The Washington times., 1924-01-09
"Let me think . minute.
C1avey."
Deep in Thought

Deep in Thought
As he resumed his restless
march. Cora sent her mind travel
ing out OF the mountains and tar
to the SOUTH and tried to pene.
trate the brain Of Mary zattiany.
She could not visualize her lin
the bed Of a casual hotel or sit.
ting in the chair Of parlor car,
so she skipped the interval and
saw her next day in that intimate
room Of hers upstairs; the room.
nssuredly, where she would think
out her problem.
Cora had studied Madame Eat
tiany with all the avidlty Of the
artist for q rare human theme.
and she believed that she knew
her as well an Clavering did, IL
not better. She had also not
failed to observe Prince Hohen-
hauer's picture. and had read the
accompanying text with consid-
cradle interest, an interest aug
niented. not unnaturally. by his
exceeding good looks. That same
day she had met a Viennese at
dinner who had talked Of him
with enthusiaam and stated def
initely that he was the one hope
Of Austria.
Cora Dwight was q very am
bilious woman and reveled In
the authority that tame and sue.
cess had brought her. She was
also az disillusioned In regard to
men as any unmarried woman
could be; although quite aware
that IL she had lacked q gift to
entice her emotions to her brain,
ehe no doubt would even now be
looking about for some man to
fall in love with. But her pride
was spared q succession Of hu.
initiating anti-climaxes, and she
lad learned, younger than most
women, or even men. that power,
after sex has ceased from
troubling. IL the dominant pas
sion in human nature.
And Madame Zattiany was
twenty years older than herself.
and had drained the jeweled
chalice to the dregs. And for
many years more she had en-
toyed power, reveled in it, looked
forward, Cora made no doubt, to
q greater and greater exercise of
It. Power had become the master
passion Of her life.
Like men in the same case,
she had INDUCED herself, during
period Of enforced lnaction, with
an exciting love adventure. That
she had fallen in love, roman.
tically in love, with this young
man, whom so many women
loved, and who, no doubt, had
given her the full benefit OF all
his pent-up ardors-Gora could
imagine those love .scenes-she
had not questioned, in spite of
Madame Zattiany's carefully COM
POSED tones when speaking of
him, and her avoidance Of so
much as the exchange Of q mean
ing glance with him in public.
Up here ''Mary" had ceased to
be a woman Of the world, she
had looked like a girl Of twenty,
and that she was in love and
recklessly happy in the fact, was
for all to see. That had been
one Of her most interesting
divagations to the novelist. Cora
Dwight--but phase. Cora was
not deluded.
And this man Hohenhauer
had brought her to her senses;
no doubt Of that either to a mind
both warmly imaginative and
coldly analytical. And what had
he come up here for except to
ask her to marry him-to share
his power? She dismissed the
Washington inference with the
contempt It deserved. Mr.. Din
widdie was a very experienced
and astute old gentleman, but he
always settled on the obvious like
hen on a porcelain egg. -.
What manifest destiny! What
an ideal match. She sighed,
almost envying her. But It would
be almost as interesting to write
about as to experience, After all,
a novelist had things all her own
way, and that Vas more than
even zattianys could hope for.
Then she remembered poor
Clavering and looked up at him
with eyes that were wholly sympa-
thetic.
IT don't think there's a doubt, -
she said, "that Prince Hohenhauer
came up here to ask her to marry
him. You can see for yourself
what such a match would mean
for him, for aside from that In
disputable genius Of hers-trained
in later years by hinself--she has
great wealth and few scruples:
and where he failed to win men
to his purpose, she. with her su-
perNative charm. and every fem
inine intuition sharpened by an
uncommon experience Of men and