Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-17
| NJ |
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N>zAz0 ana yet somehow she sighed The pho
tosraph served to bring to her mind
what had always been source of cha.
grin to this original girl
Know perfectly well" she mused sadly. "that
's ony because am pretty that people think
| uhgtn'ng OIL me- III 1t were not for that should
De mere nobody, and no one at all would wish
to marry me. Well. | wish were plain-T nosi.
lively do-because then, il should happen 70 cot
lover, | should know that he cared for me
alone rather than my face"
With that she moved towards the glass and
began to arrange her hair. She wished to trv n
new style in the ballet that night Her reaec.
tions continued whilst she manipulated combs
and harpins.
''It is the same with all of them. If I came
across man who really cared for me. and NOT
Just for my face, | won't say but what might
get married. But they are all alike FITZGERALD
talks about nothing but my eyes, and Darlington
raves over my mouth, and Dcky Grenville-well.
it is the hair with Dcky think / like Dickv
the best OF the lot for all that, and if l thought
that he really cared"
She stopped.
There, think that will dol" she concluded.
in reference to the hair, and she rang for her
maid.
This is how | want it to be, Julie" she said.
- ou see! Fixed altogether on the top. and the
comb so. Now you do it properly for mo in
this style. Julie. do you think you could make
me look really ugy?"
Julie stared
I'm afraid not, miss" she said
Because that's how should like to look-iust
Tor week or two. / should like to find out.
julie. ii anybody would care for me at all if |
wasn't pretty. What do you think ?"
why, of course they would missl"
'Do You think so? Well, | don't know
And Iris began to speculate as to what would
be the conduct of Dick Grenville in particular
unuer circumstances so lnconceivable as those of
her suddenly losing all her good looks
1t was this train of thought that led her finally
to decide upon the performance of her daring ex.
pertinent. The idea came to her in a flash but
1t required some hours of cogtation for the final
evolution of the scheme. In a weeks time the
pantomlme season would be at an end and il
was already arranged that she should 90 into
retirement and rest for a month or so. This
would give her precisely the opportunity neces-
sary for the carrying out of one of the maddest
ideas upon which any one had ever decided
A few weeks later the world was startled one
morning by the announcement that Miss Iris Le-
mare was seriously i'll. 1t was necessary for her
to cancel her social engagements and to 90 into
the most absolute secuson. Even her most int
mate friends she declared herself unable to re.
ceive and her only attendants were the doctor
and her maid.
There from the first something mysterious
about Miss Lemare's malady. No one knew ex.
actly what it Dark hints abounded and at
last in the innermost circle of her friends it be-
gan to be whispered that the complaint from
which Iris suffered some frightful and incur
able skin disease which would necessitate her
complete retirement from the stage At first few
credited this rumor; then, as Miss Lemare per-
sisted in keeping herself absolutely and utterly
invisible, 1T began to be accepted widely,
and hints of it at last crept into the papers
There's one thing" remarked Fitzgerald when
he heard of the facts nothing can spoil her
magnificent eyes. But I'm glad things got no fur.
ther between us
The same evening at his club Darlington inform
ed select circle of friends that he was 'deuced
sorry for Iris, but glad that she had refused him."
And both these gentlemen ceased to send flow
crs. Dicky Grenville who had expressed no opin-
ion on the matter to his friends, stuck to it,
however, and at the end of fortnight went so
far as to dispatch letter OF more definite mean.
ing than his former notes of sympathy.
Iris beginning to be dreadfully tired of the
role she was playing. Only thing could COM
pensate her for the discomfort she was undergo
ing, and that the successful emergence of Mr.
Grenvile from the test she had put upon his af-
fections. Consequently she opened his letter with
the utmost eagerness
"My darling" wrote Dicky, who could express
himself much better on paper than he could in
the hesh-'I am Just wearying for you. Won't
you let me come and see you? Yes, | have heard
what is the matter, but surely you do not sup.
pose that it makes the least difference in the
world to me? | shall love you all the more.
Iris blue cves filed with tears SO Dcky was
staunch! We'll, she would give him Just one
more chance to show the stuff he was made Of
"Dear Dick" she wrote; ut is very kind and
gcntlcTan'v of YCu to say what you do but per
haps YOU would change your mind if you were to
see me. Do YOU really mean that you could love
me if | ceased to be beautiful? Really and tru.
"? You have no idea what a fright am Be a
wise man. and back out whilst You can"
In answer to this Iris received a short note
announcing that Mr.. Grenville would call that
evening at seven, and concluding with the assur-
ance that under all circumstances he was hers to
the term of his natural life
She went down to see him when be came in
all the radiance of her customary beauty even en-
HANGED by her excitement and Joy, and he threw
his arms around her and kissed the auburn hair
he admired much, and asked her to marry
him on the thirtieth of the next month So Miss
Lemare left the stage after all.
But it was only at the end of two years of
happy married life that she discovered where her
maid Julie obtained certain gold and fur
ouoise brooch she wore Sundays and banl,
holidays, Two years is long time for maid 10
keep a secret and Dcky conceived that he had
done very we'll in procuring her silence for that
length of time to their private interview.
so you knew it was hoax all the timer" said
Iris, with disappointed little droop at the cor.
ners of her lips. ~ did like to think that Won
loved me for myself and not just for my facel"
"Are you sorry you married me?" demanded