The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-24
.=By-=
ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE

not even the most tenuous Of chances,
/ sent up my card in an envelope 10
the SlgnCrind-
In reply-af-y.r a wait of fifteen min
utes-l was graciOusly permitted TO as
Cend TO her reception room
SiSroTlna FerTl was dressed THIS morn
ing al cIose-httiuE tailor-made gown
OF some dark stuff and was IN every
way Ear from presenting the picture OF
artistic Iauguor that had greeted me
upon ny first entrance 10 me room on
the prev Gus afternoon
Yes. a ID there was something IN her
dark vivid face that had not been
there yesterday / was not sure whether
Il was eIation, sheer excitement or
alertueSS- a blend Of all three
But j. transformed her, for the time,
from an emotional. tCmperamentaI
artistic TO q busineSSlke. highly aJJraC-
tive American woman
Mr. Lee" she began. advancing to-
ward me EraciouSly, and speaking with
10 trace Of the foreign accent. Il owe
YOU double apology First, for losing
control of myself 50 dlSgraCefulIy yes
terday, and. second, for bOtheriug you
10 call on me today at 50 unearthly an
You owe me no apology on either
score. ] assured her. but may I ask
/ Row YOU knew Mark Hayward was
An inspiration. shall we call it2" she
eFaded- We GruSJcS. YOU know, are
supposed 10 translate even the secrets OF
the birds and brooks, and"
- ana IN TINS case. -DTouh Is spelled
/ 'B-r-O-e-c-k' ?" I supplemented Par
don the Wretched pun Brock trans
lated the secrets OF the register, and
You wrote 20 me May / ask why am
so hOnOred 2-
Isn't It possible that It is a mere
feminine whlm Tor another chat with SO
IerinsIy-
''TEe explanation has only two Jaws
assented- one Is your adjective con
corning the man. and"
You are far, far too modest
And the Csler.' I added, lis that
women do no. usually care 10 indulge
such wins AT a m May I ask
for a less complimentary more logical
As you will she shrugged. eff YOU
are lacking in nuesSe, I suppose there
/ IS no sense in my wasting any Of Il on
/ you I want 10 see You about Karl
I Vaughn"
She spoke the name casuaIIy-even
CareIeSsiy- 7 stared al her Could this
! be the woman who, a scaut fourteen
/ hours ago had gone into paIDabIv seu-
/ Uine mysteries az news of Vaughn s
death2 I maTvelc6 at her Self-controI
Then it was that 7 noted for the first
time that she was dressed wholly in
black, q type of costume not greatly III
vogue among artistes OF her class
: What about him. I asked
You were his friend e.
No" 7 answered. II can't truth
fully say I was"
You knew ne and I were euEaGedz-
Not until 7 learned r. from you yes
ter6ay- II my coincidence -
You say you and ne were not
frieuds2- she persisted Had you any
reason for dISliiEluC him
Need We speak Of such matters.
I protested surely Il must be cruelty
hard for you. at such time % dis
cuss Vaughn with man VINO dtSllEeo
him. Nor do I care to speak III OF the
W zrn rra~-rr .-r0rr ran scarcely
deny me. now. the small favor or an
SWeri1E my questions IT they seem 10
you idlc-or even unnaturai-P1t - cow
10 the morbid caprice or q woman VINO
has lust suffered a fearful loss won't
..Of course. if you demand it. But
.'Verv good. Had you reason FOR dis
liking Karl2'
d 81 had
Had he wrouEed YOU
I'm q Way-yeS- Greatly
And YOU hated hImZ
I'm afraid so
! You know, the papers say well
known business man from anothe- city
F was found that night lurking above the
SPOT where he was EIllett
"T know
Gould il have been a man who hated
him r man who wanted him out Of
f 1T was I. sfEuoriua.
eel expected an CutlU-E-. but none
came She took the news without emo
ton
You killed him. she asked, with
f curious calm
. so the police viii probably think
II didn't ask sou what the police
viii think. brt what y0E know Did
The hot denial that had been so avlz-
warTIv turned hack from my very lips
al first wording OF the query now
. rushed 10 them again But 7 SiIenCe5
it. And for what seemed TO me che
very best reasons
This excited opera singer had loved
. Vaughn I'm her own wild, uudisCipIined
way She would without doubt seek 20
. come IN touch with mis- friends perhaps
} even with the police who were On the
case