The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-24
THE WHITE CAT
By GELETT BURGESS
Author of @vIvette, Little ster Destiny"
Copyright 1907 The sAiarnco
CHAPTER I.

me- My discomfort, increasing steaully'
resolved itself into two distinct factors
pain in my side at every breath and
a throbbing ache In the top of my head.
| realized that I was in bed. and the
first strangeness Of it struck me. could
not account for H. The wild, spicy odor
Of flowers came to me. adding TO my
perplexity. Then I opened my eyes.
The place was so dimly lighted that
for some seconds my sluggish wits were
unable 10 interpret the blotches OF shadow
and the vague glimmering spots. These,
however, gradually resolved themselves
into comprehensive forms. 1 perceived
that I was in a strange room, large and
airy: for even in the obscurity l got a
feeling of free, clean space, and Of that
chaste emptiness which is apt TO dis
tinguish the guest chamber Of we'll
kept house. 1 heard. now, the steady,
deliberate ticking Of a clock little way
off, and somewhere below was a small
grinding sound. so low as to he almost
mere vibration, like coffee mill In
operation. Near by. a door closed and
latched softly.
/ moved and attempted to sit up, but
sharp stab In my side warned me that
my hurt was. perhaps. more serious than
l had thought There was a lump on
my head, too. which probably accounted
for my lapse OF consciousness.
Setting my memory painfully TO work.
cropping back through the darkness OF
my mind for something TO explain the
L "a
dark. unlighted stairway, came upon the
/ last fact that had been recorded by my
brain. ! had been putting en- speed
the road through the woods was straight,
level. and deserted-hoping 10 get up
/ 10 town early IN the afternoon. The
| steering gear of my motor car had given
way. I had felt the wheels suddenly veer.
| OF the car went down and the rear was
| thrown up and over with the momen-
tum. sending me flying through the air.
| l wondered laZily. how much the ma
chine had suffered. Then l must have
dropped off TO sleep again. for when
next opened my eyes there was a flicker
/ ing ray or light in the room This time
/ I was keenly alert mentally. DESTROYS OF
NOiiAt lleilaA4NAA VI AA4g NAAAaNtNiAs " AANA
was ], and who had cared for me?
/ The light grew brighter. still wavering.
/ slanting across the wall where il rocked
and shifted. casting long. distorted sha-
dows that danced up and down. Some
one was evidently coming upstairs with
light. The door was hidden by a pro-
! jecting angle of the wall. however, and
so for a few moments / saw nobody.
/ In those seconds the room was illumi-
mated gradually more and more. show
! ing a white-painted wainscot with a dull
green wall above. where a few japanese
prints hung. Opposite my bed was a
window with small Old-fashioned panes,
there was another beside me- The rays
glinted on the polished sides OF several
pieces of old mahogany furniture and
hared yellow on brass Candlesticks and
/ on the gilded frame Of an eagle mirror.
Finally the glare stopped its undulating,
the shadows grew steadier on the wall
and. as l gaZed eagerly for first glimpse
of my visitor a young woman. bearing
/ a silver candlestick. came into the room
/ She looked Immediately over 10 where
| I lay, and then. catching my surprised
stare, her expression changed wonder
/ fully from a rather pathetic Abstractior
TO an animated interest With something
not quite a smile on her face she walked
lnearer my bed, and stood for a moment
without speaking, still looking at me
Her attitude limited that she saw in ms
something-as If. for instance il were a
sort Of picturesqueness which was uneX
pected enough to appeal 10 her magma
ton. She rested for a moment, poiseC
and calm. but intensely attentive, fas
einated.
And I, at the same time. was Instantly
| conscious of so curious a sentiment tina
I must stop 10 attempt 10 describe it.
/ I conceived myself 10 he a cOnnOisseul
in women, and I estimated her at frs
sight as one unique, even extraordinary
But though TO my mind she was indubit
ably beautiful il was not her beauty
that for the moment thrilled me. 1
was chiefly her ''newness. the very nov
city of her visitation. I felt a sudden
compelling desire TO prolong the myster!
OF her presence rather than 20 have i
explained. 1 tried, mentally. 10 della!
her first word, TO hold her back from an!
definite explanation TIL my eyes had ha'
their I'll of her-till they had, so to speak
solved her equatiOn-till my wonder ha.
spent itself in the vision, exhausting al
its possibilities OF delight Her charm
. was, in its unexpectedness, so allurinl
which one fingers with and detains.
She was small, but her head was s.
exquisitely proportiOned TO her body tina
one did not notice her size. have calle
her young, though she was tWenty-seven
for her graceful figure and pose were still
girlishly maintained. The shape of he
small head was defined by quaint Golf
fure, the dark fine hair being banded Il
an enciTcling plat up past her tiny ear
and over, like a coronal, showing sweep
ing high-bred curve over her low brow
All this gave her a tender, virginia. as
pect; but her soft, deep brown eyes wer
so saddened by warm shadows below tn
lids. her mouth was so TREMENDOUSLY sen
sitive with its slightly parted lips. an
the little lines that women fearhad begu
to write her history so suggestively upol
her face that, as I gazed at her, I say
a woman who had lived and suffered,
woman as intense as she was delicate i
all her moods.
She was clad in a bewilderingly femi
nine peignoir of lace and embroidery
open at the neck. and covered with an
other long, straightly hanging carmen
Of shimmering pale-green silk riehl
decorated with odd patterns. This CAV
her to my wondering eyes quite the ap
pearance Of a medieval princess, or IN
heroine of some old fairy tale. The I'm
preston was intensified by the long chat
she wore, set with fire opals which fiashe
I'm the candle light. From 1t, below he
waist, there hung a golden star.
And, strangest of ALL most provocative
70 my fancy, she also appeared, wit
extraordinary sympathy, almost wit
prescience, to feel something of my won
der as she paused and stood silent, re
tarding her greeting, In answer TO M
unspoken thought While our eyes he'll
each other in that marvellous communion
she did not smile: II was rather from he
4 I -, a