The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-16


not al bad woman, and she stiH pos
sessed the remnant Of q heart which IL
! her girihocd had been so powerful q
means Of government. that had her for
tune been 20 meet and lose proper man,
II would have resolved her life into g
path just as far removed from evil as
now L was refnote from good.
She loved Cressinghan, partly because
Of the many manly virtues which she
could not help discerning il his nature.
/ But years Of evil had printed their inef-
fable stamp upon her mind.
You have ceased to love me, said
Lord Francis reproachfuliy.
Madame smiled to remember how many
men had said the same thing TO her when
treated similarly. Would you carer she
/ whispered
he bit his lip in sheer vexation. Yester.
cay he had desplsed her proffered love;
to-day 1t seemed desirable because with
held.
How can you ask me such thingg'
! he cried; you know how love you,
/ kate!'
Madame found his words very sweet TO
/ listen 70; she had not heard many such
/ from him Of later days. therefore they
ministered a comforting incense 10 her
vanity.
She gave him languishing glance.
How should remember, deer. you
4 have not told ne for--sh, so many days
with all my heart" ne answered. and
/ madame sighed an dfell 10 nlusing. we'll
/ content to be wooed thus, her mood Of
! the moment being peaceful and composed
! CTesSingham watched her as she dream
! ed, specializing Idly on the subject CT her
/ thoughts. drinking in her strange, Wild
! beauty and almost loving her. Il seemed
/ 70 him that nature had made a terrible
/ mistake in the forming Of this woman.
/ WAY had a shell so beautiful been fash
| Toned II 10 be deprived Of that crown OF
/ beauty, 2 perfect soul? There came TO
| his mind the thought OF ether women
whose names stin shone like stars IN the
/ shadowy annals OF the world He won
dered half-doubtingly, if thsir charms
could really have eelipsed madames, and
wondered more to remember and realize
! how comparatively few were those wo-
men cherished by history whose supreme
beauty had been equaled by their viz
tues rs there not something evil in
beauty" he asked himself; and he found
the question impossible 10 answer.
DO you know what I am thinking?
asked madame suddenly.
Motel me. dear"
II am wishing I had met you wears
I :
an, do not laugh at me Frank-that
was another, The mother Of your child
Kate" He stared at her in swift dis
may. but madame was serious
She continued dreamily. Really, dear
1 have always longed 10 have q child
every woman does, think. Do you know
when I see babies with their nurses in
tie street I often stop 20 speak 70 them
and kiss their hands Their little hands
appeal to one so. 50 small and crumpled-
up they are. when they stretch out 10 me
they make me feel tight here;' she put
her hand to her heart
Cressingham felt strangely shocked. just
as shocked as he would had ne listened
to a better womsn uttering blasphemy
AuG yet, sopehow he was compelled TO
sympsthize, for madame was q good wo-
man just then. Her eyes were dreamy
and bright with dew. her lips parted in
an ecstscv or nled.taLsOn. j. 49, -
though she dreamed indeed. and beiiev-
ing herself a mother clasp.ng her infant
10 her heart
But what a doUche on his imaginingst
he found something actually revolving IN
the idea Of madame 9s a Rogner. Get
ting 20 ais feet, he paced the focr In sill
enco until BellsiT returned with ma
danes tea
The man vouchsafed a piece Of infor-
nation as be entered. At midnight,
monseigneur, monsieur VIII CONS for
madame"
Cressingham nodded. Madame smiled.
ana when Bellair had gone grew quite
hilarious. for she was pleased that a terra
had been placed On her incarceration
even IN so soft a prison. so intoiorant
was her nature Of restraint Crossing
ham. feeling the need Of exercise, contin-
ued his walk until dinner had arrived
keeping az, the while. a running FIRE CT
chatting conversation.
After an excellent dinner. madame
pulled a cigarette. She called her lover
to her
kiss me-" she commanded
He brushed her forehead with his lips.
4 sudden rage possessed her at his cold
ness, and. quite BESIDE herself, she struck
him sharply on the mouth.
He started back maddoned at the blow.
bur next second madame repented.
But Cressiughana, white with anger.
and ia spite OF her whimpering entreaties.
hurried from the room. banging the door
dercely behind him
An hour OF meditation made him re-
morsefui, too. After all, she had bat Civ
en- way 70 q moments temper, and had
instantly repeuted. He was man. she
only Q woman; he should have pardonsd
her Even as he relented, there came 2
soft tapping % Il outer door. He turned
IL time 10 sec enter the apartment two
women thickly yelled. behind them Won
Oeltien, his finger or his lip.
Bellalr made a comprehensive gesture.
and the women. brushing by Crossing
ham, entered madame's room noiselsss
as phantOms, closing the door souadlessly
behind them. A short pause succeeded.
then a sharp, quickly snlothered cry-and
long silence, which no one cared 10
break
Cressingham felt boiling in his heart
mixture OF Wild impulses, some Of which
Radly urged him to help madame. some
70 rush away, away. anywhere. anywhere
IN or cut OF the world, so that he might
rid bis brain Of thought, and rest AS a
horrid dream. he saw the women present.
= emerge from the room bearing
madame body Ike a corpse between
them. She was utterly unconscious, and
rested n their grasp so still and helpless
that his heart cried out IN very. pity for
her state, the more. perhaps, because her
face had lost a great part OF its beauty in
the pallor Of the drug He watched them
bear her carefully away, and noted, half
dazed. that the house was wrapped in
silence, that the clocks hands almost
stood at ? One dim consolation only
seemed remaining: presently nc would be
alone
But that, too, faded. Won oeltjen ap-
preached him Better put on your
thickest coat" ne murmuved; the night
is bitter cole
WHAT said Cressingham; Il am
wanted, too?"
why. certainly. Hasten. please.
Soon he found himself in a carriage
seated beside the count, a carriage that
bore them swiftly and unfalteringly
through the gloom, for gray mist en-