The Washington times., 1928-12-15
NOu1 Continue.
The Story Thus Far .

sting about Michael still rank
ling.
You haven't been honest with
me, Ecstasy Madge. / mean,'
he said smoothly. II am two
men--the man and the artist.
You have hampered my career
and robbed the artist"
Carroll Dudleyr
You most emphatica1ly have.
The best thing ever did was
that study of you. Because as
: man offended you. you punish
ed the artist by robbing him Of
his woGk. Were you an artist
you would realize the great
wrong you did to meme, the
artist. Again, you won't under
stand when tell you that you
impeded my work. am not so
good as / was" and his voice
grew purposely bitter. because
subconsciously the artist had been
robbed. / do think-and If you
like. your face can be veiled, as
you don't seem to trust me
that you owe it to Carroll Dud-
ley. the artist, to pose for him
again.
Madge. with toss Of her head
as though for Michael across the
sea. answered with almost no
hesitation:
IAN right, Carroll. I'll be
honest to the artistn'
At 10 o'clock the next morn.
ing, Madge was again in the
studio. She had come from home
early so that Carroll could take
advantage of the morning sun.
In the room she had used be-
fore-was it a million years ago,
or was it yesterday-once again
she draped about her white love-
illness the black velvet models
cloak. Again she descended the
little staircase to enter the studio.
And again Carroll posed her on
the royal purple couch. Every
thing was as it had been except
that she threw across her face a
filnly black veil, which though
did not know it, really added to
her allure.
Through this veil she saw Car
roil-the same Carroll with the
black hair and blazing blue eyes
as he sat intensely professional at
his easel. the man apparently
sunk in the artist.
Again. after long time. she
drew the cloak about her and
relaxed from the pose.
She sensed suddenly that the
artist had disappeared and that
the man was in his place.
Ecstasy! Ectasy"' Carroll was
kneeling beside her. He was
kneeling at her feet in an attitude
of alteration and suddenly it
seemed to Madge as though moth
ing had ever crept up between
them. and nothing existed--could
exist-save love. The old rosy
rapture was in her heart agoing
and her hand stole out to caress
the smooth blackness of his hair.
Il love you. Ecstasy, and you
would have me lie to you, and
pretend friendship" He laughed
wildly. Friendship! And you.
Friendship and Ecstasy" They
could never blend, my darling.
Look at your beauty! You don't
know your own beauty. But 7,
half-artist and haIf-man-wllat
1t means to metz
AS kneeling he covered her
hands with burning kisses, Madge
reelected how much more her
beauty meant to this man than
1t ever had to Michael, How diff
ferently Carroll would have be.
haYed that night in Virginia when
Michael Winchester had kissed his
bride goodnight and then gone
silently away'
But now she knew her danger.
She liked having Carroll at her
teet. IT fiattered and pleased her
that he should so rave over her
beauty But where was she
headed? Whittier was she drift.
ing? She must stop this. Stop
II at once even though every
t1nre in her being was responding
because every fibre in
her being was responding.
CHAPTER Xxx
frightened by her own flaming
response TO Carroil's fiery caresses,
Madge rose quickly and drew her
models cloak tightly about her.
fhls must stop, Carroll" she
forced herself to say as he rose to
his feet and faced her. "Not an.
other word! You have said too
much-done too much! can't
pose Tor you again. I should not
nave consented-oh, it's impossi.
hle. The whole things impos.
He moved to the window. resting
4 bis head against his arm as he
| leaned against the wall. For one
awful moment, Madge feared he
! had broken down-~wanted TO run
70 him, but then he seemed to pull
! himself together az he turned to