Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-05

was before her.
She faced him. half startled. breathing
quickly. She was TALL very tall, and moved
regally, like a queen, in her white gown
and long crimson cloak. ] fancy one saw
her eyes first-after the majesty of her
bearing. They were blue, clouded purpllsh
blue, like-like nothing else in the world,
southern seas. maybe. Italian lakes-mid-
night skies when she was troubled or
thoughtful-very long, and at times wide,
and deep set under straight level brows.
She'd a slender, straight little nose. high
bridged, and tip tilted-oh, the very lttlest
bit in the world! She'd a mouth all soft
curves, dropping at the corners. Its upper
lip quite absurdly short and curled out
ward, and overhanging greatly the lower
one! Her chin-it was an English chin. 1
protest not an American one-was pointed
and clean cut and set forward prominently
over the loveliest full throat that sculptor
could fancy. And her hair was brown. a
waving, crinkly brown save where the sun
fell upon 1t. There it was red bronze, a
living fire. 1t was parted somewhere at one
side and heaped over her brows, and a
great knot of it hung at the back of her
neck. All, but there no words for the
sumptuous loneliness of her for the pOise
of her beautiful head, for the 1.-THE sway OF
her round waist She was slender, I'd have
you know, slender of waist, but very broad
in the shoulders as out-of-door young wo-
men sometimes are, deep bosomed and
fiat backed, pink a rosy goddess. save
when she was Ill and suffering
| She showed her late desperate Illness but
little outwardly She was a bit pale, and
her hands and cheeks were thinner than
their wont-as we learned afterward-but
| they were so perfectly modelled, 30 wonder
full in line and contour that they suffered
! for the lack of roundness hardly at all.
There were faint dark circles under her
eyes, too. They showed when she turned
/ her head bit and looked away.
Her head was bent now, eyes under cover
and the stormy breathing would not be
! hidden. Young Mallory stood before her
quite motionless-as for his breathing 1t hao
quite ceased long since, but his eyes de-
voured her. feasted upon every gorgeous line
and tint, revelled there l think that In
| that moment all his promises and plans all
| he had come to the garden to perform, all
| the plot and deception that had been woven
about the girl before him, went in flash
from his mind, and he thought, II his brain
| acted at all. only of the wonderful beauty
and loneliness of her, only that she was
cruelty beset by fate, helpless in a net that
she might not see; and that he must free
her somehow, # it cost his life to do so.
They stood so, motionless, not speaking
for a long time till at last young Mallory
forced his eyes from her face and held out
his hands.
Eleanor" said he in that deep tender
voice of his. Eleanor" no one could re-
sist Mallory when he spoke like that No
one could be afraid or distrustful or cold.
Alas it's a wise provision of Providence
that we haven't all such voices.
/ Inc girl raised neT neaO Win b little low
nervous laugh and put her hands quickly
into his.
'Ah, you've come at last. she cried
softly. "It's-really-you?"
She had given him but the swiftest glance
when he came down the gravel path toward
her. but now her great eyes searched him,
wide with certain breathless eagerness--
with a certain half frightened timidity, won
dering little. She searched him through
and through.
Young Mallory drew the two slim hands
together in his and strolSed them gently
There was little steady smile upon his
lips No one could resist Mallory when he
smiled like that No one could be afraid
or distrustful or cold. The girls lips curved
to the faintest answering smile, but her
eyes never left his.
"Wen?" said young Mallory presently,
will do. Eleanor
The girl gave another little nervous
laugh and drew her hands away
Tim afraid you'll have to do, won't
you?" said she. TT isn't quite matter
of choice. is it?''
Yes said young Mallory very gently.
Yes. 1T is a matter of choice, Eleanor Tn
not quite a brute. you know" He had an
indistinct notion that this was not playing