Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-10-10

CT the waist she was Trying 10 REMOVE.
Hcc heart beat with a violence 1t had
aot known before during the six placid
years of her married life. Her face
was q mask of fear-fear of the I'M
seen, the unfathomable-of the turbu-
lent emotions that seemed crowding,
~surging up from unsupported depths In
her very soul,
Nine. Hoffman, was in the studio OF
Karl Mailer. where she had been
brought BY her portly banker husband.
Herman Hoffman,, that the Irony of
the sweetheart of her happy girlhood,
fDainting her portrait for the pleasure
of the man whose name she had taken,
sxoight be consummated. But 1t was
with no thought OF this that Hoffman,
had taken her there or that she had
consented to go or that Karl had re-
'ceived them. Hoffman, welcomed the
artist daily to his own home and knew
no jealousy. Kari, forgetful of the
idyl of his youth, dwelt In thought on
his approaching marriage to a beauti-
ful young heiress. Olga. loyal to her
husband, believed that the old romance
was laid away among those faded
dreams family remembered. but which
come no more.
And yet when her husband had gone
cut. leaving her there, the faded laven-
der of the sweet old days turned lurid,
and for the first time In six years her
soul confessed itself and lay bare and
,unshriven. But she fought down the
memory and chung to those six years
Of silence. and all the while there was
In the very air Of the room an unseen
presence that seemed dragging her
backward through time, bridging those
years clear to the day when Karl, the
dooy. had taken her In his arms and
kissed her lips and told her that he
t1oved her.
Now, with all of that in her heart,
she yet tried to put it out of her
thoughts. She forced herself to a light
tone and airy words.
'sCome. NJ. Mailer; | have come to
> get my portrait painted as my husband
wishes it, she cried 1--WE must go to
work"
a~cquiesced.
"Hsre are shawls from which you
! may select one for your shoulders"
I. he laid. II will 60 and prepare the
: stu Ito while you remove your blouse"
he left ther so flled with fear that
sqde could hardly bring herself to tug
At the buttons that held her waist
"Ahr' she exclaimed impatiently at
< VAST, flinging the waist from her.
As it dropped to the floor her per-
fectly rounded shoulders and white
throat were bare. She arose from her
seat and reached for the flmy silken
shawl she had chosen. But b shawl
fell from her ,nerveless hands. and she
drew back, with a shrek. gazing In
horror at what seemed an apparition.
A melodlous voice. suave. gentle. de-
Nberate. said:
MADAME. | beg your pardon. l fear
Z permitted myself to fall asleep"
FROM the depths Of a great arm
chair. drawn up before an open fire
whose red light gave it sinister IL
Illumination. a man arose. stood before
Olga and bowed profoundly. He was
in the conventional afternoon garb of
gentleman. His frock coat was black;
his hair was black; his eyebrows. eye
lashes and eyes were black. His face
was white. as colorless as his immac-
ulate linen. as expressionless as the
monocle he wore. One touch of color.
red, ca re from the scarf.
He looked with undisguised admira-
ton at the beautiful woman before
him. But it was the cold. critical ad-
miration OF the cynic. emotionless and
without life Olga drew bach from
him. catching up the shawl and hiding
her cleaning shoulders. AS she looked
at him his eyes seemed to hold hers.
She was fascinated. yet repealed.
al thought ! was alone" she falter-
ed when her voice came to her.
"When | came In some time ago M.
Mailer was out, and | must have
fallen asleep In his comfortable chair.
Again | apologize"
Fear and suspicion dilated Olga's
eyes. and she drew yet farther from
this suave. polished stranger.
There was no one In that chair a
few minute ago when my husband
was here." she cried.
Without a flicker of expression or a
trace Of emotion In his even. steady
voice. the stranger glanced casually
at the chair from which he had emery
ed like a specter n replied:
II beg your pardon. must be mis-
nxken.'
He seemed like one who would Jest
with infnity.
There was nothing ironical in his
tone, and he bowed with grave polite.
ness. AS he advanced Olga retreated
toward the door through which Karl
had entered the studio.
"Where did you come fromY she
cried.
"Ah." he exclaimed quickly, 81 come
from nowhere; | go everywhere; | an
here"
He tapped his forehead with long