The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-05-23
CHAPTER w.

reopened his door and, closing it quick
ly as he entered. turned the Ley In the
lock.
His mood was 1xalted. his inagina-
ton excited; the swift succession OF
events which had made memorable the
night, eliminating with his open IN
vitation 70 a challenge from the most
desperate duelist in Europe, had IN
spired 2 volatile vivacity such as not
even the excitement of the Casino nae
been potent to create in him.. OK 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 or a passion
which he had striveD with all his
strength to put behind him for a tlme'
he had first heard the voice OF the one
woman 10 when his love and faith and
honor were irretrievably pledged, ne
had then seen her Cor another who re-
markedly resembled herr for the scant,
lest OF instants: and finally he mad
mysteriously received a letter which
could, he believed, have beer convey
ed to him by no other hand but hers.
And now he was persuaded beyond 3
| 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 n
woman.
But llore 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 who
wished not to be discovered. .
His first definite impression was OF
CONSERVATION and despair; for the
lights had peer shut Off in his a5
sence. Then quickly he discerned.
with eyes dazed by the change from
the lighted hallway to the Hghtless
chamber, the shadowy shape OF a won,
an. m~otionless 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 d~elicacy, abetted 1t may De
by his native love of romantic mystery
stayed his hand.
Madame" said he. "or mademoi'
selle, whichever We may be-the win
dows are open, meself's not OBTAINING
We. II We choose, we may go; ou'
ye'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 auickened breathing.
What we've taken" he amended
I'D thank we to leave as We go-if we
came to steal. It's little ! have to
lose. . .
There was no answer.
He touched the switch with al 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. unutterably
lovely, ~unspeakably radiant.
II were worse han a waste of time
to attempt a portrait Of her as she
seemed to him. Seen through her bus
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 heI
eyes of autumnal brown. not In the
wonderful flneness of her skin or In
the daintiness of her features, not In
the ~graciousness of her body. did be
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
pregrable heart 80.
But it's doubtful II ever he had m
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 forfei4
ed and put away from him for his hon.
or's sake, he would not take lAeh
though it were offered freely to hin
$50" he said. after a biz. shalkiiy;
then pulled himself together, am
controlling his voice--So twas your
self. after all. Beatrix! Ne hearl told
me no other woman could have sung
that song as 20 did"
The woman dropped her arms. "Yeur
heart. Terence?" she asked a little Bit.
tcrly.
what else? no ye doub.i it."
: ITO az CONTINUITY,