Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-29

before received from woman: he knew
what it meant, and grew giddy at the
thought that he had the power to evoke
it.
Then. in a moment, all was changed!
A priestess, starting in agony from the
Delphic tripod, could not nave exhlpi.eo
a wilder mien than did Lorelie at that mo-
ment as she rose to her feet, her hands
pressed to her bosom as if to repress the
emotion struggling there: in her eyes an
expression of horror. the startled guilty
look of one who. tempted to listen 10
wrong, is suddenly recalled to sense OF
duty.
Idris had wanted to say more. to speak of
the depth of his love. but that look chilled
all the warmth of his feelings. and checked
the words that were rising to his lips.
Mr.. Breakspear," she began. with
strange catch in her voice. you saved
my life from the sea, and it may be that
gratitude has led me to-to-how shall
express myself?-to be too warm in my
friendship. / have not guarded myself suf-
ficiently If there has been anything in
my manner or words calculated to impress
you with the belief that your addresses
would be acceptable to me. beg-I entreat
of you to forgive me. Such utterance-
such action-on my part has been unn-
territorial. cannot listen to you"
With many women NO may some
times mean YES" but this was not the
case with Lorelie Riviere. Idris felt that
her decision was final, irrevocable. And
yet what was the meaning of that first
look of rapture that had come Into her
eyes?
"You do well to refuse me. mademoiselle:
to refuse in truth any sutton. for who in
deed is worthy of you, but"
''Mr. Breakspear, for PHYS sake be silent.
Seer
She drew something from her dress pock-
et turned aside for a moment, and then
held out the third finger of her left hand.
And at the sight Idris, strong man though
he was, staggered as a man may stagger
IN I,ea ring his death sentence
Great heaven! You are not married.
he said hoarsely.
"Ten months ago. Secretly. At Nice"
But he knew the name before she pro-
nounced it.
.'To Lord Walden-yes'
The earth that afternoon was rooted with
a Sky of deep delicious azure: the soft
breeze rippled the leaves of the woodland.
and at each breath the air became alive
with the white blossoms of the trees.
Nothing could be sweeter or fairer than
this summer day. but its charm was not for
Idris With the knowledge that Lorelie
could never be his, there passed away a
glory from the earth
Mechanically he turned his eyes toward
Ravenhall. Lorelie followed the direction of
his glance. Through a vista in the trees
they could see the castellated pile. set with
mullioned easements and fronted with ivied
terraces assembled by stately flights of stone
steps. She knew-and bitter was the knowl-
edge-that Idris was thinking that there
was the prize for which she had sold her
self.
He wronged her, however, by this
thought.
When Lorelie. eighteen months before,
had listened to the VOWS Of Viscount Wal
den she had honestly believed herself to be
in love with him. Idris avowal had shown
her the hollowness of that belief. Vivid as
fire on dark night, there suddenly flashed
upon her trembling mind the overwhelming
revelation that her feeling for her husband
was as nothing compared with her feeling
for Idris. If all the happiness she had
previously known had been suddenly subli-
mated and concentrated into one single in
tense sensation of moments duration it
would not have equaled the rapture
evoked by Idris' avowal. But in a moment
the feeling had gone. giving place to the
dull lethargy of despair. Though realizing
but too plainly that she had married the
wrong man. the knowledge of the fact did
not diminish the loyalty due to her hus-
band. Faithful she would ever remain. but
1t was not her fault If the love that she
could henceforth give him would be scarce
ly deserving of the name.
ITO be continued tomorrow