The Washington herald., 1907-10-20

am the one who has brought it upon
you"
Lady Carlyon went up TO him. laying
her hand on his arm, and said. with
sparkling eyes:
Give up the fight. do you mean, and
let Mrs. March drive you from your
positions"
There is nothing else TO be done" re-
piled Sir Percy. quietly. Think for a
moment: / can't make a fight without
making il public II 1 were alone ]
shouldn't care for the publicity. but
you-not for twenty ambassadorships
| would 1 bring you into anything like
! this"
Lady Carlyon dropped her head upon
| his shoulder and burst into tears. which
wrung his heart, but did not change
! his resolution. Half an hour afterward
| he was ushered into Mrs March $
/ boudOir. where Alicia waited for him. Sir
/ Percy refused the chair which she Of
/ fered him. and remained standing, hat
/ in hand. Alicia March felt a sense OF
/ triumph which glowed in her eyes. Sir
/ Percy had weaTied Of her and had scorn-
ed her but In the end, when he had
reached the height Of his ambition, she
4 had brought him TO heel rOundly after
nearly sixteen years.
Lady Carlyon gave me your message, -
/ he said, when the first cool greetings
were exchanged. You are quite able 10
| do all ,that you have threatened. If
] We're alone, I should make fight. but
/ for Lady CarIyon's sake l am willing to
surrender. l shall require a few weeks
10 arrange matters and to give the home
/ government a chance 20 appoint my sue
cessor, and then I shall leave the diplo-
I I
satisfy you"
Alicia March remained silent, looking
down. This. then. was her triumph! II
was not really what she wanted. She
had desired the greater triumph of hav-
/ ing her way with Lady CarlyOn. After
a moment or two she spoke
1T Is a small thing for which you
are giving up your diplomatic career;
! let me see. you are not forty-five. ! ask
only that your wife come 20 my house
/ once in a season
To this Sir Percy, with a cool smile,
made answer:
Il would prefer 10 give up the ambas-
sadorship and retire from the diplomatic
service"
His contempt for her pierced Alicia
March's soul. yet she began TO have a
dim apprehension of the nature Of such
men as Sir Percy CarlyOn and Roger
March. who could not be moved from
the point OF honor. Then, as there was
| nothing more to say, Sir Percy Carlyon
bowed and left the room. He had not
been In the house five minutes ali told.
Alicia drew her chair up 10 the fireside
and watched the scurTying snow and lis
tened 10 the wind clattering Idly under
the caves. She old not know whether to
= rrfeNre
( time Was, only a few years ago. when
she would have gloWed with the beauty
and completeness of her reyenge-alI
women are rgvengeful, but II Is in gen
eral an unsated passion. Like most
things ardently desired and long delayed
her triumph over Sir Percy CarlyOn had
lost its SAVIOR. She would be no better
of il the Carlyons left Washington, and
/ she felt t0lerably sure that the next am
baSsadresS would be as equally Obdurate
| toward her as was Dady Cdrly0n Alicia
/ March sighed and looked out OF the win
dow. where the fierce blasts tortured the
budding trees, and the tender young
| grass shivered under the cruel slect and
snow Alicia had felt herself strange ir
the position OF an honorable. h0nored
/ woman, which Roger March had giyer
her. but she felt more strange and for
lOrn when suddenly east down into the
abyss from which she had been raised
/ Pursued by intolerable loneliness, she
returned 20 her own room. only 10 find
herself more lonely STILL While she sat
! in aimlcss reveTic letter in Colegrove'
/ handwriting was brought I'm 10 her She
/ looked at it with faint interest but II
lay IN her lap unopened for half an
/ hour. then she broke the seal and read
Il have just heard that Roger March
has been mortally i.l for months, and is
probably dead by this time. I must seC
you soon"
An hour later the same footman who
had brought the note came TO announce
luncheon. Alicia was sitting in the same
position. her eyes fixed upon the open
letter. A strange leaven had been al
work in her mind. an overwhelming desire
To- see and bee with Roger March Sud
denly Sir Percy Carlyon and Colegrovt
had become insignificant 20 her; even hel
father was, for once. forgotten She rose
and went downstairs, trying TO shake
from her this new and strange ObsessiOn
! What insanity would IT be Tor her 10 70
10 Roger March, Almost every penny
she had in the world. her house. her car
riages, Hlue-tenths of her income would
be forfeited by the least attempt 10 see
OF communicate with her husband. Gen
Talbot was awaiting her. and together
they sat down IN the gorgeous dining
room 10 the small round table which
they commonly used when alone. Gen
Talbot noticed nothing out OF the usua
IN his daughter except that she was
rather silent and ate nothing. Alicia her.
self scarcely recognized her own mind
and heart and soul engaged in a conflict
with her own closest and greatest in
terests. When luncheon was over, Gen
Talbot said.
This wintry weather will keep me in
doors for the afternoon
To which Alicia replied:
Il too shall remain at home and shall
not see any visitors"
She went up to her boudoir. fighting a.
every step the impulse within her to take
the first train for the northwest. As a
bar 10 her leaving the house. she rang
Lfor her maid and put on a negligee robe
and slippers. and, lying down among the
pillows of a luxurious sofa. drawn up 70
the fire. shut her eyes and tried to sleep
II was in vain Before her came the
vision Of her husband, 'mortally ILL., as
Colegrove had said. She had never seen
Roger March Ill IN her life but she had
Il PIoFhetf NiStOu oi now iC iOuhcu- pdle
and gray. with a gentle stoicism, stern
patience. and he was alone in an adobe
hut among the far-Off hills Of the north
west II she went to him he would, no
doubt. repulse her She repeated this tC
herself resolutely, and, in the act Of re-
peating Il, rose and dressed herself, with
out the assistance OF her maid in a
! travelling dress, and put a few things in g
travelling case. Two voices each trying
to drown the other, shrieked within her
the one representing the madness OF
going to Roger March. and the other
dragging her against her will She rang
for her carriage and then, sitting at heI
desk. wrote a few lines 10 her father:
Il have heard that my husband Is IA
tally III. am going 70 him althongh