Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-04-28

LSl US - DdCh Ut once, JACK. L am
very tired" There was a constrained
note in Jeans voice now which Car
rington noticed, yet he seemed to be
enveloped In such a haze of delicious
langOur that he felt little concerned
about the moods of his fancee. Ii was
n silent party that rode back to the no.
tel. Jean Douglass said nothing to her
parents about the little adventure that
had befallen her in the desert. and Car
fngton seemed lost In abstraction.
MY veil, Jack! Where is my veil? ?"
Miss Douglass repeated the question
impatiently as they parted in the lobby
of the hotel
Darlington thrust a hand in his pock,
ct and drew forth a silky, clinging mass
Of green cloud. Here it is" he said
daZedly.
She snatched 1t eagerly and turned
away, and as she did so Darlington
put hand to his head and stared
after her with a perplexed frowD,
"She-she didn't say Good night" he
muttered
Safe in her room, Jean examined the
green veil with eager intentness. Ii
was about two yards long. of some
soft silken tissue in a bright, rich
shade of green. About the edge were
bordered tiny seed pearls in a curious
pattern. An intoxicating perfume of
altar of roses stirred from the veil at
every movement the girl made as she
tried II on before the dressing table.
Jack acted Sc hateful about IT," she
thought pettish,y. II believe he want
ed 1t for himself"
Several weeks later when the little
party had reached Chicago the Doug
lasses went one way and Jack Car
rington another for since the night of
their last day in Cairo an estrange-
ment had arisen between the lovers.
and all the tact and pleading of anx-
ious parents could not dissuade Jean
from the belief that her engagement
to Darlington was grave mistake.
The young man was wretched at the
unhappy outcome of his love affair,
but he accepted jeans ultimatum
without protest and for awhile disap-
peared from her world
Jean, apparently Indifferent to the
outcome of her love affair, resumed
her place in the social world with her
usual zest. yet there was a hard
brightness about her beauty now and
strange coldness in her manner to-
n.,I al fr,a Ir - a Ia,
cover the cause of the change in her
demeanor, and perhaps the girl her
self would have found it difficult to
explain the reason why they all seem
ed so dull and tame and commonplace
to her. why the streets and the houses
seemed plain and dingy and life itself
so hard and practical.
Then came the Mooreland ball, which
marked the end Of the winter cam
paign. ItA came in early May, when
even Chicago was awakened TO the
glory of the spring and Michigan ave
nue. was a vista Of green shaven lawns
and gay with tulips and hyacinths.
Jack Darlington emerged from his
shell of dependency for the evening
and watched with wistful eyes when
Jean appeared beside her mother ear
ly in the evening. They talked witt
Mrs. Mooreland, and then Jean be-
came the center of throng of eager
youths. Darlington did not approach
her. but he watched every movement
of her 1.-the young figure with hungry
eyes as she danced through the num-
bers. She wore gown of some silvery
green tissue, and about her shoulders
was draped scarf of brighter green
woven with fine seed pearls. Once
she passed close to him. and a flying
end of the scarf brushed his cheek. and
the scent of altar of roses was almost
overpowering. He turned away with
little shiver and crossed the hall tc'
the library, where he threw himself
into q huge chair before the fire and
gave himself up to solitude and despair.
He tried to recollect some event 0.
their last evening in Cairo that might
have brought their estrangement to
pass but could think of nothing. There
was the ride to the edge of the desert,
their own little excursion into its mys-
teries and the descent of the mysteri-
Gus green veil which had lain like a
shadow over him even since. The ride
back to the hotel was blank-from
the time he had thrust the green veil
! into his pocket until he had reluctant
| ly drawn it forth in the lobby of the
hotel Then the cold face of Jean had
come upon him like a douche. What
had he done? What had he said that
had brought about their estrangement?
| Suddenly draft of cold air stirred
his hair. and he looked around the
| high arm of his chair Jean had en-
tered the room alone and was advanc-
ing toward the fireplace. He rose
hastily.
Jean" he cried desperately.
The girl looked at him with strange
glitter in her brown eyes. Don't
! speak to me. please" she said coldly.
"You are disturbing my thoughts"
Darlington backed up against one
corner of the mantel and surveyed the
| girl with troubled eyes. She moved to
: the chair he had occupied and sank
into it with weary little gesture. She
looked into the fire with dreamy. alb
stracted gaze, and Darlington felt that
she had forgotten his existence He
determined to remain in the room, for
her strange manner alarmed him to a
degree.
ut is very beautiful" she said at
last.
What is beautiful. Jean?" he asked
with tender usefulness.
| She pointed a slender finger toward
the heart of the flames. "The desert
is very beautiful. 1t is mystical and
| ;, a