Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-07-04
THE HEART OF A WOMAN
BY BARONESS ORGY.
Author Of sThs Scarlet pimpernsL"' "Psttieoae Rule Etc.
BY BARONESS ORGY.

art OF make believe hat each one in
dtvidually vas able to register in the
innermost depths Of an anxious heart
the firm conviction that the other had
not heard.'
Luke was convinced that the grew
some and sOrdid news could not have
penetrated within tho gorgeous man
sion where Lou in an exquisite gown
had sung modern songs in her pure
coEtralto voice. He felt sure that
neither Lou nor Colonel Harris had
been murdered in q taxicab and that
police officers had thought At to speak
to him-Luke-in tones of contemptu-
Gus familiarity. Nay more! now that
he himself sat thus opposite good ma
tured, prosy, sensible Colonel Harris,
he began to think IA he must have
been dreaming, that the whole thing
could not have occurred, but that he
had Imagined 1t all whilst leaning
against the garden ratings trying to
strain his ears 80 hat they should
hear the soft faint echo Of that pure
contralto voice.
Perhaps the wish had been father
to the thought; whilst gazing up at
those brilliantly illumined windows, he
might In his heart Of hearts have
wished the non-ex,stence of Philip
not his death, but the humiliation Of
h past few months, the non-advent
of the intruder; and thus wishing he
the murder in the cab, the police Of
ticer on the door step of the old home
in Grosvenor sQuare.
A sense of supreme well being encom-
passed him now. Lou sat opposite to
him. He could not distinguish her face
in the gloom, only the outline of her
head with the soft brown hair perfect
1V HrpCCn1 hu tho hon1 nP an 1oono
pltshed maid; Lou, the personif1cation
of m~odernity. of ordinary commonplace
life, but exquisite-just the woman
whom he loved with every fibre Of
his heart, every tendril Of his being
n every sense within him. A soft
gown and was waited to his nostrils.
He closed his eyes n drew In a long
breath of supreme delight. Now and
then as h cab gave a jerk his knee
came In contact with hers, and down
on the ground quite close to his own
there rested a small neatly shOd foot,
the sole Of which he would have given
his hearts blood to kiss.
Oh, yes; he was quite, quite happy;
this was reality; his exquisite Louisa,
tho outline OF her perfect head, the
touch of her knee, the scent of sweet
peas which intoxicated him and
whipped his senses to madness and to
dreams. 1t vas reality and the other
was only the wild phantasmagoria of
a wild imagination-the insane thought
born of insane desire. In the darkness
which enveloped him and Lou, he
could, you see, give free rein to him
self. The world was not gaping; con-
ventionality held no sway within these
four narrow walls; the puppet could
loosen the string which had forced 1t
to dance, 1t could lie placid for awhile.
dead to the world, but enjoying its
own existence and its own vitality.
And Lou. watching him in that same
darkness which concealed him entire
ly, save to her eyes of watchfulness,
believed that he had heard nothing
as yet. She vaguely combatted the de-
sire to tell him everything then and
there. so that he should hear the worst
and the best from her lips rather than
But with that subtle perception pc
culiar to her-the modern, common
place woman OF the world-she OWNED
that he was living for the moment in
a world Of his own, from which it was
sacrilege to try and drag him away.
Just then the cab drew up outside
the Langham hotel. The everyday
world had returned with It's fiarins
electric lights, its hall porters, its
noise and hustle and chased away the
illusions of the past few moments
luke jumped out, ready to help Lou
dOWn7a Nappy second tnat, IOr mel
! hand must needs rest in his.
The glare Of the electric lamp above
fell full on his face, which was serene
placid, the usual mask of supreme
indifference: only Louisa read beyond
the mask, and as her hand rested in his
for just a thought longer than onven
tionality allowed, she realized that hi
ror. and the suspicion which hat
touched him already with the tip Of it.
sable wing.
Her eyes. and the pressure OF he,
hand bade him good night" and sht
passed on into the lighted hall OF tn,
the lobby.
you have heard?" he asked quickl,
and In q whisper, lest Lou shoult
hear.
EYES," replied the other.
And Louisa? Does she know?"
place. was Colonel Harris muttere.
comment.
"But you've heard no rdetails?"
mo. Have you?"
Very little. Only what the polio
officer chose to tell me-"
"Then," Queried the older man, ''it'
an absolute fact?"
Absolute, unfortunately"
Him! Az to that-have you see'
your uncle?"
INC. I went round az soon as
knew. but the police had forestalled m
and broken the news to him."
"But why didn't you Gee him?"
"He sent word that he would rathe
I come back in he morning. Philip
influence still prevalent. you see."
.sWell. It's q COMPOUNDED business.
CALCULATED Colonel Harris with heart
conviction, hut I'm not going to II
ment over It. After airs said and don
It's . very simple way out Of IN impoa
sihle situation"
"a vary horrible WnYS