Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-06

done!" And after a moment, rising
to leave the room, added In weak &C
cents: I'D hoped things might be a
little different some time before
died. l thought maybe | deserved
it-at least for q little WHILE
Next morning, with wide eyes,
Bertha saw the dawn creep through
the window, and that day she tele-
phoned to the hospital where George
had worked He was gone she could
obtain no information of him.
The same afternoon she was resting
on one of the green sofas in the shop,
which happened for the moment to be
empty. Beside her reclined the fore
woman, who. while recounting wittily
an Intimate adventure of o friend of
hers, managed to exhibit, as if casu-
ally, new ring set with large en-
erald. Listening absent -mipdedly to
the forewoman's story replete with
details of sort which NOWADAYS did
not disturb her in the slightest, Bertha
| looked up and saw entering the room
| a young woman and young man,
| both strangers. The young woman
was blond, handsome and well dressed.
Her companion, following with that
self conscious pose of tolerance which
men are apt to assume when lured
| into such places, was the embodiment
of Bertha's dreaml
He was tall and heavy about the
shoulders; his smooth-shaven face
was finely modelled: his yellow hair.
] clipped short, rippled above his white
| forehead. He and the woman W tn
him looked alike; evidently she was
/ his sister.
| She wanted a new ball dress in a
great hurry; she had been everywhere
else, but had not found anything to
suit her. Perhaps the forewoman had
! sonnet hing already made, from Paris,
| that would fit her with a few altera-
tions? The forewoman, with suave
and competent manner, produced from
a wardrobe a low-neck gown of silver
tissue, covered with minute embroid-
cry, all in one piece. The customer,
assuming the illegible expression Oh a
bargalner, examined 1t, while her
brother snapped his watchcase,
yawned. and began indifferently to In
| spect the saies-girls.
But the price Is exorbitanti"
"Oh, madame! Not for this robe!
Just look at It, If you could Try 1t
on-its exactly your size, I'm sure.
The customer, whose street dress
| looked as If putting 1t on had been
an ordeal, demurred.
IF you wish to see 1t on one OF
the girls, then? Bertha!"
| Bertha, with her heat beating hard,
took the dress away. Presently re-
| turning in it, she saw approaching
! her from distance a beautiful wom-
an with white shoulders and arms
exposed, slender, exquisite, TO whom
chung gown of silver, trailing be-
hind her, tumbling over the green
IN,
was hei self, reflected in a mirror.
Suddenly she felt frightened. She
could not help looking at the young
man. Staring at her, he was per-
| fectly pale.
A blush of shame spread from her
cheeks over her white neck.
Walk across the room, Bertha.
With a pleading look at the fore
woman, she obeyed, exceedingly
graceful even In her trepidation,
amid the fading daylight cleaning
ike an alluring apparition. The Gus
toner purchased the dress.
That evening, as Bertha IN her
black skirt and jacket was walking
home, midway In a deserted street
man who had been following con-
fronted her. It was he. She started
back, but he approached nearer, hat
in gloved hand, at first unable to
begin his speech
"How shall / excuse myself? If you
could only forgive my doing this!
But how else should / ever meet you?
IL | had not. We should have had to
go on always without knowing each
other. For you that might have been
easy--but not for mel What magic
leaps from one person to another at
the first glance! Forgive me-the
! n
tonight. Say you forgive me-that
you will not pass by without a
| wordi"
How rich his yoicei How handsome
he was! He took her hand, and in
his ingers hers weakened and lay
still. A look which she did not see
OF intense satisfactipn-crosse his
face.
Il must go on she gasped.
! mo, no."
II must go on. l can't stay. I
can't talk TO you tonight"
'.rhen tomorrow night? Here, in
this street, at the same time? Oh,
don't be cruel!"
she withdrew her hand and went
| quickly away. So long as she re-
manned in sight he watched her, lean
ing on his cane, speculative, slightly
smiling.
In the morning the forewoman had
ready some gossip concerning the
purchaser of the ball dress. Yes, he
was her brother. And the forewoman
began to relate, with gusto, stories
about him (which everybody knew
He was rich. Youthful as he was,
he had led wild life; he was we'll
known for reckless. interruptions,
dangerous young man. The fore
woman was excited by these accom-
plishments of his. As for Bertha, be-
fore her rose the indistinct faces of
innumerable other women.
In the dark street that night when
faithful to his appointment, he APP
i nroached her the girl turned on him