Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11

1lOnal WOrlQ. f1OW CTucl IIlSy Soh NC AZ
that proud desire to do what is right
what their code tells them is right!-no
law of God or nature that!-only con-
vention. the dictates Of other men! HARD
on themselves. selfless In abnegation, put
not understanding that the dearest gift
they can bestow on q woman Is the right
for her to efface herself, the right for her
to be the giver of love. OF consolation. OF
sacrifice.
Commonplace. plain sensible Louisa un-
derstood everything that Luke felt; those
great luminous eyes of hers, fearless yet
brilliant, read every line on that lace
drilled into impassiveness.
No one else could have guessed the pre-
else moment at which softness crept into
the hard determination of jaw and lips;
no ear but hers could ever have per-
ceived the subtle change in the quivering
breath, from hard obstinacy that drew
the nostrils together and set every line
of the face. to that indrawing of the
heavy air around caused by passionate
longing, which hammered at the super
excited brain, and made the sinews crack
in the mighty physical effort at self-re-
preston.
But to all outward appearance perfect
calm, correct demeanor, the attitude and
tone of voice prescribed by the usages
Of this so-called society.
LOU" he said, 1T is not fair to tempt
me- 1 should be a miserable cur If I held
you to your word. I am a penniless beg
CARA wastrel now, without profession,
without prospects. soon to be without
friends"
He seemed to take pleasure in recalling
HIS defects, and she let him ramble on:
women who are neither psychological
puzzles nor interesting personalities have
a way Of listening patiently while tor
tured soul eases its burden by contem-
plating its own martyrdOm.
II am a penniless beggar.' he reiter-
ated. II have no right to ask any woman
to share my future dull and humdrum
existence. A few thousands is all have.
I think that Edie will marry soon and
then can go abroad must go abroad
must do something"
We'll do it together, Luke
81 feel he continued, rebellious now
and wrathful, all the primary instincts
desire to destroy an enemy, Il feel that
if I stayed in England I should contrive
to be even with that backyard. His
rights? I would never question those.
Gle Arthur's son should have been
ready to shake him by the hand, to re-
spect him, to stand aside as was his due.
But his attitude! the influence he exer-
cises over Uncle Rad! his rancor against
us all Jim and Eide! what had they
done to be all turned out of the house
like pack of poor relationship poor
Uncle Rad"
He checked himself. for she had put
hand on his coat sleeve.
Luke, it is no use" she said.
"You are right, Lou! and l am a miser-
able wretch. If you only knew how 1
hate that man
DON'T she said, '1et us think Of him.
YOU"
Her hand still rested on his arm and he
took it between both his. The couples In
stairs paid no heed to them. and through
the hum of voices, from distant room
beyond, came softly waited on the hot,
still air the strains of the exquisite bar
Louisa smiled confidently. proudly. He
held her hand and she felt that his-hot
and dry-quivered In every muscle at her
touch. The commonplace woman had
opened the magic book Of love-. She had
turned it's first pages. the opening chap
tiers had been simple, unruffied. uncrur-
pied by the hand Of men or Of fate. but
now at last she read the chapter which
all along she knew was bound to reach
her ken. The leaves Of the book were
to blur the writing: the psychological
problem of today-the one that goes by
the name Of modern woman"-would. no
doubt, ponder ere she tried to read
further: she would analyze her feelings.
her thoughts, her sensations; she would
revel over her own heartache and delight
in her own soul agony. But simple-mi
ed, conventional Louisa did none of these
| Things. SHc uclIucT hCt doi1s iioi
dressed in ill-made serge clothes: her
dress was perfect and her hand exquis-
itely gloved. She did nothing out OF the
way: she only loved one man altogether
beyond herself and she understood ms
passionate love for her. and all that trou-
bled him in this world In which they both
lived.
II love that barcarolle. don't you?" she
said, after awhile
IT did not hear It, he replied.
1Iyo
ITS no use, LOU" he said, under his
breath. You must despise me for being
a driveling fool. but ] have neither eyes
nor ears now. ! would give all have In
the world to lie down there on the floor
now before you and to kiss the soles OF
"How could I despise you. Luke. for
that?"
moment. Lou. I think I shall go mad II
don't feel your touch"
She did as he asked her. and he was ST.
lent until the last note Of the barcarolle
died away in a softly murmured breath.
what q cowardly wretch I am" he
said, under cover Of the wave of en-
thusiastic applause which effectually COW
cred the sound Of his voice to all ears
save hers. II think would sell my soul
for touch of your hand. and all the
while know that with every word am
. playing the part Of coward. II Col
Harris heard me he would give me
, sound thrashing. A dog whip Is what
, deserve
~ have told you," she rejoined. simply.
that father does not wish our engage
ment to be broken off. He sticks to your
cause. and will do so through thick and
thin. He still believes that this Philip
Is an impostor, and thinks that Lord Rad
clyffe has taken leave Of his Senses.
She spoke quite quietly, matter-of-factly
now pulling, by her serene calm. Luke'S
soul back from the realms of turbulent
sensations to the prosy facts of today.
And helm answer to her mute dictate
and with a movement wholly instructive
and mechanical-drew himself upright a Id
passed his hand over his ruffled hair. and
the jeopardized immaculateness of shirt
front and cuffs.
"Philip de Mountford.' he said. simply.
us no impostor. Lou. He has been per-
fectly straightforward: and Mr.. Dobson
for one, who has seen all his papers.
thinks that there Is no doubt whatever
that he Is Uncle Arthurs son His clerk
Mr.. Downing-went out to Martinique,
YOU know, and his first letters came
day or two ago. All inquiries give the
same result, and Downing says that 1t Is
quite easy to trace the mans life. step
by step, from his birth in st. Pierre, past
the dark days of the earthquake and
the lonely life at Marie-Ga ante. Mrs
de Mountford was a half-caste native. as
we all suspected, but the marriage was
unquestionably legal Downing has spoken
to people In Martinique and also In Marie
Galante who knew her and her son. or. at
any rate, of them. I cannot tell you
everything clearly, but there are a great
many links in a long chain of evidence.
and SO far Mr.. Dobson and his clerk have
biol y, ba