Year: 1873

CHAPTER VIA DEED or DAaKErn
Corrupt BY contact
am scared and guilty .-ANQA
Beatrice Vernon sat in her room


hotel engaged in ruminations OF


ter far from pleasant, to judge t7qs
closely-knit crows and thoughtful ulA
In deep maze of reflection, she aRne
to the eye even far more beautiful
when she was in perfect action with
assumed witcheries in play. She ha
thus long in loose, undress costume
long, luxuriant hair hanging in wavy
ters down her neck, and her magnia Rl
form most splendidly betrayed y
statuesque fullness, in the close-fttlug
ment she wore. In the rise and tall ~ '
queenly bosom it seemed al though v
thought was born, and the flash OF the e
bespoke the fact that her thoughts NAAe
not of purely meditative kind-thae eMe
was thinking, and to q purpose. stsA


Seated thus in deep reverie, she ghl
not aroused to the consciousness o. Ns
fact that person stood at the door NlltH
the servant advanced, saying 4k&


MIR. Evelyn is without. Shall Aor
him in 7"


tsYes." ...s,i


The servant bowed, Ii sser WGls q q Z
difference, indicating no interest Nv the
fact that the belle of the season was not
only acting very inpudently and unwisely,
but was also laying herself open to scan-
dial by admitting visitor to her room thus
clandestinely She ushered III Nane Eve
lyn, closed the door, and then, her curios-
ity excited to the highest pitch, she stole
along the corridor, entered the room which
was located next to that occupied by Miss
Vernon, and bending her ear to the key
hole of the door which communicatedw with
the next room, prepared to listen to the
developments of the interview.


This servants name was Cyrllle Eyhng,
a woman of keen descent, and a person
whose love Of intrigue was as natural and
mate as was her proclivlty for gossip. But
her lips for the once were sealed when she
left her present position, for secret was
hers, toe weighty and too awful for her to
breath it around, and make il public.


81 could not rest until had seen you,
said Miss Vernon. Our plans are too IN
definite to allow me to trust bhndly to fate
to lead them to a successful frmtlOn."


Nane Evelyne was silent, as he seated
himself in luxurious armchair, and gave
himself up to contemplation Of the majes-
tic form before him.


"You must have some idea to suggest,
cried the woman petulantly. ''You are
willing enough to share the proceeds, when
the work is done"


''And willing to work, too, was his re-
ply, in a quiet tone Of voice.


Then why not give me the benefit Of
your counsel.


Because | ave too much faith in your
devising. You are a superior planner,
Beatrice.


The woman smiled approvingly at the
compliment.


That is all very well for harmless CO.
quetry and by-play, but we have too much
at stake to be foolish enough to have any
thing disturb our-places now"


You anticipate that he will remain
long r.


who /"


Your husband"


Beatrice Vernon made a gesture of an
noyance with her shapely white hand.


Il suppose he will be here. How long
he will remain, am incapable Of surmis-
ing"


'.Is there no way Of your prevailing up
on him to 60 to some other place, before
it becomes generally known that the belle
Of the season is welded wife


''Do you use that as taunt p cried the
woman, her eyes in fiery flash of anger.


"You know me better than that, re
piled the man, humbly. Il am as well
aware as are you that the gray-haired old
man, whom you call husband, and who
has given you the glamour Of wished-for
respectability by his superior social stand
ing, is now but clog upon your opera
tions 1t is very unfortunate thing that
he should appear upon the scene Just at
that moment when all Of our best plans
were approaching speedy fruition. | am
in no little confidence in our scheme at
present. ! see no chance but for it to be
given up"


"And are we to lose the result Of all our
plotting and trouble II cried the woman.
Never / have been successful so far l
will not now be SO cowardly as to recede -


"And you will marry this man, Aller-
toni"


Eyes why not y


because it would be likely to place you
within the clutches Of the law y


The woman smiled in way which indi-
Gated her supreme contempt for the law
and all relating to it.


''Do YOU think that / will be foolhardy
enough to remain here after that J Let me
once secure the heavy stake for which we
are playing, and poor impulse will be
that which will ever induce me to give up
the golden favors again.


And am | to be left behind-is tlieIe
to be no reward for my services r.


1.-The woman placed her hand caressing-
ly upon her companions arm, as she no.
ticed the undercurrent Of rebellion in the
mans voice


"Our interests are identical, you know,
she said, sweetly. Il could not dispense
with your services. No man but YOU
knows my history,-nO man has so gener-
ously refused to expose me when it might
be the means of running my best prospects.
| am not so ungrateful as to forget all this
when fortune smiles upon me, and there is
chance that the future may bring wealth
to us, Vane.


The mans features flushed under the
delicately conveyed compliment.


''But this is mere trifiing, continued
the woman, ''for we understand one
another sufficiently well to know that we
must work mutually for the successful car
rying out Of our plans. You are aware
that if it becomes known to Eugene Aller-
ton and the people here that | have been
imposing upon them, and that | am the
wife of a man who will not hesitate to
pronounce my deception public, | shall be
debarred from again entering the society
which has created me for the present its
favorite. ! am its idol while the belle is
single to hirt with or to wed but mar
RED woman is an object Of neglect, ,-espec-
tally one who has as jealous husband as
have"