Omaha daily bee., 1922-02-14
By RUBY M, AYRES.
teapyFighI, 1891. BY Wheeler syndipats.l
,,aatiaa~d Prom hesissd.sy
CHAPTER NLNil.
n...I.. c.. IL d.
Dorothy Sees Her Pace.

hiNfi EN AlNlls
Dorothy Sees Her Pace.
"Shs means everything in the world
20 me-"
Peters words were like a cleaning
sword between him and Dorothy
He turned and went slowly from
the room. as he realized what he had
said, Ii was impossible 10 talk long
er with Dorothy. and his heart was
50 heavy that he hardly knew which
way 10 turn.
Lei, alone in her room. Dorothy
paced the floor IN fury. She was
enraged with Peter for his devotion
20 Ninette. she had long suspected
Il. Of course. vet his confession
startled her. And il had been unlike
him 10 make Il, great as the proyoea-
ton had been.
"Well. | shan't give him up. even
II they are in love with each otherF
she declared angrily. Hes lar too
good a thing 10 lose. And he's too
honorable 10 ask me 10 release him.
of course. Besides. he really needs .
wife like me; Ninette would never
DO credit 10 a man OF his position"
Even with herself she did not dare
TO be truthful, and acknowledge the
fear that had haunted her waking
hours since the moment when she re-
gained consciousness after her aeei..
dent. Try as she would, she could
not conquer the foreboding. which
the doctors evasiye words only
served TO strengthen.
How will | look when the
bandages are taken of my iaeeF she
asked him, time after time.
That's hard TO tell till the time
comes he would answer. or There
may be some marks OF course; how.
ever, wouldn't worry about that.
She had tried pitifully hard TO
have faith in his half-promises de-
spite the feeling that she must tear
away the concealing strips OF gauze
and learn the truth, bitter though
II might be. Once or twice. when
the long night hours dragged IN,
terminably, she had even started
across the room to the mirror. but
she had always turned back before
she reached it. too fearful to yield to
the impulse that had driven her..
And always there had been in her
mind the comforting assurance: On;
well, If my beauty is really gone III
still, have Peter--he wouldn't go
back on me, he's too much OF a gen.
tleman."
Tonight, however, the impulse to
learn the truth for herself was
stronger than ever before. She tried
to fight it off by curling up once
more on the couch by the fire ana
opening a book, but reading proved
to be impossible, and the mirror
hanging on the opposite wall fasci-
mated her. o., A..
Twice she started up from the
couch, and then forced herself to lie
"I won't do it won't" she told
herself determinedly. 80, =,
And yet-why not just iift tne
odge of one of the bandages the least
bita Surely there could be no harm
" that. And if the skin was clear
# there wasn't any scar-that wouio
be so reassuring!. =, ,,e
And so, reasoning with herseiI'
arguing the wisdom of her own 1oi-
lv She stole over to the mirror
l;gbted the candles that stood IN
sconces at it's sides. and lifted the
edge of one bandage ever SO
SLIGHTLY. ,. r,.
whole For the bit OF SKIN
thus revealed was unscarred. /
ooh, it did heal-1 have not iost
nv beauty!' she cried exultaantly'
and tore the bandage from her lace
One glance at the mirror, and she
sank back, covering against the
great chair that stood behind her
A livid scar zig-zagged across one
cheek. The flesh was puckered into
white welt that drew up the cor
ner of her mouth into ghastiy
erin The effect was inexpresslbly
horrible and revolving.
Dorothy grew faint with horror.
Never had she dreamed that she
could be so terribly dishgured. She
had been so proud of her beauty,
had idolized it so and counted so
confidently on it to bring her all that
she asked of life, that now. confront
ed by this fendish work of fate, it
seemed for moment that her rea-
son had deserted her as well as her
beauty. /
She sank down into the chair and
burst into tears, no less violent be-
cause of their hopelessness.
ut cannot be-this thing could not
happen to me" she sobbed bitterly.
Yet only a glance at the mirror suf-
feed to show that her protestations
were in vain. Never again would any
one look at her without shiver OF
horror.
She slipped from the chair to the
floor, and lay there for some time, a
pitifu1, huddled little figure, her gor-
geous red hair taking on coppery
glints in the Pickering light of the
candles. She lay very still, but her
thoughts raced like wind-driven
waves, surging from one point to
another. And at last. pressing her
delicate hands to her SCARED cheeks.
she sat up resolutely.
THAT will be the better way" she
said aloud. people would try no,
to look at me, yet they couldn't help
it. | would have to wear mask. or
face their curiosity and aversion all
the rest of my life. But if I end it
all now-that will be so much
easier"
She slipped on long cloak over
her trailing silken negligee, and
wound a misty -hued scarf about the
glory of her hair. Then, quietly as a
shadow, she opened the door into
the hall and closed it again, softly.
behind her.
And all that was left to tell the
tale Of her departure was the little
pieces of bandages that lay on the
LIZ Al, 4