The Washington herald., 1908-07-02
CHAPTER III.

Guy lit a cigarette as soon as he was
alone. few hundred yards away the
woman was awaiting for him with whom
he expected to pass the rest Of his life.
Nor was she one who waited patiently
for anything or anybody. The thought
came to him suddenly that If he waited
a little longer-an hour or two-the con-
summation so devoutly desired by his
brother Edward might be accomplished.
lie picked up the large framed photo
graph and examined it quietly Doing
90 his face hardened into the mask ia
milar TO the spectators in the galleries
Of the courtroom.
Once he had loved this woman.
Why?
Was the attraction purely physical?
Angela Tempest had great beauty. Of the
most alluring kind but beauty alone he
told himself would not have fred the
spark in him. Also. she was clever. with
that amazing modern cleverness whose
salient characteristic-selfs OBJ
scured by a pretty helplessness peculiarly
feminine and exactng. She fascinated
women as much almost as men, just SO
long as they believed in this kitten-like
claim upon their affection and protection.
There was the irresistible Come hlther,"
in the eye; a melting orb. Children
adored her. and animals. Mrs. Grundy.
however, had grown rather tired OF men
tioning this in palliation of conduct eu-
phemistcally termed unconventional.
Nevertheless. up TO the last-shaI we say
twenty-four hours before the terrible de-
cree?-the sight of Mrs Tempest. with
"a lovely child on her lap and an intelli-
gent terrier gazing at her with adoring
eyes, was sufficient 10 turn the head and
heart OF the unsophistcated 70 higher
things For some years the clergy. to
curete, stood her friend Even Nom
conformists refused TO believe III OF the
wife Of a rich man who had given so
much of her husbands money TO the
poor. The money comes from them
she was alluding airily TO John Tenn
pests ownership Of slum property-"and
il ought 20 go back to them"
Guy recalled her parlor tricks. There
was that distracting little song Of Anna
Heid's, which ANGELA sang even better,
the Frenchwoman:
Oh. won't you come and pay wiz me2
have such a nice lcetle way wiz me-
Guy put down the photograph with an
exclamation.
A few minutes later he was alone with
her in the drawing-room Of the furnished
fiat which she had taken after leaving
hor bucba nd'c bores Ia -rc-,.1.-o~ Co.
The room as she found il was quite i'm
possible. Her hands had transformed H..
This. indeed. was her great her incom-
parable gift: daily exercised. the ever
recurrent miracle. a delight alike to
friends and foes. Inanimate things she
could not touch without adorning them.
OF her effects upon human beings. IL is
worth recording that those who had suf-
fered most at her hands came back to
kiss them. Poor young Tressillan. for
instance. IN whom she had famed a fame
which sent him ablaze TO South Africa.
left her all his money. Unfortunately. il
was not much. Had there been more
loot-so said the Cynics-Tressilian might
have been encouraged 70 stay in Eng
land. Guy thought of young Tressilian
whenever Mrs Tempest wore a certain
necklace Of diamonds and opals. II had
been bought with the loot"
She was lying back in a sofa. looking
like a picture Of Romney or Gains
borough, when Guy was announced.
Those who did not know her might have
suspected pose. AS a matter of fact.
she never posed. 1t was natural to her
to look her best. to assume the most fit