Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-06-23


pry upon the man and woman. For
million nights, Just such nights,
had ting. aged star known. And a bill
hon pigmies of the earth planet had
the long wicked star looked upon.
He had seen them gay and sad,
laughing and crying, we'll and i'll, liv.
ing and dying. They came and went
these little marionettes, dancing on
a string pulled by an Invisible Hand.
And to mere dust they always came
finally. after a few minutes-as the
venerable star counted time. They
amounted to nothing, after all. But
he-he, instead of watching them,
might look upon the Hand ITSELF the
Invisible Hand that had painted the
night and whispered their meaningless
nothings into the ear OF a man and
woman.
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
1t. But Felix Lynn alone seemed i'm
mune, as he moved silently from
place to place, little absent, a
little apart from everyone and every
thing.
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 sup
press 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 a huge spiritual
sponge over her countenance.
And Felix Lynn avoided her sed.
uiously. seemed unable to be near
her. She noticed 1t 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 9 bit overly interested in Felix;
had caught stray, wistful glances the
girl cast at him which maddened her.
And then she told herself that she had
been wrong. Or at any rate, that II
was entirely one-Aded.
She started from her reverie ana,
with = gay laugh, ladled q glass from
the punch bowl. But her eyes were
fastened inquiringly upon her maid,
who was just returning from the
phone. Somehow, the dazed. some-
what Heightened expression on the
girls face alarmed her. She shiv-
cred slightly as though 9 cold, dank
-, kaA 4.
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
forward surge of friends, then, with
a shrinking within herself. noticed
the swift stride with which Felix Lynn
reached the stricken girls side.
Like ugress she moved forward,
swaying a little from the hips, hcr
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. Ny
wife's father has just died. The mar
ridEe was kept secret to prevent this
very thing"
For a moment Alica felt her limbs
nnmbed. felt something 60 Icy cold
within her. then crackle up with a
sound perfectly audible to herself.
AND then the numbness gave way to
prirkiIng. as of thousand needles.
And then the BANKED fire burst into
full flame. It was a lie. It was un-
true. Il could not be true. It 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.