The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-02-20

NAN III oNANa uAo"ATa hoANAAe O~NN
the little miniature. ABut why have
! you never told me you were married
before, and how can you speak as
you do of your wife2 You say you
have seen her lAtelyf" Esther asked
the question with some eagerness,
Lillian had not been killed, then, by
the awful shape who had pursued the
two women on the night Of Esther's
Inflated marriage. Lillian was alive
AID Guy Hocking'a wifel The situar
tion seemed more charged with mys-
terry than ever, and Esther's brave
spirit began to quail,
His Marriage to Lillian.
"Ths whole steFy Of my marriage
sounds like . page from fools
diary" remarked Hooking bitterly.
He SAT down on the sofa and was
gazing Eloomily at his wifs'H por-
trait ~ met Lillian about four years
ago" he went on. Esther listening to
him eagerly. "Tweedledes Introduced
me TO her. She lived in q pretty lit
tie house Of her own and went about
q coed bit in society-net semi-soci-
ETY. but the real thing, you know. 1
was told she was q widow" The man
paused q moment, then shut UP the
case with q anap,
II fell In love with her." Hooking
muttered sullsnly, she's the most
fascinating woman on earth when
she chooses to bs-the seFt Of a witch
. who can persuade q man that black
1t white" He lit q oiEaFett as he
spoke. his whole face hardening.
when did you get married?" asked
Esther. She rolled and unrolled her
black sash ribbon around her finger,
pressing Il so tight that she stopped
the circulation once or twice, 81 sup
pose she was very fond Of you them"
Their Marriage q Secret.
She pretended to be-" Hooking
Lillian made . pretty tine pretense.
But the conditions she put to cur
marriage were enough to staEger
anyone but ~ idiot, The marriage
was to be kept q dead secret. That
was one Of the conditions. and had
to give my solemn oath to allow my
wife full liberty of action and never
to pry into her own private affairs,
to allow her to 60 away whenever
she liked, and make no eGeFt TO &C.
company her, to ask no Questions, TO
play q FOOLS part, in fact'~he came
to q dead pause.
Did your wife give no reasons for
such strange conditioner" asked
Esther, thoughtfully, EMO explana-
ton whatever"
'Ne"-HockinE shook his head
beyond telling me that she had some
obligation toward the family of her
late husband, some duties to dis
charge, . sick relative whom IL was
necessary she should visit at times,
and who would be exceedingly an
noyed and distressed II the news OF
her second marriage ever became pub
he. She was always getting sum
moned away to see this mysterious
perHoa"-Hoeking went on biting his
finger nAilE-"and she would come
back looking scared and Ill, pretty
nush Of money, though; money that
slipped through her fingers like
water, for Lillian was deuced extFava-
giant. Well, one day abe bolted for
At got a letter. perfumed bit of
pink paper, with a few lines scrawled
across, to tell me that was a dear
boy, but that she had got tired OF
mel say, this Is a horrid story to
have 10 tell you, EstheTl it's a sordid,
miserable episode" He glanced with
some compunetien At his cousin, She
looked like pure snowdrop, some
thing white and fresh and sweet; the
sort Of woman a man felt compelled
20 reverence .-
ooh. please. 60 on" Esther ex-
claimed hurTiedly. 81 am so anxious
to hear the whole story. Guy. so very,
very anxious She ceased playing
with the piece OF ribbon as she spoke,
but clasped her arms around her
knees. keeping her dark eyes fxed on
her cousins face, her mouth tTem-
bling .nerveusly,
when ! got that letter" pursued
Guy Hooking, IN low tones. Il went
ing to make a big row; but l found
the whole place shut UP. She had
gone abroad, so the grinning servants
told me-douhtless was not the fTst
man my lady had fooled. Well, tore
back to the club to End Tweedledee,
the man who had first introduced me
20 Lillian, and he laughed at my news
and whisPeTed stories to me shout
The woman ] had married and loaded
with jewels and Eifts-atorieA that
turned me sick" Hooking paused a
second. then laughed rather huskily.
Goes TO the Devil.
well, went 10 the devil myself
after that, Esther. Lillian having
shown me the way so successfully.
] heard OF her at times A man I
knew met her gambling at Monte
NANAOf anu NOAA 6AN AOOACN lONNlgs
How I cursed her false, maddenIng
beauty! Then a society paper spoke
of her queening It at Cairo. Later
on heard OF her back again in Eng
land. and last night-why, I'm posi-
tive she was at the ball last night,
dressed as a nun, too-a bit of irony
she might have spared the world"
Hooking laughed again, then passed
his hand over his damp brow. There,
you know. the whole story now, Es-
tier" he said, slowly: but for Gods
sake try TO forget it."
A Woman's FirE Question.
''Do you love her Stillr" asked Els,
Their softly. perhaps she had TO act
as she did" She remembered as she
spoke that Lillian had shown her
kindness and reflected that the wom'
an might possibly be the helpless vic
tim OF circumstances.
love her! Ny God. no." Hooking
shrugged his shoulders. at was
never love. Esther" he added in low
tones. II felt passion for Lillian not
love; she beWitched and enslRyed
me-" He rose TO his feet and crossed
over to where Esther sat. "Good-by.
Eaher," he said gently. II must not
Overture you by staying here any
longer. You look as IL you ought to
be IN bed resting"