The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-03-23

"A lew uayb, sn6 Salu, absent m1n0-
edly. "Myl" she exclaimed. IF don't
go back to my Aunt Esmeralda right
now there's going to be a deal Of trou-
Bile. I'll say good night to you, Mr..
Lake"
He was rather staggered. Good
night" he said. But l hope this Is
| not the last time"
ut depends. Mind that when he's
about you don't know me-"
He watched her as she went up the
hall. Her bright smile came of very
easily. She looked little tired and
hunted.
That night he could come to no sat
isfactory explanation. He could only
decide to do exactly as he had been
told and await events. In the mean
time the girls face haunted him, and
always as 1t had been when she did
not know that he could see her-al-
ways that tired and hunted look. What
had been her story7 What was inside
her heart and mind? What cards was
she playing? why had she spoken to
him. The questions we're endless. His
interest in her, strangely powerful,
kept him for long awake
III.
The little farce was played out with
great success next morning. Lake told
a beautiful story, and did 1t better be-
cause Irene Jocelyn, breakfasting
alone at the next table. was listening
intently. After smoking the hasheesh
he had heard the sphynx talking. Then
black and limitless ocean had broken
over II, and out Of the ocean strange
white woman had crept and cut her
self with gold handled knife.
"Good!" said the doctor, with dry
triumph. "And the more interesting
because you have never had any has
heesh at ALL"
MOI" said Lake. "I thought that
would be it." He tossed the envelope
tobacco inside. How do you give 1t
that green color? think the score is
with me-"
The doctor was angry, the more so
because Brookes was undisguisedly
amused at the failure. But he made
one shrewd guess. "If had mention
ed the thing to a solitary soul
should have been certain that it had
been given away to you. AS 1t is, l
can't see how you came to think Of 1t
for yourself. It's quite unlike you"
w.
For the next two days Irene Jocelyn
successfully avoided young Lake, and
thereby drove him to the verge of
madness 1t even occurred to him to
play a bold stroke and ask the doctor
to introduce him. But he had the rea-
sonable conviction that the introduce
ton would do him more harm than
good with this strange girl. He grew
to hate Henson-B Blake; it was evident
that while he was there Irene would
not speak. He invented excuses to get
him out of the way.
On the third day she came up to
him in the hall with hand outstretch-
ed 81 just want to say goodby to you,
Mr.. Lake." she said. I'VE leave this
afternoon"
Wont you tell me anything before
you go? l can find no reason why you
should have interested yourself in my
defence. Still less can l find any rea-
son why you should have avoided me
ever since"
But | wasn't interested in you.
You're not-what do they say?-not on
in this act. Didn't tell you that / was
doing 1t for myself?"
"Yes. You are clever-you found out
the doctors trick"
"I know him. told you that I met
him on the tourist boat l knew what
he would do"
II am stupid, for l also knew him,
and did not find out. I'm not
vain enough, believe me, to suppose
that you did this for love of me-"
She laughed and snapped her fingers.
81 wish to God you had!" he added;
and the tone and simplicity Of the
words carried conviction. She changed
her manner. She became serious.
What was done, not for love Of you,
was done for hate Of somebody else!
Can't you imagine a woman wanting
to hit back and too proud to let 1t be
known that she wants to hit at all?
Can't you imagine her hungering and
thirsting to see a certain main fail, IL
only in some little thing. just for once?
Can't you-Oh, you don't want the
whole humiliating story, do you?"
mo. no. I'm sorry. Good-by."
"Goodby."
"Only you lnow-that Is not for
hate of a man. II you hated there
might be a chance for those who
loved"
She shook her head and turned away.
A minute later he heard her laughing
and talking her best American to a
group of hotel acquaintances.
And this is, perhaps, the primary
reason why Percival Lake did ulu-
mately take TO hasheesh in sober ear
nest. His friends have ceased to speak
to him. DIR. Henson-Blake is interest
| ed in the case.-The Tattler.
Parliamentary Ruling.