Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-04
CHAPTER V-Continued.


i laugh.
i, She held out her hand to me. l couio
| not help i'll was intoxicated with the
| situation and the moment-but l held bel
| fingers Just a little longer and little
| tighter than convention warranted. The
| extra bit of color rose in her cheeks
| again, but no one noticed either my &C
| ton or her response, and then we were
talking with every appearance of uncon
| Germ.
/ / stayed only a minute, her duties as
hostess allowing me no longer time. ano
then I passed on to join the liSht-hearte6
throng-. l was happy that evening, happy
| TO return to my natural element, to the
! people with whom l belonged. happy II
I spite Of the sight of George Grey as
! AlCia's husband with all husband
| privileges. ! was proud of Alicia-I look
| ed often at her-as she bore herself witt
| a strength and dignity that l had before
| thought impossible to one in her position
| Certainly no one there could have inferred
| from either her face manner that she
! was thoroughly wretched carried II
| her heart a terrible secret
! Chance placed me In Alicia company
| from time to time. and j never abused
! the opportunity. Her manner tOwarC
me was correct. with just that shade OF
| familiarity which woman may have
toward a man with whom she has grown
| up and whom she has always called by
his first name. But once when the drift
| of the crowd had left us alone for a mo.
! ment she said:
| Harry, I hoped that you would come
! tonight. You must take up your life In
| the world, and there are certain ordealS
| through which both Of us must pass.
| Alicia" ! said the past is for you
! only to revive. even between ourselves
1 shall not speak of it of my own accord. y
"Ah. Harry she said, in so low tone
| that l scarcely heard her. you have done
! for me what no other man has done 1Or
| any other woman.
1t is a terrible thing TO be in love with
| another mans wife, a terrible thing
| whether she be bad or good, and these
words. SO gentle, meant well. gave me
| cruel stab. I turned away almost ab-
ruptly. although 1 believe she under
Stood and the sight of Grey on the other
| side of the room filled me with a passion
of rage and Jealousy. OF which was
| ashamed. Now I understood the deeds
| men sometimes do.
| 1 found myself quickly becoming a con-
genial member Of this numerous group.
believe that ! have the social gift. II
| was. perhaps this gift in an overdeveiop-
| ed form that led to my first fatal steps
but / can always make myself at home in
a crowd Now I was finding new friends
renewing acquaintances with old and dis
| covering distant relatives. Jimmy War
| field watched over me and always sup.
ported me.
IT'S because you are going to the legis-
| Iature next year. and / shall need your
! vote he said, lightly, when I told him
how grateful 1 was.
| heart.
! He introduced me 10 Mr.. Guthrie. the
| young member of Congress. man with a
strong. smoothly shaven face and calm
steady look. 1 understood that he had
once been newspaper writer. but
| through a great and almost involuntary
| speech had been nominated to the lower
| House of Congress. He inspired me a
| once with confidence and liking. and re
solved to mold my career after his as
| much as possible.
Jimmy Warfield linked his arm In mine
few moments later. and We strolled to-
| ward the smoking ROOM
| You are to become one of us in a year
| or so. Harry" he said. land I mean te
| tell you few secrets. secrets that couldn''
be kept from you long. There's just BIT
of intrigue going on here tonight. Cob
bett, the fat manufacturer, wants to &C
| to Congress. He means to have the sea,
| of Guthrie. AS a man he isn't within
| thousand miles of Guthrie; you can sec
! that for yourself, but he's very rich. and
| he has induced Grey. who has a powerful
I. family connection, to go with him.
| We came presently in another room upor
4
| nestly and who raised their heads in some
| confusion when we entered. Four or five
men were with them. one with fiat face
| and pasty features. Mr.. Timothy Apple
| gate. whom l had met earlier In the even.
| ing, also possessor of inherited wealth
| but in this case allied with a dull mind
! Another was Walter Harrison. man OF
thirty-f1 keen. alert and handsome.
All. Warfield::" said Harrison. Il was
| just thinking of you. We were talking
politics. and that's subject of which yor
| know everything"
Nobody knows everything about poll.
tics replied Jimmy, coolly, land I only
stand at the threshold ready for instruc'
| ton.
Il hear that you. Clarke. are thinking
| of Il public life" said Grey indifferently te
me. He had dropped the Mr." and
could see that he almost looked upon me a!
same town and in small Kentucky town:
there is a general knship more or les:
| distant.
That's far ahead" I replied. eve a
year at the law school,
All of us relaSped into silence anC
| smoked industriously.
"You knew Mrs. Grey all through he,
childhood said Grey at last
In school and before. We practically
grew up together
Then you know how brave and spirited
she is he said. with sort of insolen
I pride in his possession that made me
| culver though I did not let my fac.
change. ] felt sudden impulse Of reck.
lessness too and ] deliberately resolved
to lead him on to something about which
l had hitherto made up my mind to keel
quiet.
Il know It, I said lightly Il ought to
She was always a master spirit among us
I was out west then. but 1t seems to me
that since my return I have heard some
thing about her facing down a burglar
here until you came in and captured the
rascal.
He laughed exultantly. more think a
thought of his wife'S courage.
ITS true" he said, II caught the fel.
low redhanded. He had the goods in his
pocket. He seemed to be a desperate
scoundrel but I got the drop on him and
he knew enough to give up without g
struggle.
l looked him squarely in the eye as he
was talking, reading there all his coarse
satisfaction at the thought of his easy
victory over another man. He also looked
at me he talkeu, but he did not hav,
the remotest suspicion. In his mind haG
no kinship with the supposed burglar OF
four years ago.
What became of the man." asked
Jimmy Warfield.
Sent UP for three years" replied Grey
II never inquired about him. but as his
time was up year since l suppose he has
disappeared somewhere under another
name"
Poor devil" said Jimmy Warfeld.
why do you say that" asked GREY
sharply.
Il say it because 1 think it," replied
|