Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-11
XVIII

a Ill
Mo- had never experienced as bitter an
AoCr as that which followed the scene in
the library. Her self-accusatton would
have been keen enough without having
Frances FenRll IS a witness Of an incident
which could not appear in any but the
most compromising aspect 10 a person I'M
acquainted with the circumstances, and the
ind sguisad and malicious enjoyment Of
Frances was the crowniag horror Of the
situations Mary's pride would not permit
her to make an explanation even had she
believed THAT Frances would accept one.
hut she was in no uncertainty as to that
young woman's attitude. she knew that the
little secretary took q bitterly plssiGnistic
View of socia! morals and that her opinion
% Fred Cheever was too firmly grounded
on Underiabie facts to BE- shaken by any
plea Of Nary'S, no. could Mary make any
such Plea. That the mere fact Of her ap-
peal had put her in 50 compromising a pc
sttioE was still iHcXDlicaGie 70 her nat
uIaiiy large and fearless mind. That thu
worldly relations of money are hard and
Inc xOrable and s,racdy and degrading was
stayed In Mrs Writings house; the attI-
tude Of milliOrairCS in such affairs was
row 10 be painfully reveal ID to her that
few men give without EXPECTING In eGuiva-
ltLJ in doubled interest 1r In hurni!iatin.,
Obligation She saw her folly in not TAX
ing warning when ChecycT began to throw
personal note into the matter but she
was still! too confused about the gradual
steps which led up to his sudden familiar
lily to determine them by even d womar's
Cu-ioSly Indirect form of logic She Lad
been carried along by series Of impulses
which had risan and receded Ike waves Of
tAH sea, and could not perceive the point
OF view which had encouraged Fred
Chfever to think that she was led to ap-
pea to him from any feeling OF tenderness
toward him. She could not make allow
ances for the profound egotism of such a
man as Cheever. whose vanity had been
fed by tho adulation of women who, Ike
Madam Syrene, buzzad around his millions
as anxious to gather the golden fruit az
bees over q field Of clover. Mary had but
dim conceptions Of his mental vision, She
could fancy only vaguely his standard of
wOalaHhOod and the signs by which he in
teTpreted woman's mood. 1t Is very i'm
probable that poor Desdemona could have
formed any conception of the unimagined
depravity of iago even had it been outlined
10 her.
She had fled precipitately, with what
must have seemed the fullest evidence of
guilt to Frances. to her room, and, locking
herself In. had lain face downward on her
lounge for hours with her head buried in
the pillows, ashamed to look at her own
tear stained reflection in the mirror. The
touch of Cheevers lips on her hands
seemed to defile them, and she got up at
last. with a shudder. to wash them with a
frequency and passion which would haYs
put Lady Macbeth to shame.
She was conscious. too. of almost hating
the man whose lamentable weakness had
led her into this mad indiscretion. He was
not worth II, she reflected; man was
worth an effort who could not stand up to
his convictions even if it did involve ruin.
Yet at this. even In her unreasOning anger,
she remembered her own reluctance to give
uD her soft berth at Mrs. Writings her
own contemplate weakness when she shiv-
cred at the squeaky sound or Leonard
Bishops voice and was afraid to open a
letter with a French postmark. II She was
afraid to lose what really did not belong to
her, how could she blame Apple for cling
ing TO his homo and his property? 1t was,
indeed in the first instance. her own situa-
ton which had awakened her synpathies
for the congressman; she had known the
bitterness of poverty. she was tasting the
sweets of wealth and success and could
comprehend the mans position, tempted TO
sacrifice his integrity for material benefits,
to b. dishonest In the discharge OF the pub
lie service To save home and income for his
family. She p!ted him therefore. upon re-
Election, even in the midst of her self-abase-
ment. but she blamed herself bitterly for
having attempted to save him; IL had been
Il wild scheme and 1t had ended In a miser-
able fasco.
She shuddered. too, at the thought of
Frances Fennels bitter tongue. She was
not optimistic enough to hope for her 81
lenCe, and writhed as she pictured her re-
counting that scene to Molly Lane or Mrs
Kenneth perhaps. even 10 Leonard Bishop!
y wild notion Of giving it all up and
tSetN& 10 inc SaIo though UNCOMFORTABLE
shelter OF her Partisan convent school
flashed in upon her, but she was deferred
from even considering so wise a course by
the secret strength of her feeling for Ry
land. IT his face and his voice which
lnterefered with her decisions and drew
her back from flight To leave Mrs Whit
tngs house, to cross the sea. was to part
from him probably forever; Mary could
not yet fatter herself with the thought
that he might follow her: she felt that any
parting might cut the slender threads OF
their communication and engulf he in
oblivion. That his eyes iuvoluntarily con-
fessed her power and admitted much was
true. but he was master OF himself and
she was bitterly aware that. for some rea-
son, he was fighting against his feeling for
her But. aside from her doubts OF her
position in his regard sfs felt convinced
that any fancy he had for her would be
shattered by the truth: that when he knew
her TO be an irnpostor. that she had DELHI
erately deceived them all and played a part
he would despise her She had lain awake
many dreary night shivertng at the
thought OF such a revelation. picturing
with vivid self-torture. the scorn that
would kindle In his eyes. for at last her de-
sire for his good opinion had stultifled her
social aspirations his imagined Judgment
was indeed the tombstone which revealed
the ruth, OF the situation.
All these things. logically considered
should have contributed to a decision to fly
before II was too late to escape that hour
when she would have to face all the con-
low the discovery OF her deception. But the
effect was quite the reverse upon mind
which always temporized and thrust aside
the evil hour to taste the sweetness OF the
passing moment Mary had developed a
deploraOle weakRess-it had sprung up like
weed in the June sunshne-she could not
give up her charmed existence and go back
to the stern realities of poverty. Pleasure
had softened her nature and made NAL
leBble a spirit which In deprivation had
shown both strength and fearlessness. The
girl was herself conscious OF this change
but she attributed II to her reluctance to
Part forever from Lawrence RylaRd, and
Justified her vaclllatiOns by the practical
aspect OF the situation she had sent 50
much money TO May that she could not go.
II she would. until another quarterly in
stallment reimbursed her.
But Fred Cheevers sudden and. she
felt. understandable incursion into her life
seemed to cut her of from the finer atmos-
phere OF Ryiands friendship. She felt sui
lied and Inundated. and ragged at the