Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-10-02

not known lefore du.iug the six placid
Yvars Of ler married life. Her face
was a mask Of foar-fcar Of the IN
seen. The unfathumahlg-uf tH" tur'u-
lent emotions that seemed crnwdiu-.
gg.g.Gg up from unsuSpectcd depths in
E.T very soul.
Nine IIuImann was in the studio Of
kar. Mailer. where she had been
brought Us her uortiy banker husband.
Herman HoGmann. that the irony OF
the sweetheart OF her happy girlhood,
painting her Portrait for the pleasure
u lie man whose nalue she mad taken,
u.t-IC ~ culsuclUstrL. BIT II WAS
with ue thought - -,L> that Hoffman,
lad taken L-- there or THAI she had
consented o. = or that Karl had re-
ce.ved them. Uo@C.un welcomed the
49, daily 70 as on q home and knew
I'D Jealousy Ka-., i1ygetiul Of the
it-I Of his youth. d~c!t in tHpD-ht on
his approaching marriage L. a ueauu.
Il. young heire>s OLA, loyal 10 her
husband. believed that the Old romance
was laid away among those faded
dreams family remembered. but vAIsG
come no more.
And yet when her husband had gone
ont leaving her there. the faded layen-
der II the sweet old days turned lurlt,
md fur the first time in six years her
soul confessed itself and lay bare and
uusAriyeI. But, she fought down the
memory ana 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
boy. had taken her in his arms ana
kissed her lips and told her that he
loved her.
Now, with all of that in her heart,
she yet tried to put it out Of her
thoughts She forced herself to light
tone and airy words.
come. II. Mailer: | have come to
get my portrait painted as my husband
wishes it," she cried. I'VE must go to
work.
Karl, torn by emotion as herself,
acquicsced.
Here are shawls from which you
may select one for your shoulders"
he said. Il will go and prepare the
studio while YOU remove your blouse"
He left her so filed with fear that
she could hardly bring herself to tug
at the buttons that held her waist.
All" She exclaimed impatiently at
last, fiugins the waist from her.
As it dropped to the floor her per-
fectly rounded shoulders and white
throat we're bare. She arose from her
seat AMI reached for the filny siken
shawl she had chosen But the shawl
fell from her nerveess hands. and she
drew back with a shrek, gazing in
horror at what seemed an apparition
\ mclodious voice, suave, gentle, de-
Nbcratc, said:
Madame. | beg your pardon fear
! 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
Elimination. 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, came from the scarf.
He looked with undisguised admira-
ton at the beautiful woman before
him. But it was the cold, critical adj
miration of the cynic, emotionless and
without life. Olga drew back 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.
Il thought l was alone" she falter.
ed when her voice came to her
"When | came in some time ago NJ
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 O
few minutes ago when my husband
was here" she cried.
Without a flicker Of expression or
trace Of emotion in his even, steady
voice, the stranger glanced casually
Mt the chair from which he had emerg
ii like a specter and replied:
II beg your pardon I must be mis-
tlken."
lie seemed like one who would jes
with infnity.
There was nothing ironical in hi
tone, and he bowed with grave polite
ness. As he advanced Olga retreatet
toward the door through which Kar
had entered the studio.
"Whcre did you come fromT' sh,
cried
"Ah," he exclaimed quickly, 81 com,
from nowhere; | go everywhere; ! an
here"
He tapped bis forehead with long
eloquent fingers significantly.
Those hands were as striking as hi
roice his face. his manner. They wer
restless, animated, the only part o
him that seemed alive. His voice wa
cold, his face eXpressionless, his eye
unchanging in their steady blackness
but his hands were vibrant. Their ges
lures were literal speech. All impuls
which no had bn nicho1 hi
speech, from his walk, seemed cen
tered in his hands.
1t flashed across Olga as she gaze,
Mt him that he was the incarnation o
the arch fend, the very spirit Of evi
purpose against which all good. con
[. Z. L.