Show A FE FEMININE TE I IMPULSE The Tho small number of people aware of lf the existence of Miss Dorothy Maxwell Maxwell Max Max- r well were divided into two sections There were those who vho coz considered her ber life Ute most enviable there were others who deemed it highly reprehensible But Bat as Dorothy herself was ignorant Alike aliko of envy or condemnation she continued con con- tinned to live Jive in the charming and admirably admirably ad ad- appointed Georgian Georgia house bouse in Kensington and in a pleasant environment environment environ environ- ment went created by lavish but intelligent expenditure on the part of the Marquis of For some years she had been mistress of Belper Lodge yet her life was extremely dull Lord Bew Bew- 1 davon was a n busy man both socially and politically and a close friend of his i father the aged Duke of a circumstance so singular that it was wasa a constant source of comment among Lis bis contemporaries Consequently at first he was frequently away from Lendon London London Lon Len don for weeks weeke together either filling political or social engagements or stayS staying staying stay stay- S ing fag with his bis father who never left the country and as Dorothy had no friends and no companions save tho the faded widow of a military officer whom Bew Bew- davon had engaged as her ber chaperon to accompany her to the tho play when b he ho was otherwise engaged the comfort and pleasure of her ber life were marred by its loneliness D Dorothy rothy had an overwhelming respect respect re re- Sp ct for Lord but she did not love Jove him and this in the earlier days of her conquest had bad given her sin sina a ft blacker tinge in her own eyes A na na- native tive live cleverness added to acute f feminine perception had bad shown her ber that Bow Bow- davon had none of the tho characteristics of tho the average man who enters lightly upon irregular unions Morally perhaps perhaps per per- haps he lc heva va was j neither better nor worse mentally he ho was incomparably superior Mere bc beauty uty and platitudes wearied him and when Dorothy discovered the gulf that lay between their she set herself diligently to bridge it over devotion to politics a a devotion de' ho he had inherited from a n along along long line lino of ancestors gave ancestors gave Dorothy her ber opportunity and during finis many absences a string Etring of masters occupied her days hard study her ber solitary even even- ings One day clay by the merest chance stumbled upon a pile cf books dealing with abstruse questions with history philosophy and political economy their margins covered with notes in iu Dorothys Dorothy's IH neat at handwriting hand a handwriting that bore evidence of the class from wh which cb sho she had sprung How lIow this woman loves me mel ho he said to himself his eyes growing dim as ns he turned over volume nf after er volume At that mo moment ent Dorothy entered the room and Feeing tho the books strewed mound around him Liui I have never penetrated penetrated penetrated pene pene- into your sanctum before ho bo said pointing to the n-auy n evidences of cf her Iler plodding I sincerely wish I 1 had have o yen yeu been wading through all these becks to tv please me mc Dorothy filtered faltered s H-s immediate immedi te eon rou- elusion that the hc had been educating herself for far his sole benefit filled her with ith a n vague I 1 I visual to understand you yon better better better bet bet- ter t Le stammered kS You Yon have iJa succeeded in ill making mo inn understand you yeu ho answered kissing 1 her rc reverently Fro From n that day clay they insensibly drifted drifted drifted drift drift- ed into a close clone friendship aud and often as Dorothy Doroty sat by steadily helping him with his many researches and aud filled with admiration for his marvelous sympathy and broad outlook upon life she would cry bitterly to herself herself her her- Jer self Why cannot I 1 love this man Why cannot I love him bim And Aud so the days passed the woman endeavoring to stifle tho the impulses s of her ber hea heart t by severe severe se se- I vere study the tho man glorying in her ber beauty and her ber intelligence until the Duke of fell dangerously ill This illness may last for months said eaid Be as ho was leaving Belper Lodge and I cannot be away from him Go abroad Dorothy with Mrs Vane Vanc How could I 1 help belp you yon then she sho asked a terror of strange places and peoples suddenly taking possession of her There is much I can do for or you yon if I 1 stay here But ut it will do you good Yon You need needa a change ho lie protested W We will compromise she said I eel will go to Brighton And Aud be thoroughly idle he lie concluded concluded concluded con con- patting her ber cheek You have bave been working too hard At the tho en end of a fortnight Dorothy returned returned returned re re- re- re turned hurrying the meek Mrs Vane Vano from the tha delights of the hotel tho victim the victim of a restlessness that left her no peace Soon after her return to Belp Belper r Lodge she bhe was one ono afternoon idly scanning canning the pages of a magazine when her eye fell upon an illustration of the tho interior of a largo large drap drapers draper's shop i She Sho rose abruptly filled with a sudden i desire desiro for or her old life life to to smell the aerial scent of new calico to seo see thelong the tho I long line lino of flaring lights over each counter to hear tho the ripping of cloth the tho conversation of the tired Memories of her girlhood surged through her brain as as she leaned against the mantelpiece and n aun an J i longing to see tho the great drapery establishment where sho situ had worked took possession of her Sho She picked up tho the magazine and then with a cry threw it down and ran rau to her ber bedroom The Tho tea gown of diaphanous lace Ince an and silk was torn off oil and a few moments later Dorothy slipped out of the tho house house- housea a sad colored cloak and a thick veil shrouding shrouding shroud shroud- ing her figure and face Hailing a hansom hansom han- han som she sho was passing through the tho glitter glitter glitter glit glit- ter of Piccadilly on her way to fa the he T t- t Court road before she sho realized that she h had d succumbed to ton a temptation sho she had successfully combated for mOil months Dismissing the cab some somo distance be below below be be- low Yardsticks' Yardsticks mammoth premise premise premises prem prem- ise sho she walked slowly past the plate SI glass windows filled with th the tho cheapest Y v 8 it i r. r rubbish that ever the British h workingman working- working man and his hia wife were deluded into buying Dorothy could have bave told the small crowd of wondering women gathered gathered gath gath- ered round the windows commenting on the cheapness of various arious bargains many secrets had bad she been so minded but her eyes were fixed on a large mirror mirror mirror mir mir- in which she could see the reflection reflection tion of the assistants serving behind the counter She was now at the mercy of her emotions and entering the shop took her place among a row of women who were waiting to be served Dy y a apale apale apale pale tired looking girl whose face was lined by overwork late hours and bad food Dorothy watched her swift scissors scissors scissors sors as they ran through the rolls of calico and the rapid movement movement of her hands bands with fascinated curiosity She felt that she was watching herself the herself the self of years before So engrossed was she that the familiar What can I do for you miss found her ber with nothing to say She looked round helplessly and then gave a trifling order While the girl rl was doing up the parcel she leaned forward whispering Have you forgotten me Lizzie Im I'm Dorothy Maxwell The parcel dropped from the girls girl's hands bands I cant can't see through your veil she said We thought you were dead Dorothy glanced hastily round the shop where under the flaring gaslights she recognized many faces She raised her hand band to her veil eil then hesitated Where is John she asked John is married the girl said sullenly sullenly sullenly sul sul- lenly and has bas set up in business for himself Dorothy clutched at the counter and for a moment the oppressive smell the garish lights and the tho sound of coarse voices seemed to be one whirling mass that blinded her He He waited a along long time the girl went on in iu a vindictive undertone but buthe buthe but buthe he got tired and married last year He used to say some pome nasty things about you I t can tell you for going off oft as you did with never a wor word and you engaged engaged en en- to him too to What are arc you doing now she added raising her voice Still stopping some girl gill or other from marrying tha man she sho likes as you yon stopped mo me from marrying John Dorothy shook her head helplessly and throwing some coins down own upon the counter walked out of tho the shop Instinctively she turned toward the park her mind filled with memories of the past with its hard and ceaseless work its privations and simple pleasures pleasures pleas pleas- ures and with the part pait John Gregory had played in that past So her ber tender helpful lover was married she thought as she crouched on a seat under the dripping trees trees married married and she was forgotten And sho she had bad come to tell him bim that sho she had hail wearied of the luxury of the tho last four years yeji that sho she needed him to be happy and und that if he be would forgive and forget the wrong she had done him she would woul marry him as she hud had promised promis d him in the tho old days John was wail married She smiled bitterly bitterly bitterly bit bit- terly to herself as DS she thought of her ller wild desire as she sho drove to the Tottenham Totten Totten- ham ham Court Court road to t tell hire tell lJ him everything of of the accident iu in Oxford street that had bad first brought her Jrr maler Lord Lend Bew Bew- davon s 's cf his constant kindness duri during lg her following illness of Gf the temptation to which she yielded because bec she sho was always tired an and often hungry and of the four our years at Belper Lodge Lodge- and aud now there was vas no need Stunned and dizzy she roso rose to her feet clearly seeing that she sho bad had no one now upon whom to rely to protect her from her her- self Her castle of cards had fallen to tho ground the tho man upon whom she had leaned perhaps leaned perhaps foolishly to foolishly to re redeem redeem redeem re- re deem tho the past had forgotten her ber and the agony agon- 01 or her ber disappointment was supreme But the habits of four y years ars are not notto notto notto to be shaken off in an hour and the striking of the tho neighboring clocks reminded reminded re re- re- re minded Dorothy that she must return to dinner but brit us as her cab boro bore her hel through the slippery streets the whirling wheels seemed to repeat As the tree falls faIls so it shall shaIl lie Dorothy shuddered shuddered shuddered dered but still the words rang remorselessly remorselessly remorselessly remorse remorse- lessly through her brain following her herup herup herup up the broad st staircase at Belper Lodge and into tho the quiet of her ber own room Then she faced the tho situation She Sho was at least necessary to Lord Bew- Bew von davon an and ho he to whom she owed so much should not find her wanting Ho He loved he her and John had forgotten Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps she del deserved en-ed en that he should forget But when she was dressing for dinner the tho pathos of the tho situation came to her suddenly I shall be bo sentimental for once she thought Tonight I shall wear vear mourning for forr my dead love tomorrow tomorrow to too morrow I shall forget Tho The bright eyed French maid could not understand madams madam's s 's inexplicable desire desiro to wear the only black gown she possessed that eight A bright dress the tho pink and white would drive rive away vay madams madam's migraine but Dorothy silenced her objections and and in silent protest the woman clothed her in tho the somber garb sho she had chosen Dorothy had reached the first landing on her way y to the drawing rOO room 1 when the she heard the hall door open and a aYes aYes aYes Yes iny lord from frOlD the tho footman in reply to an eager enger question The next moment Lord was beside her ber Ah Ab All you have bavo seen the papers he said touching her dress I was too worried to telegraph How thoughtful how bow good of you Dorothy he went wenton on sadly You Yea have havo worn this tonight because you knew how bow much mach I loved him And his eyes filled will wih tears Your father sho she stammered He Ho died last night He would have loved you as much as I do had he be known you Dorothy I shall shan never forget your sympathy Again he touched the black dress then kiss kissed d her as ns he had never kissed her be before ore e One morning a fortnight lat later r Lord now Duko of drove to Belper Lodge leaving shortly afterward with Dorothy When Shen they re returned returned returned re- re turned the tho servants addressed her ber as your your grave grace f ii S i |