Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-10-24
Continued from last week.

WY LILY otd1 oi6d mali DNEdh
impatiently, when the other interrupt
ed him.
"Please, please, let us be logical" he
urged. Look at the situation. The
husband enters suddenly. Well, here
I am, back again, my darling he an
nounces. Where is the picture? /
must see the picture There Is one.
Kari did not work on the picture.
Your husband is worried. lie does not
speak, but he is irrltated, He wants TO
speak, and the words stick In his
throat. You look at each other, IN.
happy. Nothing has happened, but the
mischief is done. What Mischief APP
pearances. Whatever you say makes
matters worse, and a compromising
situation like this is never forgotten ny
the husband. You go home together In
silence"
"Ah, If 1t were like that!' Karl broke
In. but we are not alone. You are
here"
Miilar shrugged his shoulders.
"Ah. that is i'll | am here. and with
one word ! could dispel the Illusion"
he acquiesced. But | know myself.
i am cursed with a peculiar, sinister
sense of humor, and l am afraid |
would not say the word; hence when
the husband enters we are all silent
Then | say, i regret to have arrived at
such an inopportune moment ! take
my hat and walk out, leaving you,
madame, your husband and Karl"
He seemed to find keen pleasure in
the possibility Of forcing the two into
position which would cause them
suffering and weaken the barriers of
self control they had built up around
that boy and girl love that had come
back so wildly to both. Had they re-
garded him as merely human 1t is GER
tain that Karl would have kicked this
cynical being out of the studio with his
internal ~innuendoes. But there was
something s~upernormal about him. He
dominated both the artist and the
wife. and they were completely under
his spell, struggle as they would to
break il. Olga shrank from the cruelty
Of their tormentor.
"If this is q jest 1t is a cruel one"
she cried.
"Irue. madame. But there is another
way. If you wish 1t | can be quite
truthful. Should your husband arrive
I can tell him the portrait has not
been touched and ask his pardon"
pardon for what?"
"For having seen your shoulders"
/. This Is a trap" Olga cried, turning
toward Karl for protection. what do
you want? You oyerwhe!m me with
false insinuations. ! hardly know you
Eve minutes, and ! imagine ! feel your
long fingers at my throat"
"Other pretty women do not feel
them quite so SOON" he murmured.
bending toward her.
Enraged at the attitude of the man,
Karl stepped toward him.
stop! i won't allow any more OF
this" he commanded.
The entrance of Heinrich checked his
speech. The old servant said:
"The tailor has sent some evening
clothes, NJ. Karl, but they are not
yours..i rasgs s~.~assa-a.~ a5-~s~ -..
"They are mine," interrupted the
stranger.
"Yoursf' Karl said in amazement-
Eyes. They were crushed in my
trunk" the other said coolly. II told
the tailor to press them and send them
here for the evening. | must dress, as
i am invited to the ball of one Of the
most beautiful women in the city to-
night at the residence of the Duke OF
Naranese."
"But the duke is not living there any
more" Olga interposed. He is In
Madrid"
Eyes. | know that | met the duke
in Paris"
"He has sold his house to us. We
are living there now, and the ball is
given by me-" she went on.
The man looked at her, his black
eyes seeming to burn through her own.
Shrinking, fearful, fascinated. Olga
was held in the spell OF those eyes.
"Was i mistaken? Am / not invit-
edT" he asked.
"Yes. you are invited" she falter-
ed.
She could not resist the subtle iniu-
ence of the man, even while every in
stinct Of good made her recoil from
him. With a triumphant smile he
bowed and said softly:
Madame, a little while & you ask
ed me what | wanted. 1t was your in
vitation that ! wanted. thank you"
but my husband" Olga said, al
ready r~epenting Of the advantage she
had given him.
"Oh, he will be delighted to see me-"
the stranger assured her confidently.
"He s%peculates in wheat. ! have in
formation that will be of value to
him The crop has turned out worse
than was expected. You love your
husband. You should be happy that
the wheat crop is bad"
II am" Olga assented. eve want
wheat 10 be bad because the price will
go up"
ssXoFtr b,CbonI urfl x.oho r-o4Los