The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-12-02

Ills manu- 10 put the Nd6IduI lOCh III
place. His finger tips moved across
her cheek and the thrill was but an
other of this wondrous nights myriad
phases Her eyes sought his own,
bathed in the question, the wild, un-
harnessed wonder she read there.
~.
The dazzle of Alica's spirits was
bewildering, the glorious excitement
of the girl so boundless It transmit
ted itself to every guest at the recep-
tion. The very air was vibrant with
it. But Felix Lynn alone seemed i'm
mune, as he moved silently from place
to place, a little absent, little apart
from everyone and everything.
But the hostess, try though she
would, could not keep her eyes from
wandering in his direction, could not
repress the little thrilling pride OF
possession as she picked him out in
stantly from the throng, nor suppress
the twinge of jealousy that he should
not be with her alone.
Times there were when the brain
of her would halt and a soft, dreamy
expression supplant the eager, rest
less one in her eyes. And she would
come back to the present, gently put
by the dreams of the past and future
which had reached out and touched
her, put them by with smile that
glorified the beautiful face Of her,
erasing the thoughtless lines there as
by the passing Of a huge spiritual
sponge over her countenance.
And Felix Lynn avoided her sed-
ulously, seemed unable to be near
her. She noticed it but convinced
herself it was merely another phase
of this strange jealousy that so COM
pletedly possessed her. She was also
keenly delighted to see he avoided
Esther Halstead. She had thought
Esther bit overly interested in Felix.
She started from her reverie and,
with a gay laugh, ladled glass from
the punch bowl. But here eyes were
fastened inquiringly upon her maid,
who was just returning from the
phone Somehow, the dazed, some
what frightened expression on the
girls face alarmed her She shiv-
cred slightly as though a cold, dank
shadow had passed across the sun
light Of her happiness.
She would have stopped the maid,
then thrust the impulse aside, though,
as the girl approached Esther, she
could not resist bending her ear in
that direction.
She caught the cold, dazed look that
| filmed Esther Halstead's eyes as she
received the message, caught the
meaningless sound of her voice as she
parroted the words: "My-father-
dead" caught the sympathetic for
ward surge of friends, then, with a
shrinking within herself, noticed the
swift stride with which Felix Lynn
reached the stricken girls side.
Like a tigress she moved forward,
swaying a little from the hips, her
eyes blazing. Felix Lynn drew Esther
a bit closer to him, then thrust out
his jaw squarely, speaking over her
bowed head:
Please do not crowd-please. My
wife's father has just died. The mar
riage was kept secret to prevent this
very thing"
For a moment Alica felt her limbs
numbed, felt something go icy cold
within her, then crackle up with a
sound perfectly audible to herself
And then the numbness gave way to
a prickling, as of a thousand needles
And then the banked fire burst into
full fame. 1t was lie. 1t was un
true. 1t could not be true. 1t was q
lie told to trick her. But they could
not do it. She sprang forward, thrust
ing herself between the pair, hurting
them away from one another with
vicious strength.
ITS lie-a lie. 1t can't be true
l tell you it's a lie. He's mine
mine, mine by every moral law"
Her eyes, pointed fame, she coulC
see nothing of the shrinking guests
nobody in the room but the man, thu
man she claimed. Again she woulC
have leaped forward as Felix Lynn
threw out his hands in passionate ap
peal toward the woman he had jus
acknowledged as his wife. Then ;
slow, cruel smile parted her lips, re
vealing a row of small, sharp teeth
too white and even to be beautiful
teeth that strengthened the panther
ish impression she gave. For Esthe
Halstead, with a cry of anguish AM
fear, shrank away from him as from
an unclean thing.
Alica did not know how the guest
had felt, was not conscious, would no
have cared had she been conscious
of their furtive leave takings. Sh
only knew that Felix Lynn remained
that she had held him, that she woul'
continue to hold him.
"You, you" She could not COZ
tinue for the torrent of rage tina
threatened to engulf her "Oh, but yo1
shall suffer for this" she f1nall
managed to articulate. "You though
} you would come to me-thought yoI
, would shame me-thought you woul
/ amuse yourself with me. Well, yo,
: have had your play. And now yo1
! shall pay. And you will pay to m