Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-06

H--eeIU teemeu 10 NC noppy, IOnlHHJ,
TO mock the misery Of the girl with
her head against the window.pane.
And yet on the face of it,, Beatrice Darrylls
lines semed to have fallen in pleasant places
She was young healthy, and beautiful. Still,
the startling palor Of her face was in vivid con-
trast with the dead black dress she wore. Though
her face was cold and scornful, she would not
have given the impression of coldness only ut
ter WEAKNESS and tiredness of life at
twenty-five.
Behind her was table laid out for score of
dinner guests. Everything was absolutely per
feet and exceedingly costly as appertained to all
things at the Royal Palace Hotel, where the head
waiter condescended to bow TO nothing under a
millionaire. No TASTE and incidentally no
pense had beer spared, for Beatrice Darryll was
TO be married on the morrow, and her father,
Sir Charles, was giving this dinner in honor Of
the occasion.
The bitter scorn in Beatrice's eyes deepened
What did all this reckless extravaganza mean?
Why was it justified? The man who might have
answered the question sauntered into the room
A wonderfully wellpreserved man was Sir
Charles Darryll, with boyish smile and an air
of perennial youth unspotted
man who was totally untitled to cope with the
hard grip and sordd side of life
"Well, my dear child" Sir Charles cried
And are you not satisfied? That table-setting
is perfect; never saw anything in more exquis
ite taste"
"'It will all have to be paid for" Beatrice said
wearily. The money"
will be Forthcoming. / have no doubt of it,
Whether have it at the bank not I cannot
Tor the moment say. II not, then our good friend
Stephen Richford must lend it me. My dear
child, that black dress of yours gives me quite a
painful shock Why wear it?'
"Why not!" she asked. "Is it not appropri.
ate? Am | not in the deepest mourning for my
Tt, T
man who from the bottom of my heart I loathe
and despise. l am going TO sell myself to him
for money-money to your good name
Father, can't, can't go through with it."
She flung herself down in chair and covered
her face with her hands. The boyish innocence
of Sir Charles face changed suddenly, a wicked
CLEAN came into his eyes
Get up" he said sternly. Get up and come
to the window with me. Now, what do you see
in this room?"
Evidences of wealth that is glittering here"
Beatrice cried. Shameless extravaganza that
you can never hope to pay for. Costly flow
ers--"
"And everything that makes life worth living.
All these things are necessary to me. They will
be with me till the end if you marry Stephen
Richford. Now look outside. Do you see those
two men elaborately doing nothing by the rail
ings opposite. You do? Well, they are watch
ing me. They have been dogging me for three
days. And if anything happened now a sudden
illness on your part anything to postpone ytomor-
rows ceremony, I should pass the next day in
Jail. You did not think it was as bad as that
did you?"
The mans face was livid with fury; he had
Beatrice's bare arm in cruel grip, but she did
not notice the pain. Her mental trouble was to
deep for that.
ITS that City Company that I limited at"
Sir Charles went on "There was chance of
a fortune there. | recognized that chance and |
became director And there was risk too We
took our chance, and the chance failed We
gambled desperately, and again fortune failed
u.s. Certain people who were against us have
made unhappy discoveries. That is why those
men are watching me. But if / can send the
chairman letter tomorrow assuming innocence
and regret and inclosing a check for $4,000 to
cover my fees and to recover all the shares l
have, then ] come out with higher reputation
than ever I shall shine as the one honest man
in den thieves. That check and more, Richford
has promised me directly you are his wife, DO
you understand? Do you the danger? If
thought you were going to back out of it now,
I'd strangle you"
Beatrice felt no fear; she was long past that
emotion
"It would be the kindest act YOU could do.
father" she said "Oh, I know that this is no
thing. There is no novelty in the situation
of girl giving herself to man whom she de-
spises, for the sake of his money. For the batter
ed honor of my father / going to lose nv
own, hate that man from the bottom of nv soul,
and he knows it, And yet his one desire is TO
marry me. In Heavens name why?"
Sir Charles chuckled slightly. The danger was
past, and he could afford to be good humored
again. Looking at his daughter he could under.
stand the feelings of the lover who grew all the
more ardent as Beatrice drew back And Ste.
phen Richford was a millionaire It mattered
little that both he and his father had made
their money in crooked ways; it mattered little
that the best men and few of the best clubs
would have none of Stephen Rchford so long as
society generally smiled on him and fawned at
his feet.
"You need have no further fear" Beatrice an
swered coldly. my weakness has passed. am
not likely to forget myself again. My heart is
dead and buried"
That's the way to talk" Sir Charles said
cheerfully. Feeling better Ell? once fancied
that that confounded foolishness between Mark
Ventmore and yourself-eh, what?"
wave of crimson passed over Beatrice's pale
face Her little hands trembled
ut was no foolishness," she said. "I never
cared for anyone but Mark never shall care
for anybody else. If Marks father had not dis
owned him, because he preferred art to that ter
rible City, you would never have come between
us. But you parted us, and you thought that
there was end of it. But you were wrong
Let me tell the truth. l wrote to Mark in Ven.
ice, only last week, asking him to come to me-
/ received no reply. If had and he had come
to me, shoudhave told him everything and i'm
plored him 10 marry me- But the letter not
delivered, and therefore you need have no fear
of those men in the street. But my escape has
been much nearer than you imagine