The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-04-04
CHAPTER ".

discover, when after a punctilious re-
turn of Captain Won Einem's salute, he
reopened his door and. closing it quick
ly as he entered. turned the key in the
lock.
His mood was exalted, his imagina-
ton excited; the swift succession OF
events which had made memorable the
night, eliminating with his open In
vitation to a challenge from the most
desperate duelist in Europe, had In
spired 2 volatile vivacity such as not
even the excitement of the Casino had
been potent to create in him.. or all
mad %conjectures imaginable the mad
dest was too weird for him to credit in
his humor of that hour. Eliminating
all else that had happened. in the
course of that short evening, his heart
had been stirred. his emotions played
upon by a recrudesence Of a passion
which he had striven with all his
strength to put behind him for a time;
he had first heard the voice of the M
woman to whom his love and faith and
honor were ir%retrievably pledged, he
had then seer her Tor another who re-
markably resembled her) for the scant-
lest of i~nstants; and finally he had
mysteriously received a letter which
! could, he believed, have been convey
ed to him by no other hand but hers.
And now ne was persuaded beyond a
| doubt that the person of the alcove.
the eavesdropper for whose fair repute
he had chosen to risk his life, was no.
.ody in the world but that same one
woman.
But l-lore than all else, perhaps. he
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 n who
wished not to be discovered. 4.
His first definite impression was OF
CONSERVATION and despair; for the
lights had been shut off in his alb
sence. Then quickly he discerned.
with eyes dazed by the change from
the lighted hallway to the lightless
chamber, the shadowy shape of a wom-
an, motionless between him and the
windows, waiting. . .
An electric switch was at his ell
bow. With a single motion he could
nave drenched the place with light.
For an instant tempted, some strange
scruple OF delicacy, abetted It may be
by his native love of romantic mystery.
stayed his hand.
Madame" said hs, "or mademoi'
selle. whichever ye may be-the win.
dows are open, meself's not OBTAINING
We. If We choose, we may go: but
ye'd favor me by going quickly. . :.
| give ye," he continued, seeing that
she neither moved o 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 we've TAKEN" he amended.
I'D thank We to leave as We go-if We
came to steal. Tis little | have to
lose. .
There was no answer.
He touched the switch with an Inn
patient hand, stepped forward a single
pace, caught himself up and stopped
short, now pale and trembling who had
a moment gone 3een flushed with
calm.
"Beatrix!" he cried thickly.
Dumbly his wife lifted her arms and
offered herself to him, unutterably
lovely, unspeakably radiant.
1t we're worse than a waste of time
to attempt a portrait Of her as she
seemed to him. Seen through her hus-
bands eyes, her beauty was incompar-
able, immaculate, too rare and fine. too
delicate a thing to be bodied forth in
words, dependent upon the perfection
Jof no single feature. Not in her hair.
fair as sunlight on the sea, not in her
eyes of autumnal brown. not in the
wonderful ineness 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 inviolate
soul, in the steadfastness of her i'm
pregnable heart. .
But it's doubtful il ever he had an
alyzed his passion for her so minute
ly. Mostly. l think, at that moment of
her abrupt disclosure to him, he 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
conception 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 were offered freely to him.
so" he said. after a bit, shakily;
then pulled himself together, and
controlling his voice-"So twas your
self, after all. Beatrix Me heart told
me no other womanv Gould have sung
that song as ye did"
The woman dropped her arms. your
heart. Terence?" she asked a little bit.
terly.
What else? Do We doubt it,"
ITO BE CONTINUED.l