The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-11-23

you. will write a check for ave
thousand dollars, and you shall carry
1t Immediately to your sister"
"A sop to Cerberus," murmured
Jacqueline, with fine scorn. Spare
yourself the trouble, sir. / will not
accept it,
Think twice. offer you this
money on condition that you never
come near me again. The painful
memories you arouse are really more
than ! can endure"
Mr.. Trevor, decline your offer.
My fathers children mugt have all
that belongs to them or nothing.
He.dropped the pen which he had
taken For moment he looked as
though he was about to rush upon
her.
THAT insult again! Well, you Are
my guest, and must bear with you.
Heaven give me patience! See! the
storm is increasing. You cannot
leave the island to-day. Mrs. Trevor
will meet you at lunch. When | set
up my Lares and Penates on this rock
she came with me--her love is my
solace here-it makes my desert to
blossom like the rose. I am practi-
cally an outcast from the world and
my fellow-men, yet find life still de-
sirable, because 1t is shared by the
sweetest and loveliest of women"
Jacqueline felt thrill of aston
ishment. Philip Trevor, in the char
acter of lover, bewildered her. He
waved her smilingly toward the door.
The interview was over. Had she ac-
complished anything by it? She fed
to her own room, and sat down there
to think. She was still thinking when
the lunch bell rang. An unbidden
and unwilling guest, she descended
to the room where the table was
spread. Philip Trevor was standing
on the hearth in the light of drift
wood fire, conversing with lady.
The entrance of Jacqueline cut short
the conversation. He turned toward
her with sprightly air.
LET me-" he said, present yoy to
Mrs. Trevor, who desires to make
your acquaintance.
touched Jacqueline's. and dropped
away-nerveless, cold as snow. She
was slender woman. white as ala
baster, with ash and gold hair and
melancholy gray eyes. Her features
were as regular as a cameo, but thin,
almost to sharpness. Her dress of
rich, severe black, accumulated her
extreme pallor. Whatever her feel
ings may have been, she certainly
evinced no pleasure at meeting JAG
queline-on the contrary, her manner
was distant-even forbidding.
"The woman that saw at the win
dow as came up from the pier!"
said Jacqueline to herself.
The three sat down to table gilt
tering with French porcelain, cut
glass and massive silver Peter of
the cross eyes passed the dishes and
did the honors. Jacqueline might
easily have fancied herself in Bea-
con Hill house, instead of on a lonely,
hostile island far out in the wild sea.
Both Trevor and his wife had their
drawing-room manners on, and GER
tainly they had managed to preserve
them intact during their long exile.
Their conversation was brilliant and
witty. Trevor maintained tender,
even adoring attitude toward the ala
baster woman He deferred to her in
everything on her words.
looked unutterable things, whenever
his smiling eyes sought hers. This
devotion she seemed to accept as
matter of course She had been edu-
Gated abroad--had wintered in Egypt
and summered in Norway, and
seemed familiar with most of the civ
ilized globe. She asked a few LAM
guild questions concerning places once
visited. but hardly appeared to listen
to Jacqueline's replies. Her appe-
tite was like a bird's-she barely
tasted the food which the man Peter
pressed upon her; and once, when he
CHANGED to touch her shoulder. she
started nervously, and look of I'M
speakable horror and aversion swept
over her cold face. 1t was gone in a
breath, but not before Jacqueline had
seen and interpreted it.
"She detests Peter!" was our hero
ines inward comment.
Jacqueline responded briefly to
such scraps of conversation as were
addressed to herself. She was upon
unknown ground, and it behooved
her to be on her guard. Presently a
long, lamentable blast of wind shook
the stone house, ratified the easement.
shrieked in the chimney. Mrs. Tre-
yor threw up her head like startled
deer.