The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-04-12
Is n:
/ A VACABOND HEROINE /
M . ANNE EDWARDS. =:
BY ANNIE EDWARDS.
CHAPTER VIII.
10
Continued.

| mana upon n0r lace 10 m6uuIt
with these holy persons beads, fol-
aught she knows, may be the morta
] of crimes; and--"crime, or no crime
/ will do til" decides the girl, with
/ the spasmodic towards courage Of
her sex. Now, may fortune be hel
best friend; may no inmate of the
house pass from floor to floor while
the sacrilegious act is being carried
into effect.
The cranky fastening of the glass
door gives a groan as she opens It,
causing Belinda's guilty conscience
| to quake again; but no ear save her
own hears the sound. She unclasps
3the necklace, shivering as her fingers
llcome in contact with the clammy wax
throat; then bears away her booty
Eher legs trembling under her at ev-
| cry step upstairs. She takes it to the
blight of her solitary candle; admires
Wits mock effulgence clasps it, trem-
bling, around her little, warm, soft
| neck; surveys herself on tiptoe in the
furnished mirror above the chimney
| piece; and where is conscience now,
where remorse? Admirable safety,
why is it that conscience and re-
morse hold their peace as long as the
taste of the apple continues sweet be-
tween our teeth?
She surveys herself, well-nigh awe
stricken by her own fairness. She
feels that to be the possessor of real
diamonds she would cheerfully be-
come Mrs. Augustus Jones and start
for Chaplain tomorrow. Now moth
ing is wanting but fan and lovers.
The fan can be had; huge gilt-and-
black structure of the date of thirty
years ago, which lies for ornament on
the mantel-shelf; and of this Belinda
possesses herself. But the lovers
Bah! some unimportant details are
bound to be wanting at every rehear-
sal! When the prologue is over, the
play played out in earnest, the low
ers, it may be supposed, will come of
themselves.
She struts up and down the room,
her train outstretched, her fan in mo-
ton, her eyes glancing complacently
at the mignon little figure the glass
gives her duskily back. "If Captain
Temple could see me - if Captain
Temple could see me now?" thinks
vanity. "If he knew could be any
thing but ragged, and hideous, and a
gamin. And if he did know this,
what would Captain Temple care?"
says another sterner voice than that
of vanity. "Of what account is the
whole world to him by the side of
Rose and Roses beauty"
A sudden leaden weight sinks dead
on Belinda's heart. She is nothing
to Roger Temple; holds no more
place in his present than in his fu-
ture. She seems to stifle. The saints
paste diamonds must surely be very
heavy, so painful is the choking feel
ing in her throat. Turning abruptly
| away from the sight of her finery and
of herself, she extinguishes the can
die; then goes out bare-armed, bare
| necked, in her diamond necklace and
train, upon the balcony.
! 1t is now past midnight, and some
tA4AS INV NOOACA Gil UC5lA6 W Sui
across the sleeping country. Balmy
sweet is the air; every floor of the
vast old house has it's balcony, every
balcony its flowers; the sky is all a
| culver with stars; mountains, river,
plains, are lying in one great hush
of purple sleep. Belindas rests her
arm against the iron balustrade, and,
gazing away westward toward the
rugged line of Spanish coast, muses. :
| Spain or Clapham?
She has learned much since she
asked herself the same question this
afternoon; unknowingly has passed
the traditional brook, perhaps, where
womanhood and childhood meet; for
very certain has accepted Mr.. Jones,
elected in cold blood for Clapham-
Chaplain, responsibility, riches. And
| yet--and yet, If Maria Jose Cor some
one else) were to appear before heI
just now, and
Click! click goes the sharp sound
| of a vesuvian close, as it seems, be
! side Belinda's ear. She turns with q
start, and there, on the adjoining
| balcony, stands Roger Temple. Roger
may breakfast with Rose, but il
| would be the acme of indiscretion fol
him to, lodge under the same roo
| with her. Thus the widow, very
we'll versed in the minutiae of sur
| face morals, decides. And so--fron
| Scylla to Charbydis-fate, and the
landlord of the Hotel Isabella to
! gether, have contrived to lodge hin
under the same roof with Belinda
The Maison Lohobiague has two
! flights of stairs, in these modern
times has indeed been converted int
two distinct houses, one of which il
rented by the people of the Isabella
as succursale. or wing for overflow
ing guests, duringth bathing season
Belinda sees him, grasps the Who'll,
| dramatic capabilities of the situation
in moment, but gives no sign.
have said that nature has endoweI
the child with abundant initiative tai
emit; everyday association with tn,
Basques, the most excitement seeking
| play loving people in Europe. ha
stimulated the talent into a kind o
passion. Now, she feels, is magnifi
cent opportunity for her to act, witt
a purpose. A glance at Roger TEN
ple's face convinces her that he doe
not recognize Roses vagrant, out-at
elbows daughter under the disguis
of civilization. Now she will have
rare opportunity Of arriving at
truth or two; now she may even ties