The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-04-08
FROM OUT The PAST
BY WILLIAM E. GRANT.


hundred fans was Christening tn
heavy air of the ballroom, and tn
swish OF the dancers feet over tn
smooth parquet was keeping dream
time to the whispering tinkle of tn
mandolins. With a curious smile o.
her cameo face Mrs. Santelle stoo
watching the throng of those cage
pursuers of feet-footed happiness
There was crowd of admirers abou
her, and she was sparkling all over
in Jewels and vita cold satirica
wit.
Presently there came into the room
girl and her chaperore. The former
was Mrs. Santelle's daughter, and thu
mother, nodding to the crowd aroun(
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! OF 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 a leader of society, the
wife of prominent statesman and
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
CHASTITY 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
accusing-horrible!
There was sudden commotion; for
Mrs. Santelle had tainted. Quickly
she was carried to another room, and
to find him leaning over the divan
where she lay.
1T is you," she said, with a forced
smile. There Is nothing serious the
matte--I fainted-that was all. II
was the heat Of the room.
please leave mel require moth
Ing"
Alone with her own thoughts she
dreamed the old dream over again. So
long she had tried to forget, to put
the worldly mask of pride orer all
those tender, sad days, and yet, here
little indisposition had brought the
haunting terror back TO her again
Well, if it must be, she would review
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, End 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 ambpio for me-for love? | can.
not eat of the fruit of hope and de
spair in this maddening alienation
Tell me-yes or MOI" And she had shut
her teeth and said mo" firmly, al.
though she knew she loved him well.
When she learned that he had shot
himself, she remained calm for a few
seconds and then fell to the floor in a
very delirium of pent-up terror.
In the morning, wearing a heavy
veil, she went to look upon his dead
ACE; All, the sight of that white face
with the n.ajes'y of death upon it!
She would never forget that awful
picture. Why did that phantom come
tut of the past tonight to reproach
Ter? Had nhe not made a new life for
herself, buried those old-time mem.
,ries, gratitied all her ambitions, ev.
erything shve love? Why had she
lreamed tonight? Was it the look on
Ter daughters face that had brought
bout the coming of the dream? Would
Stella, too, live to repent?
She went out into the ballroom
gain, radiant and beautiful as be-
ore. She waved her questioners
side with her fan.
Thank YOU, it was nothing. Only
atigue, fai .tness, due to the heat"
But when Stella said softly: How
lad | am that you are better, moth.