Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-01-08

49, shl-a-t III Do al - it-AN % -+t'
hot Known u,fo;r during the sin p'H"il
yoa.s o. .-C married life. Her face
was g. l.... Of fear fear of the Un-
See. lie unfathomahle-of the turuu-
lent emotions that seemed crow ding.
surgn@ up from unsuspcctrd depths in
her very soul.
Mime. Hoffman, WAS in Tie studio Of
Ear. Nahsr where she Hal been
brought ly her por,.y banker husband
Hcr"un HOFFMAN,, that the Irony o.
The sweetheart of her happy G.rlhood.
painting her portrait for the pleasure
of the man whose name She had taken,
might be consunnated. But it was
with no thought OF this that Hoffman,
had taken her there or that she had
consented to 20 or that Karl had re-
ceived them. Hoffman, welcomed the
artist ,ai,y IL his own home and knew
no Jealousy. Karl, forgctful Of the
idyl of LIs youth. dwclt in thought on
his approaching marriage to beauti-
full young hcircsS. 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
ont. 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
unshIivcn. 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
boy. had taken her in his arms and
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, NJ. Mailer; have come to
get my portrait painted as my husband
wishes it." she cried. I'VE must 60 to
work"
Karl, torn by emotion as herself,
acquiesced.
Here are shawls from which you
may select one for your shoulders"
he said. Il will 60 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.
"Ah: she exclaimed impatiently at
last, finging 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 filmy silken
fell from her nerveless hands. and she
drew back, with a shrek, gazing in
horror at what seemed an apparition.
A melodious voice, suave, gentle. de-
liberate, said:
Madame. I beg your pardon. I fear
l permitted myself to fall asleep"
From the depths of a great arm
chair, drawn up before IN open fire
whose red light gave 1t sinister H.
Elimination. man arose. stood before
Olga and bowed profoundly. He was
In the conventional afternoon garb Of
a gentleman. His frock coat was black
his hair was black; his eyebrows, eye
lashes and eyes were black. His face
was white, as colOrlcss 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 ad-
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.
II thought I was alone" she falter-
ed when her voice came to her.
when l came in some time ago NJ.
Mailer was out, and I must have
fallen asleep in his comfortable chair.
Again I 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 q
few minutes ago when my husband
was here" she cried.
Without 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 specter and replied:
IT beg your pardon. 1 must be mis-.
taken"
He seemed like one who would Jest
with inflnity.
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 from" she
cried.
"Ah." he exclaimed quickly, II come
from nowhere; l 60 everywhere; I am
here"
He tapped his forehead With long,
eloquent fingers significantly.
Those hands were as striking as his
voice. his face. his manner. They were
RESTLESS, animated, the only part OF
tira that seemed alive His voice was
cold, his face expressionless, his eyes
unchanging in their steady blackness,
but his hands We're vibrant. Their ges-
lures were literal speech. All impulse
which he had banished from his
speech. from his walk, seemed CEN
tered in his hands.
1t flashed across Olga as she gazed
at him that he was the incarnation Of
the arch fiend, the very spirit Of evil
purpose against which oil good con-
tends. against which she had fought
unconsciously for six years. 1t was
this terrible presence that was drag
Sing her back over those years. paint
Ing with fresh color the faded dream,
filling her heart with the wild, sweet
desire Of child. She pressed her
hands over her eyes to shut out the
specter and cried aloud:
Karl
Then she fed to meet the Young Qrt.