The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

in this soul Of mine,' he exclaimed.
The rest OF the world can game and
kiss and besot themselves in peace
Only I-I-must writhe and struggle
unsa atisfied,"
There Is a carboy outside. your
lordship, who wishes TO see YOU.
"A carboy." Gordon raised his head.
What does he want?"
He saws he has message for your
lordship's own hands. He's likely
looking lad
Very well, show him in. Hasn't
Rushton returned from Mr.. Sheridans s
YETI" he added.
Yes. my lord But Lady Noel sent
him out again with a letter for Sir
Ralph to his club
Gordon heaved sigh Of relief.
Sherry must be better" he thought
He waited on the threshold till Fletch-
er ushered in a slim figure in the round
coat and buttons Of a carman. his
chin was muffied in coarse necker-
chief, and a rumpled mass of brown
hair showed beneath the edges of the
cloth cap, whose visor was pulled over
his eyes.
Well. my lad?"
The boy stood still, twisting his
fingers in his jacket till the valet
had retired Then suddenly as the
door closed, the cap was snatched
off, a mass of brown. hair dropped
curling about the boyish shoulders
the silver-buttoned jacket fell
open, revealing a softly rounded
throat and delicate slope Of breast.
Gordon uttered an astonished and be-
wildered exclamation.
Caro-. What mad masquerade is
this?"
She drew back under the pale in
tensity. the controlled agitation OF his
face. Forgive me. forgive mel" Tu-
multi was looking from her eyes and
her shoulders were hearing. Il could
not help It. l have tried to forget
you during all this past year. can
not bear TO see you only at Melbourne
House and at parties and on the
street How pale you always arer she
went on. Like a statue of marble,
and your dark hair such a contrast. /
never see you without wanting to cry.
If any painter could paint me your face
as 1t is / would give anything I pos
sessi"
She had touched his hand. but he
drew it away sharply feeling black
sense OF entanglement' in the touch.
Lady Caroline. This is unthink-
able. To come here in that dress
here. TO this house. is sheer madness.
1 did not imagine you capable of such
follyi"
You think 1 am weak and selfish, -
she pleaded. You have always
thought did not struggle to with
stand my feelings. But indeed, indeed,
ii is more than human nature can
bear. ! loved you before you married
Bella-loved you better than name,
than religion, than any prospects on
earth. You must have loved me more
if you had never seen her, She has
never cared for you as ! do"
He darted a glance at the door. His
wife, A rebellious anger, rose in him
al being thrust into such q predica-
rnent.
You have taken a strange way to
show that love-
-Oh, l could show it other ways,''
She was looking at him with tremu-
lous daring. They used TO say that
once in the East, to prove to Greek
girl that you loved her you wounded
yourself in the breast Would such a
thing make you believe how / love
you?''
At that moment both heard voice
in the hallway
'Bella,"- he said in a whisper
'.Oh. thought she had gone to Sea-
ham, she breathed. You must be-
iieve I did not know she was here.'
She buttoned the coat over her breast
with nervous fingers and put on the
cloth cap. The sound had thrown her
into a DaroyySm of dread