Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-05
CHAPTER Continued.

to 10 out again lIliltpbtSAS'
DIT. Gordon had hardly finished speak
ing before they drew UP in front OF
white house on the left of the road
Get out" he said peremptorily to James
The front door opened and a parallelo-
gram Of lighted interioc became visible.
In this expanse OF light stood tan
woman's figure. Clara, this is the new
doctor" called out DR.. Gordon. Take
him In and take care OF him.
Have you got to go away again?
said the womau's voice 1t was sweet
and rich, but had a curious sad quality
in It.
yes. must. I shall not be gone long
Don't wait supper
Aren't you going to change the
horse?'
Cant stop. Go right in. Elliot. Clara
look after him
James Elliott found himself In the
house confronting the most beautlfui
woman he had ever seen, as the faIlu
trot of the doctors horse receded in VS.
tas OF sound -
seen such a woman. He had seen pretty
girls Now he suddenly realized that a
girl was not woman, and no more 70
be compared with her than an uncut
gem with one whose facets take the ut-
most light
The boy stood staring at this wonder
ful woman. She extended her hand 10
him but he did not see it. she Sa!o some
gracious words OF greeting to NM out
he did not hear them. She might NAYS
been the Venus de Milo for all he heafu
or realized of sentieDt life in her. he
was rapt in contemplation Of herself, so
rapt that he was Obvious OF heI' 9Ae
smiled She was accustomed to having
men. especially very young men take
such an attitude on first seeing her she
did not wait any longer, but herself TOOK
Il d
gently into the room, and spoke SO in
sistently that she compelled him 10 le4ye
her and attend Il suppose you are Df
GOrdau's ASSISTANT she said.
James relapsed into the tricks OF MS
childhood. Yes. ma am, he replied, Iheh
he blushed furiously, but the woman seem
ed TO notice neither the provincial term
nor his confusion. He found himself some
now. he did not know how, Invested OF
his oyerCoat. and the vision had dlsap-
peared. having left some words about n
ner ringing in his ears, and he was SIT
ting before hearth fire In a large leather
easy chair. Then he looked about the room
in much the same dazed fashion in which
he had contemplated the woman. lie had
never seen a room like II. He was used
10 conventionality albeit richness and a
degree even of luxury. Here were absolute
unconveutionality richness and luxury of a
kind utterly strange to him. The room
was very large and long, extending near.y
the whole length Of the house There were
many windows with eastern rugs instead
of curtains. There were eastern things
hung on the walls which gave cut dun
CLEANS of gold and silver and topaz and
turquoise There were great many books
on low shelves. There were bron2es, jars
and squat idols. There were a few pieces
of Chinese ivory work. There were many
skins of lions bears and tigers on the floor,
besides a great Persian rug which gleam-
ed like a blurred jewel. Besides the fire.
light there was only one great bronze
lamp to illuminate the room. This lamp
had a red shade, which cast a soft fiery
glow over everything. There were not
many pictures. The rich eastern stutfs and
even skin or two Of tawny hue, covered
most OF the wall spaces above the book
cases, giving backgrounds of color to
bronzes and ivory carvings, but there was
one picture at the farther end of the room
which attracted James notice. All that he
could distinguish from where he sat was
a splash of splendid red.
He gaZed and his curiosity grew. Finally
he rose, traversed the room and came close
TO the picture. 1t was a portrait of the
woman who had met him at the door. The
red was the red OF a splendid robe Of vel
vet. The por trait was evidently the work
of no mean artist. The texture of the
velvet was something wonderful so were
the flesh tones; but James missed some
thing in the face The portrait had been
painted, he knew instinctivsly, before some
great change had come into the woman 5
heart, which had given her another as
peCt OF beauty.
james turned away. Then he noticed
something else which seemed rather odd
about the room. All the windows were
furnished with heavy wooden shutters and.
early as II was, hardly dark all were
closed and fastened securely James some
how got an impression Of secrecy. that it
was considered necessary that no GLIMPSE
of the interior should be obtained from
without after the lamp was lit They sat
often carelesSly at his own home of an
evening with the shades up and all the IN
terror of the room plainly visible from the
road. An utter lack of secrecy was in
James own character. He scowled a lit
tle as he returned to his seat by the fire
Tie was too confused to think clearly but
ne was conscious OF a certain homesickness
Tor the wonted things Of his life when
the door opened and the woman re-entered
James rose and she spoke In her sweet
voice II was rather lower pitched than the
voices OF most women and had a resonant
9Gailty. y our room is quite ready, Doctor
Eliot,' said she. your trunk is there If
you would ike TO go there before dinner
VIII pilot you. We have but one maid and
she Is preparing the dinner. which will be
ready as soon as you are. l hope Doctor
Sordon and C!emeney will have returned by
that time too"
BY Clemency James understood that she
meant her daughter, OF whom Doctor Cor
don had spoken He wondered at the IN
usual name, as he followed his hostess His
room was on the same floor as the living
room. She threw open door at the other
side Of the hall. and James saw an exceed
ingly comfortable apartment with hearth
covered with rug. and a desk Il thought
you would prefer this room" said the
woman. There are others on the second
floor, but this has the advantage of your
being able 10 use IL as sitting room and
you may like to have your friends whom /
trust you will find in Alton. come In from
time 10 time. You VII please make yourself
quite at home
James had not yet fairly comprehended
the beauty OF the woman. He was stiIl too
daZzled Had he gone away at that time he
could not for the life of him have described
her but he did glance. woman might
have done. at her gown. II was Of soft
heavy red silk, trimmed with lace and was
cut out IN small square at the throat
This glimpse OF firm white throat made
James wonder as to evening costume for
himself At home he never dreamed OF such
a thing but here II might be different His
hostess OWNED his thoughts. She smiled at
him as e he were a child. No" said She
'you mot need TO dress for dinner Doc
tor Gordon never does when We are by
ourselves"
Then she went away. closing the door
softly after her.
James noticed that over the windows of
this room were only ordinary shades, and
curtains OF some soft red stun. There were
no shutters He looked about him. He was
charmed with his room. and It did away TO
a great extent with his feeling of home
~. ut.