Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-04-09

| joining bathroom. 1t contained a cir
cular bath with needle shower with.
out removing his clothing he climbed
into this, balancing himself with an
effort, found and turned the cold fan
Get and let the icy water. chilled from
artesian depths. trickle over him in a
hundred singing needle points
1t was very different figure that
re-entered the larger room half hour
later from the Sinking mudlark that
had climbed the rose trellis The old
Hugh lay. heap of soiIed and sodden
garments; the new stood forth shaw
en-, fragrant with fresh linen and clean
and fit apparel The maudlin had van
lshed the gaze was unvcxed and
bright. the whole man seemed to have
settled into himself, to have grown
trim, nonchalant. debonair He held
up his hand, palm outward between
the electric globe and his eye There
was not a tremor of nerve or muscle.
He smiled No headache no fever, no
uncertain feet or trembling hands or
swollen tongue after more than
week of deep potations. He could still
''sober up" as he used to do with
Blake the butler, to help him) when
II had been q mere matter Of an even
ing's tipsiness And how fine 1t felt to
be decently clad againi
He crossed TO cheval glass The
dark. handsome face that looked out at
him was clean cut and aristocratic,
perfect save for one blenish-a pale
line that slauted across the right brow,
a birthmark. resembling a scar. Al
his life this mark had been an eyesore
to its owner 1t had a trick of turn.
ing an evil red under the stress of an
ger or emotion.
On the features. young and vigorous
as they were. subtle lines of self in
diligence had already set themselves
aud beneath their expression. cavalier
and caressing. lay the unmistakable
stigmata of inherited weakness. But
these the gazer did not see He re-
garded himself with egotistic compla.
cency. Here he was just as sound as
ever. He bad had his fling and taught
'the governor" that he could get along
well enough without any paternal help
If he chose
He attentlvely surveyed the room
II was clrau and dnste.! evidently il
had been elrefu'ly tended He might
have stepped ont of II Yesterday Not
a thing had been disturbed yes one
thing His portrait that hdi hung over
bis bed was not in its place \ mo
mentary sense of trepidation rushed
through him Could his father really
have meant all he had said in his rage,
Did he really mean to dibwn hiut
For an instant he faced the hall doDr
with clinched hands Somewhere Il,
the house. unconscious of his presence.
was that ward OF whose coming he hat
learned. Moreau was good friend TO
have warned him Was she part of a
plan Of reprisal-her presence there q
tentative threat to him? Could his fa-
Their mean to adopt her? Might that
great house. those grounds, the bulk of
his wealth, go TO her, and he the son.
be left In the cold? He shivered. Per
haps he had stayed away too long,
AS he turned agaip, he heard sound
In the hall. He listened. light step
was pproaching-the swish of gown.
With a sudden impulse he stepped into
the embrasure of the window. as the
figure of girl paused at the door. He
felt his face flush. She had thrown
crimson kimono over her white night
gown, and the apparition seemed to
part the dusk of the doorway like the
red breast of robin. She held in her
hands a bunch of the pale Marechal
Mel roses, and his eye caught the long
rebellious sweep of her bronze hair
and the rosy tint of bare feet through
the worsted meshes of her night slip
pers.
To his wonder the sight of the light
ed room seemed to cause her no sur
prise. For an instant she stood still as
though listening. then entered and
placed the roses In vase on a reading
stand by the bedside.
Hugh gasped. To reach the stand
the girl had passed the spot where he
stood, but she had taken no note of
him. Her gaze had gone by him as If
he had been empty air. Then he real
lied the truth; Jessica Holme was
blind! Moreau's letter had given him
no inkling of that So this was the
girl with whom his father now threat
ened himl Was she counting on his
not coming back, waiting for the wind
fall? She was blind-but she was
beautiful! Suppose he were to turn
the tables on the old man., not only
climb back into his good graces through
her, but even
The thin line on his brow sprang
suddenly scarlet What supple.
/ graceful arm she hadl How adroit her
fingers as they arranged the rose
stemsl Was he already wholly black
ened in her opinion? What did she
d 1s..e WI.