Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1915-10-16

bCWiiu lhO 6iOiiOdo OASisOhAShs
of the girl SO boundless 1t transmit
ted itself to every guest at the recep-
ton. The very air was vibrant with
it. But Felix Lynn alone seemed i'm
mune, as he moved silently from place
to place, 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 a smile that
glorified the beautiful face of her,
erasing the thoughtless lines there as
by the passing of 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
cuiff CT xryith ial. 4
reached the stricken girls side.
Like a tigress she moved forward,
swaying a little from the hips, her
eyes blazing. Felix Lynn drew Esther
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 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
prickling, as of a thousand needles.
And then the banked fire burst into
full flame. 1t was lie. 1t was I'M
true. 1t could not be true. 1t was
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 liza 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 flame, she could
see nothing of the shrinking guests,
nobody in the room but the man, the
man she claimed. Again she would
have leaped forward as Felix Lynn
threw out his hands in passionate ap-
peal toward the woman he had just
acknowledged as his wife. Then a
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 Esther
Halstead, with cry of anguish and
fear, shrank awaysfrom him as from
an unclean thlng.
Alica did not know how the guests
had felt, was not conscious, would not
have cared had she been conscious,
of their furtive leave takings. She
only knew that Felix Lynn remained,
that she had held him, that she would
continue to hold him.
you, you" She could not con-
tinue for the torrent of rage that
threatened to engulf her. ooh, but you
shall suffer for this" she finally
managed to articulate. you thought
you would come to me-thought you
would shame me-thought you would
amuse yourself with me. Well, you
have had your play. And now you
shall pay. And you will pay to me