The Washington herald., 1912-07-07

as she answered him. Il should Xix
to very much. Will you call for me ?
AT half past severn" he answered
I'VE will have a little dinner some
where first"
"You are sure" she asked, that yo'
do not mind being seen out!"
1T IS all to my advantage" he an
swered. The men who are most talk
ed about should never shrink from pub
licity. The people who have been tolt
to-day that / am bankrupt, swind
Ter, and murderer, and that my ruin i
only matter of minutes. will hesitate
if they see me with you in the stalls o.
the opera tonight
Nero hddled," she reminded him.
Nero was hysterical person" h
answered. My tendencies are toward
the other extreme. Until half pas
seven, then"
Until half past SEVEN" she repeated
He bowed and left her without ever
shaking hands. She stood quite still
for moment, looking at the door
which he had closed behind him. Then
she crossed the room slowly, and lifted
| the vase with its solitary rose to her
lips. A second later it lay dashed to
pieces upon the floor, the flaming color
was in her cheeks, her fists were
clenched
Il hate him" she declared to her
self. Il hate him now more than ever y
Winifred talked more than usual al
the short dinner which they had at a
| famous cafe close to the opera house
Deaue, little weary with the strain Of
the day, was at first Inexpensive, but
gradually he forgot himself in the IN
terest of playing his new part. She was
wearing a dress of black velvet, rope
OF pearls which had been sent for her
inspection only that afternoon, and
pearl earrings, concerning which she
gravely asked his opinion There was
something a little un-EngliSh looking
about her to-night-about the small, del
icate head with the masses OF brown
hair, the pale complexion, the deep
eyes with their hidden depths, the pearls
which fell So gracefully over her black
gown. Many people knew him by sight,
and pointed him out to others-the man
whom everyone was talking about. the
man who was supposed to be shlvering
on the brink OF financial ruin, whose
very freedom from justice might be a
matter of hours-sitting there with a
girl who was unknown to all of them.
yet without a doubt one OF his own
world Some of them wondered that
she should care to be seen about with
him at such a time. These, however,
were mostly the men. The women, who
saw him as usual, Yell-grooed. good
looking. debonair, only admired him the
more for his courage
They had driven the few yards to-
gether to the opera house in silence.
Nevertheless. Deane fancied that his
companion seemed tonight little
more accessible He was amazed 10
find how great an interest he was be
ginning TO take in her moods. amazed
to find himself taking every opportun-
ity to touch her fingers, to speak COW
ertly of the destined ending OF their
engagement He fancled sometimes
that her fingers rested more softly IN
his, that the chill aloofneSs of her de-
meanor had been more than once on
the point of being raised And yet. al
ter all. it might only be fancy, he
thought. as he followed her and the at
tendant along the corridor into their
places. He was fool to trouble him
self about it. She was very likely what
she had always seemed-a bloodless,
indifferent creature. with a greed tor
Jewels and fine clothes sprung up in her
"a fungus growth, the evil result OF
her long years OF servItude- Yet that
night his convictions as to her coldness
received something OF a shock. 1t was
the first night they had been to the
opera together. and he had imagined
that she would sit as she had sat
through so many theaters-S!Ightly
bored, slightly nonchallnt. interested
only to know who the people might be
by whom they were surrounded, and IN
the play itself if by chance it was well
acted and satisfactory. Tonight. he
realized that there were things which
could move her, even il he himself had
not the power He saw her eyes flash
with the glory of the music. and he saw
them turn marvelously soft and ten
der as the white-robed lseult sang 10
them with sobs in her throat, sobs
which seemed to make that melody only
more intense and sweeter She seemed
to respond to every note OF the music.
More than once he saw her culver with
excitement. BY accident her fingers
touched him and rested there. He felt
4 thrill which amazed him. For the
moment he. too, forgot that wretched
maze of affairs in which he was plung-
ed. The great passionate love story
,hrobbed. too. in his heart and veins.
The figures on the stage were for a
dim. They existed only as
types. In those few seconds he realiz-
d, for the first time in his life. the real !
meaning of this wonderful emotion with
which the very air around them seemed
charged. and almost at the moment OF
realization there came TO him tlercely,
the great questlon-did she
hare it. did she understand. was it pos
;ible that such ap assion could be born
If itself. without response or encourage
nent? He leaned forward. and tried
% see into her face. A great stiffness
-eigned in the half-darkened opera
house. a stiffness except for the won
ierful music which still flowed from
hose divine lips. He leaned forward
Until he could see her face, and his
ieart throbbed with the wonder of it 4! |
All the passion, all the intense mys- |
cry of a strenuous love were there in |
Ter glowing eyes, her half-parted lips
I was only momentary glimpse he
lad. Then. as though conscious of his !
observation, he raised her fan Their
yes had never met He was left. after
II. with the problem unsolved!
Deane came down to earth again as
he curtain fell His comDanion drew