The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-04-05

ly as be entered. turned the key in the
lock.
His mood was .Ealted. his imagtaa.
ton excited. the swift succession OF
events which had made memorable the
night, eliminating with his open In
yitation TO a challenge from the most
desperate duelist in Europe. had in.
spired , volatile viyacity sucN as not
even the excitement OF the Casino had
been potent TO create in him, or all
mad c~onjectures 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
had been stirred, his emotions played
upon BY a r~ecrudesence OF q passion
which he had striven with all my
strength to put behind MIN TO- n time;
he had first heard the voice OF the one
woman 10 whom his love and faith auo
honor were irretrieyably p%iedge". Nc
had then @ her Tor another who re
markedly resembled herl for the scant'
lest Of i]nstants; and finally he hao
mystertously received a letter Nplc"
could. NJ believed, have been CONVEY
ed 10 him by no other hand but hers
And now he was persuaded beyond Il
doubt that the person Of the aIco'e'
the cavesdropper for whose fair reNHte
he had chosen to risk mis- life. was no
uody in the world but that same one
woman.
But more than ali else, perhaps, ne
~expected and feared to find tie room
deserted; for the balcony outside ihe
wiadOws afforded a means Il escape
too .acile to he neglected by one VINO
wished not to be discovered
His first definite impression was OF
consternation and despair; for me
lights had been shut Of IN his an
sence Then quickly he di~scerned.
with eyes dt2ed 81 the change from
the lighted hallway to tho lishtless
| chamber the stsdowy shape OF a ON
an. motionless between him ma the
windows. wviting. ..,.,
An electy.c switch was at MS Ell.
bow. Wi.I a single motion he coh'a
nave drcpched the place Win ishl
For an in8tant tempted. some strange
sCruple vi dellCacy, apell'u IT 'u'' ~
by his native love OF romantic mystery
stayed his hand
Madame" said he, 'or modeno'
| seiIe, whichever ye may be-jhe WIN
| dows are omen. meselGs not deialnlhR
ye. II ye choose. ye mag go, u
we'd favor me by going quickly
give ye, he continued, seeing NAT
| she neither moved nor repIou, 'h'S
| one chance. In thirty seconds ! turn
on the lights"
The m 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 ye go-if ye
came to steal. "Tis little | have 10
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.
Dumbly his wife lifted her arms and
offered herself to him, unutterabiy
lovely. ~unspeakably radiant.
# were worse thar a waste OF time
to attempt A portrait OF her as she
seemed to him. Seen through her hus-
hands ewes, her beauty was tncompar.
able immaculate, too rare and fine. too
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
ewes Of autumnal brown, not In the
w]onderful 6neuess OF her skin or In
the daintiness OF her features. not in
the erac|ousness of her body, did he
find tbe beauty OF her that surpassed
axnression but in the love she bore
him in the sweetness OF her lnyiolate
souI in the steadfastness of her i'm.
nrepnable heart.
I,ut its doubtful II ever he had an.
,,yzod his nassion for her SO minute.
To- Mostly I think. at that moment OF
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