The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-03-01

lock.
His mood was 5zalted. his imagina
ton excited; the swift succession OF
events which mad made memorable the
night, eliminating with his open in
vltation TO a challenge from the most
desperate duelist In Europe, had IN
spired volatile yiyacity such as not
even the excitement OF the Casino had
been potent 10 create In him. or all
ad coniectures imaginable the mad
dest was too weird for him to credit In
his humor OF that hour. Eliminating
all else that had happened, In tho
course OF that short evening, his heart
mad been stirred, hts emotions played
upon by recrudesence or a passion
which he had striven with all his
strength 10 put behind MIN for time;
he mad first heard the voice or the one
woman 20 whom his love and faith ana
honor were irretrievably pledgeG' he
had then seen her Tor another VINO re-
markably resembled her) for the scant,
lest OF instants; and finally he had
mysteriously received a letter whlch
could, he believed, have been convey
ed to him by no other hand but hers'
And now he was persuaded beyond
doubt that the person Of the aicoVe
the eayesdropper for whose fair repute
he had chosen TO risk his life, was no
pJdy in the world but that same one
woman.
But lore than all else, perhaps ne
expected and feared to find the room
deserted; for the balcony outside the
windows afforded a means OF escape
too facile to be neglected by one "hc
wished not 10 be discovered
His first definite impression was oi
CONSERVATION and despair; for the
lights had been shut of In his az
sence. Then quickly he discerned'
with eyes dazed by the change rom
the lighted hallway to the hghtless
chamber, the shadowy shape OF WON
an, motionless between him ana tns
windows. waiting.
An electric switch was at his ell
bow. With a single motion he could
nave drenched the place with lght
For an instant tempted some strange
scruple OF delicacy, abetted 1t may be
by his native love Of romantic mystery
stayed his hand
Madame" said he, "or mademoi
selle, whichever ye may be-the WIN
dows are open, meselfs not detainlns
We. If We choose, ye may go; but
ve'd favor me by going quickly.
give We he continued. seeing that
she neither moved nor replied, this
one chance. In thirty seconds turn
on the lights"
The woman did not stir; but he
thought he could detect in the still
ness her quickened breathing.
What ye've taken" he amended
I'D thank ye to leave as ye go-lT ye
came to steal. Tis little l have TO
lose.
There was no answer.
He touched the switch with an i'm
patient hand, stepped forward a single
pace. caught himself up and stopped
short, now pale and trembling who had
a moment gone been flushed with
calm.
"Beatrix!" he cried thickly.
DumbIy his wife lifted her arms and
offered herself to him, unutterably
lovely, unspeakably radiant.
II we're worse than waste Of time
to attempt a portrait Of her as she
seemed to him. Seen through her nus.
bands eyes, her beauty was incompar'
able. immaculate, too rare and fine, toe
delicate a thing to be bodied forth In
words, dependent upon the perfection
of no single feature. Not in her hair
fair as sunlight on the sea, not In her
eyes of autumnal brown, not In the
wonderful fneness of her skin or In
the daintiness of her features, not in
the graciousness of her body, did he
find the beauty of her that surpassed
expression, but in the love she bore
him. in the sweetness of her tnviolate
soul, in the steadfastness of her i'm
pregnable heart.
But it's doubtful If ever he had an
alyzed his passion for her so minute
ly. Mostly, think, at that moment oi
her abrupt disclosure to him, ne long
ed unutterably for her lips and the
proffered wreath round his neck of her
slim, round, white arms.
Yet he would not. Trembling though
he was. with every instinct and every
fiber of his being straining toward her
with the hunger for her a keen pain in
his heart, he held himself back; or his
of honor held him back
That which he had voluntarily forfeit
ed and put away from him for his hon
or's sake he would not take back
though It we're offered freely to him
So" he said, after a bit, shakily;
then pulled himself together, and |
his vOice-"So twas your
self, after all, Beatrix! Me heart told |
me no other woman could have sung
that song as ye did"
The woman dropped her arms "YouI
heart, Terence" she asked little bit !
terly.
What else? Do ye doubt it?"
CTO BE CONTINUED)
"A