The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-03-18
FROM OUT The PAST
BY WILLIAM e. GRANT.

]
smooth parquet was keeping dreamy
time to the whispering tinkle of the
mandolins. With curious smile on
her cameo face Mrs. Santelle stood
watching the throng of those eager
pursuers of feet-footed happiness.
There was a crowd Of admirers about
her. and she was sparkling all over,
in jewels and vita cold satirical
wit
| Presently there came into the room
a girl and her chaperone. The former
was Mrs. Santelles daughter, and the
mother, nodding to the crowd around
her, passed over to where she stood.
"You are looking exquisite tonight,
dear" said the elder woman. And,
yet, there is something unusual about
you. What has happened? Is it pos
sible? You say that the heir to the
Vangreft millions has asked for your
hand! or course you accepted? No?
Child, you have made an awful mis-
take. 1t must be that there is some
one else. All, young Howard, the ar
tist who paints those pretty pastelle
heads? But, my dear, he has next to
no money. Forget him, you must for
get him."
AS the woman moved away she
looked back once and she saw that the
girls face was overshadowed with
gloom. The night no longer held any
happiness for her
Mr.. Santelle shuddered slightly, but
in the swing Of the next waltz she
speedily forgot all but her own proud
position as leader of society, the
wife of prominent statesman and
a reigning beauty. But suddenly, while
the mandolins dripped their sweet mu.
sic most tenderly, she started, paled
quickly, and trembled on her partners
arm. Therein the misty corner Of
the room-she seemed to see a face
she had known in the long ago-a face
ghastly and wan-touched with Grim
son and stamped with the mark of
death. She closed her eyes-opened
them again, but it was still there
ccusing-horrible!
There was sudden commotion; for
Mrs. Santelle had tainted. Quickly
she was carried to another room, and
her husband came to her. She awoke
to find him leaning over the divan
where she lay.
1T is you," she said, with a forced
smile. There is nothing serious the
Fpir thot q
was the heat of the room.
please leave mel require moth
ing"
Alone with her own thoughts she
long she had tried to forget, to put
the worldly mask of pride over all
those tender, sad days, and yet, here
a little indisposition had brought the
haunting terror back 10 her again.
Well, if it must be, she would .eview
the dream, the dream of those days
when she was young, poor AID am
bilious. Her beauty had then seemed
to her a power beyond price, and she
had determined to aim for nothing
lower than the highest. And tten that
handsome young West Pointer had
come into her life. She-yrs, she
loved him, though she told herself
she must stifle her love. And yet she
had smiled upon him. One day he
said:
81 can bear~it no longer. You know
that | love you. Do you love me? |
must know that. Can you give up
your ambH.un for me-fOr love? | can
not eat of the fruit of hope and de-
spair in this maddening alienation.
Tell me-yeS or no." And she had shut
her teeth and said NO" firmly, al
though she knew she loved him well.
When she learned that he had shot
himself, she remained calm for few
seconds and then fell to the floor in
very delrium of pentup terror.
In the morning, wearing a heavy
veil, she went to look upon his dead
face. All, the sight of that white face
with the T.ajes'y of death upon 1t!
She would never forget that awful
picture. Why did that phantom come
out of the past tonight to reproach
her? Had ',he not made a new life for
herself, buried those old-time men,
ories, gratiCed all her ambitions, ev'
erything save love? Why had she
dreamed tonight? Was it the look on
her daughters face that had brought
about the coming of the dream? Would
Stella, too live to repent?
She went out into the ballroom
again, radiant and beautiful as be-
fore. She waved her Questioners
aside with her fan.
THANK lou, it was nothing. Only
fatigue, fai tness, due to the heat"
But when Stella said softly: How
glad am that you are better, moth
er," she bert over her and whispered:
Il have taen thinking things over,
dear, and have changed my mind. You
can tell Mr. Howard, my child, that
he can have you, if he has set his
heart upon you and you on him. There
are other and greater forms of lappi-