Show H For or tL s Si in I B BERTHA M. M CLAY Continued From Yc What are you OU smiling at Allan asked Lady Carew your thoughts mui be pleasant ones It was the morning mel after the ball and Lord Carow had joined his mother and wife in their thele- pretty cosey morning morn morn- lag ing room Was I smiling I am just thinking think think- im ing mother how strange it Is that if it ifan itan an Englishman meets you and likes you the first tiling thing he does is to Invite you to dinner It Is very natural said Lady Care v he he likes you and wishes to shore share with t me best he ho can offer I suppose Of whom were you think thinking thinkIng ing Allan Of the Duke o at Ormond I like him He reminds rae flie of time the Flab FIno old English gentleman all of the lie olden time Tic lie wants us to dine there on Friday That is the husband of the beautiful ful lady who created ci such a furore last ast evening 1 asked Lady Carew Ye Yes replied Allan while his face grew hot what did you think of her mother I 1 found but one fault with her said paId Lady Silo She is too euti- euti ful UI A rot rare fault her son with witha a quiet smile And a grave one a woman so won wonderfully lovely requires stron principle to guide her or she does far more harm than good I think the tho duchess Is a great eat coquette Nay Na cried Allan eagerly you are mistaken mother Am An I said Lady Carew quietly then It is the first time I ever read a womans woman's taco face wrongly What did you think of item her Llda Litla Lady Adelaide glanced at her husband hus lius- band before site she made any reply and she sho found his eyes fixed on her face with t an almost wistful expression I cannot toll tell I only spoke to her herfor for Tor a few minutes j thought her very beautiful When I have seen more of her ler I r can answer you better Her husbands husband's face cleared ho looked relieved anti and smiled Do Do you OU feel inclined to accept the flUkes duke Invitation for Friday Ade- Ade he d aski-d he often called her by her namu and he did so ii r h art In-art beat beut with a strange mixture of pleasure and Should lio ho go She Sho had bad already asked herself that question anti and was war quite at a loss how to answer It Bettel Better Bet Bet- tel ter perhaps to look her doom in the face boldly to see and amid know the Lime worst better to know if any of the theold theold old love unhallowed now lingered in her husbands husband's heart better know at once if her last hope of winning him was quite gone At first she had beer been almost despairing but now she had bad recovered She said to herself that she would measure her strength with that of her rival hitherto she hat had been alone in her struggle for love She Uio had tried all the tho skit sitU all the talent she possessed to win bund's bunds heart now the struggle was redoubled for sIte she had a living beautifuL beautiful beau beau- mis-al mis to fight against It would henceforward be war to the knife between between be be- tween her and the Duchess of Ormond At lint st she had felt inclined to re refuse te- te fuse the invitation then themi she slie tool took courage what object could be holier than hers Her lIet husband did not love her and she wanted to win his heart she wanted to save him from the fascination fas fas- anti and allurements of one of the most bewitching of women The struggle struggle gle had hitherto to been childs child's play now Jt It was to begin in real earnest which would win So she took hear of grace She measured her strength with that of her hem rival and felt tha she might conquer In iii the endI end I am not so beautiful as she Is but lUt I have right on ill my side sh she said to herself and I may win yet All these thoughts passed thu-ough thu her mind while her husband stood waiting an answer to his question II ETc had it with some little anxiety Of course it lid did not re really matter wife n-ife consented to go 01 or not but it St would bo be pet perhaps more mon pleasant on the whole if she smiled on Oh the Intercourse Yes I shi shall l be pleased to go sai said Lady Adelaide and her husband smiled kindly on herI her I may win SOck a smile for myself my self some day sl thought and no not take it because 1 have pleased him over another She had been faInt and had hai thought it almost impossible for he her ever to succeed but nov tv that sIte was face to face ace with new ne- courage came to herand hem and she resolved to enter time the battlefield to or t to die Site She stood before her that tha t evening with a smile on her face fac h had taken the greatest pains dress n o faint smile played round he lm beautiful lipsI lips I I really do not think she sho said that I have much to fear fear If h lit cares for beauty I thank heaven fo fox the share given to me She noticed that her husband looked at her when she wa ready Lady Carew ever on the for kindly words laid her hand 01 on time the girls girl's white shoulder Allan do you not think she sho grow more beautiful every day Time had been when Lord Carev would have murmured some few corn com words and would have hav turned away avay but now lie smiled in hi his were so ro kind that her heart leaped fo Cot joy She talked to so gayly to hint him as time the drove to Ormond House that he lie was li lii danger of being charmed with her hei For the first tim It struck him thai ha haher her wit was more playful end and more piquant titan than that of an woman ho lie had ever met SIte She looked radiant with when they reached Ormond house Site She was not even dismayed when sh site saw how well the duchess looked Fo this evening her grace had ec magnificence He haul had been dazzle before now site she only wished to vaLe vate Site She wore a dress of fresh shining white silk made so as to simon sho the fair arms arid and shoulders s it wa simply trimmed with a few greet grce leaves and her jewels were rich helm re rc rules rubles that glowed glow like the heart of a fire c. TIer Her glorious leak hair wa allowed to tall fall in rich m waving masse on oil her white neck In all her ballroom ball room splendor sh SIte hail had not one half KO so perilously lair fair Thieve There were not many guests present fib Tho dinner party was rathor i than numerous His us highness tin thu Prince of who on tim tho evenIng even even- log Ing of if time tho ball bail had devoted to tho duchess now seemed scorned to h bc equally fascinated by Lady Adelaide He lie paid his hid courtly compliments t tc lice her She smiled liar brightest for i ii pleased Item her right well item her husband should see that site she lint had admirers She Shi was still In lii some respects simple as i a little child The duchess was a perfect and most mos graceful Ii hostess Lord Carow watched her with wit admiration flow perfectly she sho seemed scented to have herself to the that surrounded stir sur rounded her how how calmin calm in the tho midst of such magnificence u as must have been full of novelty foi or her During time the important ceremony of dinner site she distributed her smile with great equality Xo No one could coult have guessed how site she thirsted to hear every word that fell front from Lord lips as flowers long for all air No one could have guessed calm and niJ as she seemed that she was wai eagerly waiting for the time which should leave her free to talk to him It came afterward when the thit guests assembled In time the noble room drawing and time the prince who like all hh himi countrymen enjoyed music asked Lady Adelaide to sing I do not ask if you do slug sing he lie said for foe I am sure of it you It-you you have hav havea a musical face ace as I look at It ii memories of sweet old melodies connover cOllie conn over ovel me I pray pm-ay you let Jet me ins hear you sing What shall I sing for you win he asked as she stood before the plane piano Nothing Italian or French I Ilk lIke best the dreamy half sad end half sweet music of my native land anti and of yours Do you know a German song Ohm Oh wert thou mine own love to tobe tobe be forever mine Yes I know It and like it she replied Then let us have U. U If you will be beo beso so o kind said th the prince Another moment and there floated through the room music BO so sweet s se sad HO so Impassioned that all attempt at conversation ceased The duchem had seated Herself in her favorite in her hr most graceful gm and with one glance from her r dark had invited Lord to take takeI I his place by her said iId He Ire was in the very act of crossing the room when the first full sweet notes of his wife's voice struck him with surprise Almost Al- Al most unconsciously lie Its stopped and went welt ov over r to tin piano the idano-the the the- spell of the music seemed to draw him timers there lAs As the duche it a dark clark frown for one moment marred marred- the tha beauty of her radiant face she bit her lips and S dents In them i- i ald aIa Mill It h then outwardly she her smiling mullIng dignified calm to tobe Oh wort thou wort-thou but mine be forever mInet As Lady tell all the passion pits pas ion sion of her hem heart sung those words her eyes mot mt her She dare sing to him what she he dares dare not sayTo sayTo say To be td be forever mine site she re repeated re- re punted and her e s seemed to tn hold Ills his while she poured out tit her passion passionate ate prayer The sweet swoot ad music words seemed to him tAc seemed to cry to him he like one In a trance gazing on that beautiful tender face Who shall say how hov it would have ended but that the touched him with her white hand My Lord C r w she said aid you are going to sleep anti and that It not al al- al Come with me I want to show you some beautiful photo photo- graphs graph When Lady Adelaide turned round her husband was crossing room with the duchess and another chance was lost host Continued To morrow |