The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-02


answered. Il am sure Of it. If
4 he RECEIVERS he may. not accuse
her. If he dies she is safe.
He paced the room for d minute or
two restlessly.
There are some. people" he said
a. last. who seem fated to carry on
their shoulders the burdens of other
people You. Anna, are one of them.
] know in Paris you. pinched and
scIaped that your sister might have
the dresses and entertainments she de-
sired. You fell in at once with her
CLiXotic and -damnable scheme OF
fo.sting her reputation and her follles
Upon your shoulders while. she mar
ries a rich man and commences all
over again a life of selfish pleasure.
You on the other hand have to come
To London, a worker, with the re-
sponsibility of life upon. your own
shoulders-and in addition all the
burden of her follies.'
... You forget" she said. looking UP
at him with faint smile, that under
the cloak Of her name am earning,
more money a week than 1 could ever
have earned in year by my own
labors.'
III is an accident" he answered.
ter than Annabel ever did, you have
even a better style. Alcide or no Al
eide. there is not a music hall man
ager in London or T ris who would
not give you an engagement on your
own merits"
Perhaps not" she answered And
yet in a very few weeks L shall have
done with il ali. Do you think that l
shall ever make an actress, my
fIiend2"
Il doubt it," he answered bluntly.
You have not feeling enough"
She smiled at him.
1t IS like old times, she said. to
hear these home truths. All the same,
l don't admit it,"
He shook his head
To be an actress" he said. you re-
Quire d special and peculiar tempera-
ment. 1 do not believe that there has
ever lived a great actress whose moral
character from the ordinary point of
view would bear inspection"
Then J." she said. have too much
character"
p Too much character and too little
sediment" he answered. TOO much
emotions and too little passion. How
. could you draw the curtain aside
which hides the great and holy places
OF life-yOu. who have never loved ,"
. You have become French to- the
core" she murmured. You would
believe that life is kindled by the pas
sions alone"
-. I know" he answered, that you
who. have never loved are like blind
folded seekers after truth. You TOO
Will knew il if the bandage is ever torn
from before your. eyes: You viii see
another world than the world of every
day material things. You. too, will
wander in the gardens which Keats
loved, where Byron .culled his violets,
the garden beyond the mists."
And are you sure: she said. half to
herself. looking with SAD eyes into the
- fire, that l have never walked there ?"
Do A new anxiety crept into his face.
There were. signs OF it; too. in his tone
as he leaned anxiOusly forward.
- A few months ago" he said, L was
very sure OF il To-day l. cannot tell.
There are new things written. in your
face; YOU have felt and suffered. You
must tell me"
-. My friend, o.. she answered, there is
. nothing to tell"
There was silence between Them.
Then q servant girl. brought in a tele-
81 gram. Anna tore it open and passed
1t 10 Courtlaws 1t was from Brendon:
.:Hnl gradually recovering conscious
D. ness. Doctor says dispositions tonight.
- Recovery ssible.-Brendon."
He looked at her gravely.
. I think" he said, that some one
ought TO warn her"
1T is number s. Cavendish square,"
she answered simply.
Courtlaw found himself ushered with
out questions into. AnnabeIs long, low
drawing room, fragrant with flowers
p and. somewhat to his surprise crowded
= with guests. From the further end Of
the apartment came the low music of a
violin. Servants were passing back
ward and forward with tea and choco-
late. For a moment he did not recog-
nize Annabel Then she came a few
steps 10 meet him
Mr.. Courtlaw, is il not?" she re-
marked, with lifted eyebrows. Really,
II is very kind of you to have found me
out"
He was bereft Of words for a moment
and in that moment she escaped. hav-
ing passed him on deity to one of the
later arrivals.
Lady Mackinnor," she said. 'I am
sure that you must have heard of Da-
vid Courtlaw. Permit me to make him
known 10 you-Mr. Courtlaw-Lady
Mackinnor."
With murmured- word of excuse
she glided away and Courtlaw, who
had come with mission which seemed
20 him TO be one Of life OF death. was
left TO listen TO the latest art jargon
from Chelsea He bore it as long as ne
could, watching all the time with fas-
clnaleo eyes AhhaDel moving grace
fully about among her guests always
gay, with a smile and a whisper for
nearly everybody. Grudgingly he adj
mired her. To him she had always ap-
peared as a mere pleasure-loving para
site-something quite insignificant. He
had pictured her. If indeed she had ever
had the courage TO do this thing, as sit
ting alone, convulsed with guilty fear,
starting at her own shadow, a slave TO
constant terror. And instead he found
her playing the great lady. and playing
IT well. She knew or guessed his mission,
too. for more than once their eyes met,
and she laughed mockingly at him.
At last he could bear il no longer. He
LEFT his cor,a n lnin,, in the midst Of q