Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-02-24

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that She had neglected to tell FOsdick
about the fellow. his e~ffrontery, the
in%sOlence of his ill-veiled threats.
Now the bitterest melancholy OPP
pressed her, a desOlation indescrib-
able; the vision of the pool was con-
slant in her imagination, Obscuring
even material objects that passed I'M
der her regard the sense of loss, a liv-
ing anguish from which there was no
escape.
Only in sleep did she find surcease;
then there was oblivion of a sort in
a sleep heavy and hot and thick, in
which she lay inert like something
submerged IN a tepid, black, viscous
fluid, from which she emerged with
%thrObbing head and sluggish pulses,
unrested, e%nervated, respondent.
Fosdick called up about mid-morn-
ing and, hearing her report on the
effect of the drug, told her to discOn-
tinue it, promising to bring a sub
stitute when he called in the evening.
She promised to be at home to him
alone. {
Later her maid summoned her to the
telephone a second time. Mr.. Chill
vers was on the wire. Tell him I've
left town for the summer Priscilla
said, too depressed to feel annoyed by
his persistence.
But when she was leaving Altman's
in the afternoon after an hour or two
of ~perfunctory shopping. Mr.. Chilvers
waylaid her in the carriage entrance.
He saluted with a wide flourish of
his beaming topper and a smirk Of
poisonous amiability.
"Saw your car up the street." he an
nounced Observation-Disclosures perhaps
you wouldn't mind givin' me a lift
She stopped, reading darkly his
Shrewd, narrow, rat-like face, reading
the threat and triumph in those small,
black, close-set eyes, surmising that
without a public scene there could be
no escaping the interview he de-
manded.
She shrugged, and in silence led on
out to the sidewalk. Her car was
waiting across the way. Seeing her,
the chauffeur pulled round to the
curb.
Mr.. Chilvers slipped a gallant hand
under her arm to help her in, but be-
fore he could follow Priscilla pulled
the door to. Immediately his manner
changed. Scarlet with anger, he laid
a hand on the ledge of the window.
whats the big idea?" he demand
ed. You ought to know better than
to think you can gyp me without a
struggle"
There will be no struggle" Pris-
ella replied quietly, talking from the
window. You see, for reasons Of
my own, day before yesterday, I
chose to let you think mt somebody
who l am not. These reasons no
longer exist. | let you believe l was
Leonora," Priscilla explained coldly,
because l wanted to shield her"
"Oh, no doubt, no dOubt!.
"But my motive doesn't matter.
Leonora died yesterday. So there's
no more need of my pretending. One
moment, please" She forestalled a
threatened interruption. Listen to
me! am not Leonora. My name
is Priscilla Maine. l have lived all
my life in New York, in the Park ave-
nue. house which belonged to my
father. Should we ever meet again,
don't presume on the acquaintance |
have permitted you to claim but which
is now closed. And before you threat
en- me again, let me advise you to find
out the truth about Priscilla Maine"
She put her finger on the telephone
button.
Let 90 of the door, please" she
said, looking calmly into his Infatuated
eyes. will you oblige me? Or shall
l send my chauffeur to ask the police
man over there to step this way for
a moment?"
Mr.. Chilvers opened his mouth, but
shut it without speech. A second at
tempt was more successful.
"If you think you can put it over
on me like this-!'
But Priscilla was already speaking
into the telephone:
"All right, Arthur; to the studio,
please"
The car swept forward so suddenly
that Mr.. Chilvers was almost dragged
off his feet before he remembered to
loose his hold.
Satisfied that she had seen the last
of him-he would hardly find a Sec
ond opportunity to annoy her that
day, or neglect to make the inquiries
she had advised and tomorrow
would see her well beyond his reach,
in SouthamptOn-she sank back in her
seat and once more delivered up body
and mind and soul to melancholy.
At the mouth of the alley she dis
missed the car. Mrs. Trowbridge
will use you for the rest of the after,
nOon," she told Arthur. "Tll call a
taxi to take me home when I'm ready"
Her business in the studio proved
more exacting and %fatiguing than she
had anticipated. Weary to start with,
she worked steadily, needless of the
passage of time. 1t was something