The Washington times., 1913-08-24
CHAPTER XII.
Revelations.

HE words smote Kathleen like a
blow. Like one stunned she
stared in silent amazement at
the figure of the other woman.
Incapable of movement for the moment,
she stood rooted to the spot watching
Ariadne with the fascination of a
charmed bird. Surprise, resentment,
hatred-of Adrane, not Grafton-suc-
ceded each other in her heart, and were
expressed in her mobile countenance.
She had never thought of this posi-
bility, and the shock of the, to her,
abrupt disclosure was almost more than
she could bear. His wife! This, then,
was the faithfulness of which she had
dreamed, and she had even found her
picture over his heart! How could that
be since he was married TO another?
Grafton had either been delirious or
in a state of coma since she had re-
ceived him in her home, but his talk
senseless raving though il was-had al
ways been of her. Once or twice she
had caught words of endearment, Cares
sive terms with which she had not been
familiar from his lips, and she had
wondered and sought some explanation
of them, but not long. The burden OF
his speech had been for her, of her,
OF her beauty. her cruelty, his love
and now his wife bent over him!
Kathleen hated the South; she hated
its cause. she disliked the Southern
people. But, most of all, she hated
Ariadne. II love can spring full-armed
from the human heart in an instant.
so can its opposite make an immediate
place for itself in the human soul.
What right had this slender, pale-faced
Southern woman TO rob her OF Philip
love, what right? But stay. What right
had she. Kathleen, TO crave Phi!ip
Grafton's love? She had driven him
rom her. she had broken the engage
ment She had, so she. had declared,
put him out of her heart forever. She
had affected to despise him as she had
rejected him, and Furthermore, she
had-but Ariadne was speaking. kath-
leen concentrated her attention on this
most unwelcome visitor.
Since she answered that question
with one rapid glance toward kath-
Ieen. Ariadne had not looked at the
other woman. She had only stared and
stared at her dying husband.
"Oh. Philip. Philip she murmured.
softly, ITO see you here You do not
know me. You don't know how ! have
have loved you, If you could only
know that | am here, II l could only
tell YOU once more before you leave
me how ! love you. You were so Soou
to me always. If you could only speak
inst one word to tell me again that you
love me,-yOur wife-Phlllp, Phiilp.
Her words ran on softly, orOkenIE,
regardless of who might hear her. IL
was the cry Of a soul voiced for the
dead which could make no answer
There were death and destruction in
the heart of one of the listeners OF
whom Ariadne was 50 Oblivious: hath-
leen could endure il no longer. Her face
fiamed. Forgetful of the moment that
Grafton Law dying apparently, she
stepped quickly forward and laid her
hand upon her rivals arm. 1t was
we'll that she did so, for Ariadne coulu
stand no more. She sank. n llnp' inert
dpure. in the arms of the other ~om-
an She had collapsed utterly in a dead
faint. ,Lo
mocking fates. The woman who loNed
PhiIip Grafton and the woman ne loNSu
stood over his senseless, dying oouS
LoIdinp in her arms she who was MS
r,iFa"inert. unconscious helpless. Kath-
raan was a strong woman. superbly
,,ignrous Ariadne could not be com
nored TO her in that. There was some
thing fierce In the gesture with WhlCh
,be Northern woman caught the SOUTH
ern For a second her arms tighteLed
obout her in obedience TO an angry,
hateful impulse, which was gone in the
instant Ariadne was woman in trou-
HE All the goodness in Kathleen, s
sonI-and there was much-Came to the
sH! nHtre"; Ire she cried. sharply, to the
dazed bewildered negro boy. "heIp
me- Take her feet. We will lay her
nn that lounge yonder.'
1off had been slave all his life, Out
he had never been so imperiously
SL.oTes.m" he answered. moving with
,stonishing CELEBRITY to obey her COM
i''t!.,t 8nt,yeen the two they got Ariadne on
tbc sofa. Bidding JEFF look to his
,nost,r who was never left alone. kath,
Insn IGosnned AriaGne's gown. applied
resto-atives. bathed her face, Chat"d
ber hands. used every eXpcdient that
tha Enmrlv treatment of the day gave
~ bnr knowledge OF. to restore her tC
oo,sciou~nrss The shock to Ariadnf
!, ~ been a severe one. and it'was some
iifti. tiTe before she opened her dark
,so,urc pkrKIMG cT0PEGE