The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-16
to make cry, and7 GLIB its hands ar
Shout "Bravn- brayar,

to make cry, and7Slhp it's hands or
4 Shout "Bravn- bravan'
Yet for once i feared II. feared that
/ great crowd OF people out there. M
4 lion0amer must at some time or other
fcnr6n of his lions.
What II they know all I've done7"
The question flashed-across my brain.
/ What II voice In the auditorium
should suddenly shout that Maxine dc
4 RenZie had betrayed France for money.
English money? How these hands
which applauded would tngle to seizs
me by the throat and choke my -.
/ out
Still, with these thoughts murmur.
ing In my head like kind of dread.
/ full undertone, went on An actress
can always go on--ti!l she breaks. I
think that she can't be bent. as other
women can; and / envy the women
who haven't had to learn the lesosn OF
/ hardening themselves 1t seems to me
1, that they must suffer less.
AT last came the end OF the first act.
! But there were five curtain calls. Five
times l had to go back and smile. and
bow. and look delighted with tho ova-
tion i was having. Then. when the
time came that I could escape, mot
on the way to my dressing-room, men
i carrying big harps and crowns, baskets
j and punches of flowers which had been
sent UP to me on the stage. pushed
past. hardly glancing at them. for
1 knew that Rnoul would he waiting.
4 There he was. radiant with his UNI
4 selfish pride In me--my big. handsome
lover. looking more Ike the Apollo
Belyedere come alive and dressed in
modern clothes than like an ordinary
! diplomatic young man from the Foreign
Office. But then OF course, he is really
i quite. out Of place in diplomacy. Since
he can't exist on a marble pedestal
or some Old Masters canvas. he ought
at least to be a poet or an artist-and
so he is at heart not one. but both:
and dreamer OF beautiful dreams as
beautiful and noble az his own clear
cut face, which might be cold II it
were not for the eyes and lips.
! There were people about. and we
4 spoke like mere acquaintances until
| I'd led Raoui into the little boudoir
4 which adjoins my drcssing-room.
/ Then--well we spoke no longer like
mere acquaintances. Tint Is enough to
/ say. And we had five minutes to-
i gether, before 1 was obliged to send
him away, and 20 to dress for tho
| second act.
The touch of Raoui's hands. and those
lips of his that are not cold, gave me
4 strength to so through all that was
yet to come There's something al
y lHOsl iiid SlIdi Viz AohSli-Jdss a ~
tile. little touch-of the one we love
best. For moment we can forget
everything else, even IL 1t Were death
itself waiting just round the corner.
/ I've firted with more than one man.
sometimes because / liked him and 1t
/ amused meas with Ivor Dundas--
sometimes because ] had to win him
for polite reasons. But / never knew
i that blessed feeling until ! met Raouf
Il du Laurier. 1t was heavenly rest
now TO lay my head for minute on
his shoulder, just shutting my eyes
4 without speaking word.
1 thought-for / was worn out. body
4 and soul. with the strain OF keeping up
i and hiding my secret---that when I was
dead. the hest Paradise would be TO
lean so on Raoul's shoulder, lever
I. moving. for the first two or three hun
4 dred years OF Eternity. But as the
4 peaceful fancy cooled my brain. back
darted remembrance, like a poisonous
:. snake I reminded myself how little
i deserved such Paradise. and how
my lovers dear arms would put me
i away. in kind OF unbelieving horror.
4 II he knew what l had done. and how
II had betrayed his trust In me.
I FOR ten years I'd been a political
4 spy--yes, But owed grudge to Rus
4 STA which I'd promised my father 10
81 pay; and France Is Russia's ally. Be-
Il sides, 1t seems less vile to betray
country than to deceive man you
Il adore who adores you In return. We
4. women arc true as truth itself to those
. we love- For therp we would sacri-
!, flee tile greatest cause. Always I had
known this, and I had thought that
Il / could prove myself truer than the
;. truest, III ever loved Yet now
4 had betrayed my lover and sold his
country: and realizing what had done,
=.
moment suffered torture in his arms.
! Even If, by something like miracle.
!, we were saved from ruin, nothing on
4 earth could wash the stain from my
4 heart which Raoul believes so good,
4. SO pure.
What can be more terrible for wo-
man than the secret knowledge that 10
\ hold mans respect, she must alWays
4 keep one black spot covered from. h's
Il eyes? Such woman needs no future
punishment. She has all she deserves
i in this world. My punishment had be-
i gun, and 1t would always go on
!. through my life with Raoul. knew.
!, even If no great disaster came. into tne
I, heart of my happiness would come the
II thought Of that black hidden spot; no"
!, often, oh, now often, would l ieel5i1t
4 sstir
If i could no longer rest with my eyes
/ khut at peace after tho storm. !
4 shuddered and sobbed, though my IDS
4 were dry, and Raoul tried to so sootne
4 me, thinking it was but my excitement
!, in playing for the first time heavy
4 ana exacting part. He little guessed
. how heavy and exacting u really
II was!
"Darling,"she said, you We're Won-
i derful. And how 9proud was q you-
,how proud am. I 4 . thoughtsit wou,a
q be Impossible to worship you more
4 than did. But love you thousand
i times more than ever tonight
1t was true, knew. ! could see 70
!: in his eyes hear 1t In his voice. Since
A his dreadful misfortHpe in losing the
Il diamonds, since ! had comforted him
,lffor their loss, and insisted on giving
4 him all II had to help him out OF his
4 trouble, he had seen In me the angel
Of his salvation. & Y Tonight his heart
. was almost breaking with love for me.
\ who so i'll deserved 1T. Now had
4 news for him, which would make him
.Islong to shout forhjoy. II ] chose, !
could tell him that the Jewels We're
ext MA