Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07
III,

The carriage stopped In front of an I'M
posing residence an English basement with
colonial musings. its fluted pillars sur
mounted by severe Doric capitals. It was
OF DUN brick and white stone. four stories
hlsh with a balcony across the second
story and an elaborate porte-cochere
i Inc lootman opened the carriage door
ana Mary Lang, now transformed by some
. details OF dress and address into Mary
Hadding, walked across the white marble
thes or the vestibule. The inner door WAS
held open by another liveried footnan. and
behind him wide flight of crimson-car-
peted stairs assembled into a region of soft
lights and growing plants
Mary. who was half amused and half
alarmed at her own temerity, thought of
Aladdin's palace. During a long and
stormy sea voyage she had had time to
reflect and had half repented her bargain
She had been almost prepared to withdraw
and beat an ignominous retreat until that
door opened and she found herself on the
| threshold Of an adventure It was char
acteristic that the mere sight Of these
novel and charming surroundings, the
mere recognition of the difficulties that she
must meet and surmount Immediately. or
else race defeat and exposure. stirred her
blood and brought soft color to her
cheeks and a light to her eyes which ac-
centuated her beauty and made her whole
expression spirited and battling
In spite of May Hadding's miserable
economies she had been able to cIothe her
self In an appropriate manner and, as her
taste was perfect. her whole appearance
was that OF young woman who could
command her own position in the world
even the well-tratned servants In the hall
below followed her ascent with delighted
eyes.
She went slowly up the stairs, purposely
fhat IL
gain perfect control Of herself for in spite
OF every effort at self-command her heart
seemed to beat in her throat and she felt
her cheeks burn as the crucial moment ap-
preached. Yet the excitement of the ad-
venture and an inherited talent for acting
carried her up the last step and across the
hall behind the servant who was an
nouncing her at the drawing room door. An
instant later her gra ceful and distinguished
figure appeared on THE Threshold the filmy
veil that she had tossed back on the broad
brim of her hat fioated about her face,
softening the color that had famed in her
cheeks. and completing a picture so strik-
ing that there was little hush in the buzz
Of conversation which had preceded her
entrance.
The room was large and remarkably har-
monlous in its gold and white effects, but
1t had more the appearance of hotel than
or home. Near the open fire four women
sat at a card table playing bridge and as
all four turned an equally curious though
felt that the mask had dropped and she
was discovered at the very outset. For
moment she was nearly overcome with
something which was akin to stage fright.
the next she took an easy step forward and
one of the group rose. She was a large
woman with full ford face and light
hair that was turning gray in drab streaks,
IN spite OF the hardresser. Her eyes were
small and she had short thick white eye
lashes like a pigs She seemed to Mary
70 De mountain of lilac satin and lace and
bead chains which ratified as she moved
am your niece. Mary Hadding.' the girl
SAID simply. with one of her winning smiles.
MIS- Whiting took another step forward
and bestowed a conventional kiss upon her
cheek. At glance she had appraised-at
their full value-her niece's charm and dis
tinctiop.
You are very like your picture, my
dear. she observed quite graciously.
Mary smiled again for she had always
thought that Leonard Bishop. passionately
admiring his model. had drawn a nattered
likeness
Mrs Whiting turned to her guests and
introduced her niece as my brother Jo-
seph's only child. One of them, Mrs
Lane. gazed 50 earnestly at her that Mary
experienced sharp twinge Of fear that sha
at least knew Joseph. but the other two
We're only frankly interested. One was
Madame Syrene. foreigner. and. Mary
learned later. the wife of an ambassador
a woman with that peculiarly feline type
of beauty that is obnoxious to other women
ana makes It's appeal only TO men The
languor of her large greenfsh eyes and the
redness of her full lips were striking and
even handsome. but both had the same ef-
feet of artiflciality that was produced by
her blonde hair and her high color. The
other card-player was Mrs. Frederick
Cheever. a young woman OF about Mary's
own age and with unusually attractive
face. She was the only one at the card
table who appealed to the girls keen sense
| of beauty and proportion, and she was the
| only one whose greeting was In the least
oegree cordial To the others the new niece
was clearly exhibit. especially so to
Madame Syrene, who took advantage of
the break IN the game to light a cigarette
over a candelabrum. Among the b.
hemians Of the Latin Quarter smoking was
an inveterate habit. and the faint odor of
tobacco carried Mary back with q pang Of