Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-06-16
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER IL.
Cassandra's toilette was always APP
preached deliberately; wherein it differed
III no wise from the most trifiing of her
daily actions. She was woman who
never did anything without reason.
She sat staring at her reflection in the
mirror while the deft fingers of her maid
were busy coiling and twisting the lux
uriant tresses of her hair. Cassandra
was conscious of her own superb lowell
ness, and could calculate to a nicely its
effect on the men who followed in her
train. She read men with the ease of a
printed book. Horace she despised, ut
terly and entirely.
Yet she had promised to become his
wife
Why? Cassandra's reasons went deep
into the mat ter. She had known what
1T was almost to want for the common
necessaries of life. Bitter experience had
been her lot from infancy. Horace was
rising man in his profession; his pros
poets We're undoubtedly brilliant Robert
might attain to a niche in the Temple of
Fame; his fortune, however, was far to
seek
With all her sentiment and love of ro-
nance, she was strongly practical She
had been too long familiar with poverty
not to know She value of money, and
the comfort and ease which it can buy.
The woman who married Horace would
never want for anything. He was a man,
too, who required a woman to help him
on in life; a woman who would urge him
on from one success to a greater: a
woman who would keep his ambition CON
stantly alive. She was the woman to do
that with her by his side there was no
height to which he might not aspire.
Yet
"What dress will the signora wear?"
1t was the maid who spoke. The black {?
The red?"
THE black" Cassandra awoke from
her reverie with a start "Ah, yes; the
black. | have headache this morning"
She wondered whether Robert had vet
heard of her engagement. Would Horace
have told him? How had he taken the
news? Was he pleased? Sorry, perhaps.
She fancied-it was merely fancy
that he loved her.
How pale l ann" she said, when the
black dress was fitted Il declare l look
CHASTITY"
ing" said the maid.
Il look a positive fright! You must
change this dress! Yes. the red one"
The red one was fitted, and again she
contemplated herself in the mirror. The
result this time pleased her The warm
red reflected itself in her face. and soft
ened the lines which the sleepless night
had left This satisfied her
Roberts studio was in Chelsea. The
morning was wretchedly gray and over
cast. Underfoot it was dirty, and there
was mist in the air Yet she scorned
the shelter of a cab. She needed time to
think. A strange emotion held her in
thrall
She was beginning to doubt herself.
If only Robert loved herl She was
content that other men might admire
her; she demanded more than admira-
ton from him.
Beast of a morning signora!"
She had been so absorbed in her
thoughts that she had not noticed the APP
proach of the young man who now stood
in front of her.
Elves, it is, Mr.. Symonds," she
stammered out. And then she added. re-
proachfully, 1t is quite long time since
We met
Il have been out of town." he said,
dropping into step by her side He was a
young man, with fair curly hair, and a
rather insipid face. But he was very
rich, and so it came to pass that Cassan-
dra had treated him with more than com
mon civility.
He went on, chatting in his usual aim
/ oh he
trifes. This morning he bored her. She
contrasted him with Robert, and he came
out bad second. At the top of Beau
fort street where it breaks into Cheyne
walk, she came to pause, the signifi
canoe of which even the dull-witted Sym
onds could not misinterpret so he took
his leave of her. She stood looking after
his retreating figure until it was lost to
view, then she turned swiftly and made
in the direction of Roberts studio
Al the foot of the stairs she came to q
pause. Her hesitation arose from two
causes. She feared Robert, and she mis-
trusted herself. Cassandra tried to ana
lyze the emotion that had taken posses
sion of her. 1t was strange and wholly
unlike anything she had ever experienced
before She seemed to be living in
world OF unrealty, and she was only
vaguely conscious of what was actually
going on around her.
Life had suddenly become for her
dream, not exactly an unpleasant one, yet
curious and unsatisfactory.
There came the sound of a door open
ing above, and a light step on the stairs
Cassandra drew back into the shadow.
The steps came nearer, and presently.
from her hiding place, she caught a
glimpse of Roberts departing visitor A
young girl, perfect vision of loveliness,
came tripping down the stairs, and
passed swiftly into the street. Casandra
stood a moment spell bound. and then a
fierce wave of jealous hatred swept over
her. In that moment her mind was
cleared and she saw everything with dis
trcssing plainness.
She loved Robert 1t was no longer