Evening star., 1907-08-19
~.
The Dissembler.

Miss Hansborough was again turning the
pages of her music. But Mrs. Randolph
| was considerate. No doubt she wished tc
| spare herself as we'll as me.
Perhaps you would enjoy, q cigar in the
| library" she suggested. with a sweet kind
ness that held yet q CULVER Of regret-re-
| gret that I should be separated from hel
| for even little while.
| managed to stammer that 1t would be a
| pleasure. Miss Marlborough looked at US
| with a glance at Benson.
Julian thinks fre would enjoy q cigar In
| the library" said Mrs Randolph, rising
| stant on my shoulder. trembling. as II
seemed to me. with the mere pleasure OF
having here at home again the husband she
| had mourned as dead.
Benson produced a package OF little Ha-
| vanas from somewhere as we passed into
| the library. and with them some matches
which he extended to me.
Thanks" said, nervously.
| walked over to q window and looked
| down into the lighted avenue questioning
| what I should do. The ''clock-cIock' OF
| beating hoofs Of carriage horses rose to the
| dued roar OF the elevated, the grumble OF
| cable cars and the jar Of the city's traflc
Long lines Of flashing lights made jeweled
ropes in the darkness.
| before had not known there was such q
| woman in the world as Mrs Julian Ran
| dolph. nor such house as this brownstone
mansion on 9th avenue The man who
| came now to my side and looked with me
| out on those shining lights had been to me
| then as If he had not existed. What q
| world may open before us at any moment
| A turn Of the road. a step. and 1t Is there,
| with all its interesting and mysterious nov
ITS been a fine day." said Benson, obvi-
ousiy CROPPING for something to say.
"And Mrs. Randolph is fine woman, "
was my irrelevant answer.
That must have struck him strangely, for
| he gave me quick. sharp look.
Very he said.
Have you known her been ac-
! unable to conceal my feverish interest
Two years." he said: "just about two
years. Margaret-that Is. Miss Hansbor-
ough-was visiting friends in Cambridge.
| and succeeded in getting an Introduction u
That was six months or so before the
time of the singular disappearance OF
| Julian Randolph, according to the informa-
ton given me by the valet
Benson had answered fully, but as II
| prompting one who ought to know. and he
| seemed. or pretended to seem. puzzled He
did not need to tell me the rest Having
succeeded In getting an introduction to Miss
Hansboroush. he had continued successful
ly the acquaintance thus begun. So the
| fellow had courage and persistence. But
bis face had already told me that. Miss
Hansborough had courage and persistence,
| too. as I had seen. I wondered vaguely
| how they would get on together when they
were married.
I noticed now that though Benson had
furnished the cigars he was not smoking.
| He held cigar in his fingers. but he had
not lighted 1t, and presently he laid It on
the table. He observed that regarded
this with suspicion; and. indeed. the
thought had flashed on me that Mrs. Ran
dolph had but banished me to the library
| that she might gain a few minutes in which
to confer with Miss Hansborough as to the
next steps to be taken In this little comedy
drama
But Benson proceeded to enlighten me.
II have to cut 'em out while in training, I"
he said. simply.
He continued to stare into the street
II rather like the noise here" he re-
marked. he thus looked from the win
dow. II mean out In the c!:y-on Broad
| way. When you breast the human tide of
| Broadway you feel that you're living"
Then we talked. in general terms. Of the
great metropolis that lay at our feet and
with its sky-piled riches and Its misery.
that grovels and loves the dirt and the
dark. But not for instant did 1 forget
Mrs. Randolph and my strange position.
nor cease to torment myself as to the out
come Of the singular adventure into which
I had been plunged.
When we had returned from the library.
and was trying in my still irritant mood
to play a game OF cribbage which Mrs.
Randolph fairly forced me into. while Ben
son and his hancee had their heads to-
gether in another corner Of the drawing
room. making q pretense Of poring over q
Randolph. whose playing had been as bad
as my own (Which is saying II could hardly
have been worse). looked up and fixed her
azure eyes on me.
speaking softly. "you know that love you
and am wild with delight. but-but 1t was
cruel. unless"
"Unless WHAT" asked hoarsely, tum-
bling down out OF my heaven like Icarus
from his
'Unless you were-were not Just right in
your mind. you know -
"Deucedly so!' stammered
when you went away before. you did
leave word. you know. which we didn't get
for week. however. But that was ex-
cusable. because Of the circumstances"
What under the heavens was she talking
about?
"You had to 60 suddenly, because the
steamer was ready; but you gave John q
telegram to send. and II wasn't his fault
that he was struck by a trolley car and lay
for a week in hospital unconscious But
you did cable from the other side and you
wrote"
Yes" said non-committally
I couldn't think Of anything else to say.
MY nedft was DedtlnH up INTO my throat.
Can a man deceive the woman he loves?
I was sure already loved her. and loved
her wildly.
1--WE feared your mind wasn't just right
since you received that dreadful fall on the
polo field"
She searched my face with her shining
eyes.
That's it!'' said. grasping at the straw
That must be the trouble
And you must have fallen and injured
yourself there in Camden"
Exactly: that explains It," said.
"You can't remember things?
mo, I can't remember any Of the things
you are telling me-"
Feeling that I was scoundrel and hypo-
critic. I wondered what she would think Of
me il she could look into my heart: what
she must ultimately think Of me? For this
could not go on forever. If she could have
so looked she would have seen my base
deception. but she would have seen, also
my great love. And have been told by
those who profess to know that to woman n
strong and genuine love will excuse many
things. She would have seen not only that
I loved her. but that her presence merely
had suddenly become as necessary to me
as the air I breathed. And that because
OF 1t and the mental confusion into which
my determination to win her had hurled
me. I was cropping my way. and did not
know whether to play the part Of an
honest man or dissembler.
You recall the things that happened
y,,t>iI ol,4