The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-23
XVI.
The Previous Affair.

long oval mirror. she addressed LnlS
reflection in melodious tones.
Madam, you are really handsome;
and let no false modesty whisper in
your ear that you are not. Few women
in Washington have such clear skin,
such firm flesh, such color. Thirty
eight9 1t is nothing. 1t is but the
halfway post, one has left youth be-
hind, but one has not reached old age.
81 Time must be very tolerant, for he has
given you a careful selection. There
were no years of storm and poverty,
a of violent passions; and if l have truly
h loved, it has been you, only you. You
are too wise and worldly to love any
stood on tho precipice of dark. eyes,
pale skin, and melancholy wrinkles.
n And even now, if he were to speak
Enough! Enough of this
Il folly, have something to accomplish
tonight She g lid from the DO houd0r
room which had often been graced by
the most notable men and women in
"a the country.
Karloff threw aside the book of
4 poems by De Banville, rose, and went
II forward to meet her.
"Madam ''-bending and brushing
her hand with his lips, "Madam, you
grow handsomer every day. If l were
i forty, now, I should fear for your single
blessedness.''
"or, if I were two.an!d-twenty, in
\ to draw on her long white gloves. There
was a challenge in her smile.
"Well, yes; if you were two-and-
a swenty.'
"There was time, not 50 long ago, -
she said drawing his gaze as magnet
draws needle, when the disparity IN
The count laughed "That was three
wears ago: and if nv memory serves
me, you smiled.'
"Perhaps I was first to smile; that
is ALL"
II observe a mental reservation -
: pwlishly.
~ will put it plainly, then.
i preferred to smile over your protes-
4 tations rather than see you laugh at
the possibility and the folly Of my low
7Then it was possible "-with in
terest.
Everything is ), possible
Chow do you know that I was not
truly III love with you?' '-narrowing
cit is not explanatory; it can be
given only one name-instinct, which IN
women and animals is more fully de-
veloped than in man. Besides, at that
time you had not learned all about Col
onel Annesley, whose guests we are to
be this evening. Whoever would have
imagined Karlof accepting the hospii-
talities Of an Annesley7 Count, hath
not thy rose caTker?'
"Madam!' Karloff was frowning.
Count you look like paladin when
anything but wrinkles, That is why
we women frown so seldom. We smile.
But let us return to your query. Sup
posing T had accepted your
declarations seriously, supposing
you had offered me marriage in
that burst, of gratitude; supposing
countess what position 1 should be
in today!'
IT do not understand, ''-perplexed
''Tos''-shrugging. She held forth
a gloved arm. 7'Have you forgotten
how gallantly you used to button my
gloves?'
ga thousand pardons! My mind was
superstition" He took the arm grace
fully and proceeded to slip the pear
buttons thru their holes. (Have you
ever buttoned the gloves of a handsome
woman9 T have And there is sub
a. tie thrill about the proceeding which
cannot quite define. Perhaps it is thu
nearness of physical beauty; perhaps
IL Is JIG USllCdIG SCcllG VI uOWolS, pC1
haps it is the touch of the cool, firm
flesh; perhaps it is just romance.) TIL
gaze which she bent upon his dark heat
was emotional; yet there was not tn
slightest tremor Of arm or fingers. l
is possible that she desired him to OBJ
s1Te the 81 stea . of Of her nerves
"What did mean?''-vaguely. He
thought had been elsewhere.
"By that supposition.'
ooh! I mean that my position, ha'
married you, would have been rattle
anomalous today She. extended tn
0tneF aF opsv f 10 Looked ak in up poo onehv
"Decidedly; and had always doubt
ed your capacity for that sentiment. -
"And pray tell me, with whom al
"Come, count, you and I know -eac
other too well to waste time in beat
you for loving her; only, I say, it mus
"Must not be?" The counts voic
rose key.
eyes, must not be. You must Civ
then up-the idea and the girl. What
You, who contrive the fathers di
honor, would aspire to the daughter
hand7 It is not equable. Love he
honorably or not at all. The cours
unworthy Of you.'
He dropped the arm abruptly an
strobe across the room, stopping by
window. lie did not wish her to Sc
his face at that particular instan
Some men would have demanded il
dignantly to know how she had learne
these things; not so the count.
"There is time to retrieve. Go
tho colonel frankly, pay his debts o,
of your own pockets, then tell the gi
that you love her. Before you tell he
her father will have acquainted h
with his sin and your generosity. 81
will marry you out of gratitude. ~
Karloff spun on his heels. His e
preston was wholly new. His ey
were burning; he stretched and cruz
pied his gloves.
eyes, you are right, you. are RICH
have been trying to convince myse
- that I was machine where the faith
was concerned and wholly man in !
gard to the girl. You have put 1t b
fore me in bold manner. Good Go
yes! I find that I am wholly a ma
How smoothly all this would have 60
to the end had she not crossed n
path! I am base, I, who have alwa
considered myself an honorable ma
And now it is too late, too late!
- EToo late9 What do you mea
Have you dared to ask her to be 20
roI 1of ~ hor or11,