Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-15

and then she was in love with Chet-
wind Besides there was nothing
Leighton liked to do in January and
February. except this sort of thing.
He had his times and seasons, and
fairly lived vampire existence upon
the national institution.
When Margaret began to dress her
palor gave place to neurotic flush
and her eyes became brilliant. She
did not at all know what would hap
pen. but she knew It would be some-
thing of Importance to her and Chet-
wind. she was not even thinking of
the reactionary consequences to Mrs.
Winward- Hayden and to Leighton
they only existed to give cue to the
lines and deeds of herself and Chet-
wind.
/ BY this time she was more firmly
convinced of Chetwind's guilt than if
she had just received word over Chet-
winds own signature that he had
eloped during the afternoon with Mrs
Winward Hayden. And really Chet-
wind almost never did anything
wrong. Chetwind was not home to
dinner-when they dined together
they always mentioned 1T.
Margaret had her dinner served in
her own apartments and ate nothing.
There is nothing like a woman's
own boudoir for keeping up the emo
tional temperament. Chetwind had
given her this; Chetwind had given
her that, and they had set there one
night when he had told her that he
lived only for her. 1t was now some
three months ago when that had taken
place-had probably got so sick of it
he couldn't keep it up-had grown
careless in his sense of security-or
perhaps his love for the other woman
had at last become so intense.
When Margaret entered her opera
box three hours later Chetwind had
not yet come; neither had Mrs Win
ward Hayden Hayden was there and
he came around and talked with Mar
garet.
isn't Mrs. Hayden coming?" she
asked, casually, while her breath came
hot.
Later, l believe she is dining some
where" So was Chetwind. Margaret
turned her face full upon Leighton.
who sat in the next box. 1t was not
glance that summoned. 1t was the
glance that precedes the summons
Leighton had sat there whel she
entered, and had not taken his eyes
from her face. She knew it all along,
but had not once acknowledged it.
Leighton was satisfied, however.
Now as Margaret looked at him, moth
ing happened except that Leighton's
expression became very tender instead
of intense. AT that moment Mrs. Win
ward Hayden entered the Aikens' box
and smiled an acknowledgment of
something to some one she had left
without. Margaret could not see who
it was. She did not need to see
Within five minutes Chetwind had
let himself into chair by Margarets
side and had nodded to her with
smile. He had nice regard for the
decencies of life which served per-
fectly in place of tolerance for the
opera.
Margaret experienced a sudden par
oXysm of passion for Chetwind be-
cause he belonged to Mrs. Winward-
Hayden.
"Got here early didn't you, Nita? I
couldn't get Off" Just then his and
Mrs. Winward-Hayden's glances met
and Chetwind smiled and bowed.
"There are the Winward- Haydens
he said. "I'll go around and speak with
her." He did.
''They have been separated for five
minutes" was Margaret's thought and
she became frantic. Then the opera
was in full swing again. Chetwind was
looking at Mrs Winward- Hayden's
| Winward- Hayden turned to him and
! Chetwind looked her in the face. Mar
garet by now had them both impaled
| upon the near end of the opera glass.
| The music and the lights, everything
| had something to do with it. She read
four chapters into Chetwind's regard
now fixed upon the woman whom he
had always found responsive enough
Margaret put her hand to her throat
when Chetwind leaned very close and
said something to the woman across
the way, and he then arose to leave
the box. Margaret put down the
glasses and became panic stricken lest
she meet Chetwind in the corridor. AS
she rose from her chair she turned her
face upon Leighton. Damn him!"
said Leighton felicitously-he was an
old hand at this sort of thing. what
dreams may comew But then this was
a nightmare, and Margaret found her.
self some way in Leightons carriage.
She didn't at all know what she was
going to do next. Anyway
''Drive me home first" she said. 81
want to attend to something"
AS a matter of fact, she wanted to
make it considerably worse for Chet-