly blow. The de-
iberate stab of the midnight murderer
tells with no deeper power. Yet she list
ened, and stirred not; she spoke some
times, made. some remark or comment,
and then listened again. There was a
kind of savage agony within, that dwelt
upon that simple love story in its. every
detail, and comprehended it with sharp
and greedy eagerness; but at the close, all
memory of those details departed. All
that was left of. that story, gathered into
three words-three single words, that
Rose, with bashful joy, whispered as she
finished: He loves me-Louis loves mev'
And Helen Montauban said to herself,
''He loves another; he does not love mep'
The words were branded into her heart;
they were written there in characters of
fire.. they were ineffaceable.
''You are not going yet? do not go yet,
dear Helenp' murmured Rose. ''Stay
with me little longer"
Her soft eyes, raised so tenderly, so
pleadingly, to that face, shone with
divine beauty. The gold-tinged tresses,
flowing about her graceful head were
like the glory that surrounds the brow of
a saint. Thus seemed this young GIRL as
she stood before the dark, stately Helen.
whose proud face was calm and quiet.
whose splendid eyes shot forth no shaft
of the smothered fire within.
But Helen Montauban uttered some
gentle words and turned away. She bade
Rose a pleasant good night before she
went out, and then, taking her by the
hand, bent down once more and kissed
her. With that kiss she swore hatred
undying, eternal; revenge, speedy and
sure, to the one who had robbed her of
his love. And Rose sought her pillow to
dream such dreams as youth and joy
may bring, even while hate and revenge,
Helen Montauban secured herself in the
privacy and stiffness of her chamber, and
putting her lamp on her own dressing
table, threw herself upon the couch, not
to sleep. The spirit of rest fed from
those eyes, that gloomed upon vacancy.
There was no peace for that heart, beat
ing with hard, fierce, heavy throbs be-
meath it's silken vesture. Still those words
burned upon it their scorching characters
-'the loves anotherp'
She had sworn revenge. The dream
of her whole life had been broken now.
It was as if a single thread of shining
silver had run it's glittering line through
her life-woof, and those slender fingers,
SO lately pressed upon her own, shad
ruthlessly snapped it asunder. Rose
might be innocent of intention to wrong
her-nay, she knew her to be SO. And
yet she hated her-hated the beautiful
face, the sweet voice, that had won him
to love them. She shuddered as she
seemed to feel once again the pressure
of that young head upon her bosom. 1t
oppressed-suffocated her; she could not
breathe. The very air of the room was
sitting. She flung open easement with
trembling hands and leaned far ont To