The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-05-04

4ht Du>t '' -tt -'-- Af'yt'ttHJ buttyh5
tras safely caught
only his head as he peered into a cabi-
net at the other side Of the room. Ii
was ike the opera Of Aida" in which
two scenes are enacted simultaneously.
one in the dungeon below. the other in
the temple above. In the same fashion
my attention now became divided be-
tween the picture Of RafleS moving
stealthily about the upper room and
that OF the husband and wife at table
underneath, and all at once. as the man
replensheI his glass with a shrug Of
u shoulders. tue woman pushed back
her chair and sailed to the door.
Rallies was standing before the fire
place upstairs. He had taken one of
the framed photographs from the chin
ney piece and was scanning il at sui
cidal length through the eyeholes in
the hideous mask which be still wore.
He would need it after ALL The lady
had left the room below. opening and
shutting the door for herself: the man
was filling his glass once more.
would have shrieked my warning to
Ratiies. 50 fatally engrossed overhead.
but at this moment tOf all others
constable fOf all men was marching
sedately down our side Of the square.
There was nothing for it but 10 turn
melancholy eye upon the bath chair
and 10 ask the constable the time. l
was evidently 10 he kept there all night.
remarked, and only realized with the
words that they disposed Of my other
explanations before they We're uttered
It was a horrible moment for such a
discovery Fortunately the enemy was
on the pavement from which he could
scarcely have seen more than the draw
ing room ceiling had he looked. but he
was not many houses distant when a
door opened and a woman gaSped so
that | heard both across the road. And
never shall I forget the subsequent
tableaux in the lighted room behind the
low balcony and the French windows.
Raffies stood confronted by a dark
and handsome woman, whose profile
as | saw il first in the electric light is
cut like a cameo in my memory 1t
had the undertaking line Of brow and
nose. the short upper lip. the perfect
chin. that are united in marble oftener
than in the flesh. and Ike marble she
stood, or. rather like some beautiful
pale bronze. for that was her coloring.
and She lost none of it that l could see
neither trembled. but her bosom rose
and fell, and that was all. So she stood
without finching before a masked ruff
fan who. | felt. would be the first to
appreciate her courage. To me it was
so superb that | could think Of it in
this way even then and marvel how
before so brave a figure. He had not
to do so long The woman scorned
him. and be stood unmoved. framed
photograph still in his hand Then.
with a quick. determined movement
she turned. not TO the door or 10 the
bell. but To the open window by which
Rallies had entered. and this with that
accursed policeman still in view. So
far no word had passed between the
pair But at this point Rafiles said
something. l could not hear what, but
at the sound Of his voice the woman
wheeled. And Rallies was looking
humbly in her face. the Grape mask
snatched from his own.
Arthur she cried. and that might
have been heard in the middle of the
square garden.
Then they stood gazing at each other,
neither unmoyed any more, and while
they stood the street door opened and
banged. 1t was the husband leaving
the house, a fine figure of man, but
dissipated face, and a step even now
distinguished by the extreme caution
which precedes unsteadiness. He broke
the spell His wife came to the bal
cony then looked back into the room,
and yet again along the road. and this
time | saw her face. 1t was the face
of one CHANGING, indeed. from Hyperion
to a satyr And then | saw the rings
fash as her hand fell gently upon Raj.
1es' arm.
They disappeared from that window.
Their heads showed for an instant in
the next. Then they dipped out Of