Show va the dark mirror by lonis joseph vance author of the false faces the lone wolf etc illustrated by IRWIN MYERS III it 11 copyright 1920 by the th author if 11 MR CHILVERS continued 14 now kow sli all desired no longer to undeceive the lie man who sat leering to in mean exultation over her discomfiture let iet I et him continue to believe that she was mils leonora Li minora and make what profit lie he could ot of that belief it if she could not have eliat happiness ot of which leonora unwittingly had despoiled her she could at least protect leondras Leo noras happiness and conserve it by taking upon herself the punishment leonora otherwise must suffer at tile the hands ot of her forsaken associates by way may of penalty for her defection exalted by a sublime spirit of self sacrifice she faced mr chilvers with a decision and confidence that would have made him uneasy had lie he been if less s infatuated in the triumph of his low cunning 0 As it was not till long ong after lie had left did he be recall that look try without avail to fathom it and become suspicious the slamming of the outer vestibule door disturbed them priscilla turned hastily to reer out into the lie hall on the filet lace that covered the glass of the front door the vague silhouette of mrs trow bridge showed please I 1 an imperative gesture brought mr air Ch chilvers livers to ills his feet somewhat to his own surprise you must go now BOW or spoil everything papa conlin con ilu he inquired with a knowing look my aunt I 1 barent present you to her you must go well but bow about our next little chat anywhere you say any time 1 I say the plaza four tomorrow afternoon well have tea mind hind my braggin drag gln gin inez along no surely not dol but dont delay now mr deftly flicked the stub of his bis cigarette into the empty fireplace took up hla his hat bat and stick and moved gracefully out into the hall remember the plaza at four and dont stand me up not unless youre lookin tor for real trouble ill be there the front door swung open admitting mrs trowbridge priscilla gave the criminal tier her hand band then good afternoon mr elvers and thank you yon for calling im so BO sorry I 1 have to rush off to keep my appointment dont mention it IL charmed to have had the pleasure of heeln you even for a moment the door closed behind him aunt esther bore down on priscilla with supercilious brows my aly dear child aho vho bo wag that fi creature crea that priscilla laughed with a io of hysteria oh nobody of any lai 4 till the girl wat was Bril brilliant with beauty new in Priscil lat knowledge of her con sequence just an cocq acquaintance aftin to nee on n artist of a sort A an I 1 artl st 1 I thought as much the good woman sighed 1 I did hope you bring such people to the house but I 1 presume laughed lau glied and tor for the first time tin days daya with a genuine ring of mirth dont worry dear slie she offered vaguely and adad with more de cle jablon by the way ive been thinking its ita i of me to keep you in fromn on in this beat besides ada moyer nt pose again till some time next we might us well godown go down to as soon as you can man THE E THREAT OF THE WILD in the morning orning ni she dreamed once more of leonora but now the way of the dream with her was waa something new perhaps in that it was mas more la in true sense a dream less an involuntary essay la in sin for all that it had its element of clairvoyance as the outcome was to prove what instinct had foreshadower foreshadowed fore shadowed in the dream proved true tile the scene was in a theater of the hills set get high upon A R wooded mountain lank flank overlooking a deep wide ide valley the soft gheen cicen velvet of whose forest carpeting was threaded by slender silver m reams and dotted with little bb shining liling lakes sunlight flashing level across tile the eastern ridges struck squarely a bungalow set in thi the clearing a rambling structure that hugged the earth the primitive crudity of its undressed logs belied by every refinement civilization con could contribute on the veranda near the steps slops leonora stood waiting ailing looking back into the he living room the girl was brilliant with a beauty new in knowledge of tier her every shade of core care and discontent established dis from tier her countenance its clear pallor enriched by a newfound glow of vell ell beihl to in her eyes peace hod had taken up its abode dressed ed in a brief skirt of 0 tan tilling and blou blouse e of white silk simply fashioned with high laced boots sturdy enough for woods walking hatless her hair flair dressed low upon her neck slie she held herself with a confidence unrelated to her onetime one time arrogance ro of that truculent swagger which had been so becoming in the street of strange faces today no trace survived here was a woman so utterly regenerate that the history of her beginnings seemed com completely plemely abolished and annulled and as it if it had bad never been so much in those few days love tin biad done for leonora I 1 the clear radiance of tier her eyes was las clouded only when restless with waiting she turned for a moment to look out over the valley that swept below abrant with fluid blue shadow in all its far sweep never one hint blot of another human bab habitation then tier her face sobered for an instant she had almost a look of tear fear I 1 I 1 I 1 it was swiftly dissipated by a sound of footsteps marlo came out of the bungalow clothed tar far more formally than she in it a costume better suited to city streets he carried a small locked case chamois gloves hat bat evidently leonora was not to go with him silently they embraced I 1 I 1 piloted by a japanese boy in a white jacket the motor car rolled out of the garage and to one side of the veranda where abere it stopped the japanese jumped down and leaving the door open effaced himself mario and leonora lie he with an arm round her waist maist moved across the lawn to the car into which he tossed ills case lingering for a last caress she clung to him as if she could never bring herself to let him go touched responsive he made but the gentlest efforts to disengage at length however he had to remind her dear if I 1 am to catch my train at kingston I 1 must go 90 she trembled a little held him closer for an instant then quickly released him and stood aside a averting vertin her eyes its so BO hard r se e said with a quivering mouth how do 10 1 I know ill ever get you back but its only for the day ril rii be home before dinner time 1 I know but lie he consulted his watch theres a later train we con can catch it if you will hurry and change no ino in I 1 she lifted her eyes vi with ith a forced smile of adorable bravado 1 I wont be silly its only because its the first time ive got to learn to do without you for a while title now new and then I 1 might as well begin now I 1 must I 1 will hilll I 1 she stamped a foot to assert her determination and laughed a little rueful laugh now go kiss me once lust just once more and got they kissed youre sure leonora she bw swallowed allowed a sol sob and nodded bravely sure youre not afraid what of kofl theres nothing but these woods moods and im only seared scared of them a little because I 1 never saw anything like them before in all my life ill get over that ive got to get over a lot of fool foolishness ashness just give me time now I 1 wont have you miss that train I 1 she ran down to the road to watch the car till a turning took it out of sight she stood listening till the hum of its motor was blotted out by the aba ing stillness she lid did not understand such silence tier her it surged in wave on wave upon her spi isei like a sen sea seeking to stun out and engulf them to obliterate them and of a sudden she could no more endure tier isolation there in the sunlit open and she turned and fled wildly to the friendly closeness of the house bouse IV TRANCE like a claptrap illusion of the onema cinema the shadows of tier her dream dissolved into the substance of tier her waking life but that terror which had clutched at the heart of leonora in the wholesome freedom of the hills lived on in the heart of priscilla coming awake lo in the inviolable and coo con 1 fined security of her bede bedchamber bamber it lay upon her soul gout like a cloud of da darkness that no will of hers hera might lift she appealed in vain to reason to common sense the inarticulate menace of the woods wood that had bad been so eloquent to the senses ot of leonora continued to oppress priscilla with a premonition of predestined evil from whose imminent fall there could be no escape she rose bathed bat lied dressed breakfasted all mechanically prepossession with that feeling ol of impending disaster weighed more and more heavily upon her mind as the day aged more and more strongly she felt herself incapable of coping mith the routine duties of its course slie she went to and fro like an automaton aware of one thing only that danger of some sort threatened leonora abat she was mas pome powerless riess to avert it who could not even name it what otherwise bad hell beld place of nt first importance in n tier her tier her encounter with harry chilvers of 0 the day before and her appointment to meet him at the plaza today for tea avns displaced relegated to a status of least consequence tile then forgotten altogether at four indeed slie she was pacing up tip and down domn the lie waiting room of dr philip fosdick digging nails into tier her palms find and teeth into tier her un nn derild in the endeavor to keep from giving away to hysteria one glance at tier her face of suffering one look into those ees of pitiful appeal fosdick drew tier her into his big consultation sul tation room there she collo collapsed phed utterly going with childlike trust into his arms hiding her face in his big shoulder shaken by that tempest of emotion against which tier her last slight guard had been beaten down upon his arrival she told tofu ier story eagerly but in fragments only she elie was powerless long to follow any one train of thought because invariably when she seemed on the very verge of losing herself la in the interest of narration a chill breath of fear would numb her confidence her eyes would film with daze tier her voice break in the middle of a sentence her relaxing grasp on fos ecks hand bond tighten lighten convulsively tier her thoughts falter into momentary incoherence again and again he be needed to exert himself to the utmost to in order to restore the moan mean balance of her ber sels self com command only the tenderness and solicitude of the lover allied with the knowledge the patience the compassion of the physician served I 1 dut but what am I 1 to do she demanded in a calmer phase 1 I tell you philip I 1 cant stand it I 1 cant go on like this knowing ashes in deadly peril not knowing what to do knowing she needs me not knowing how bow to get to her bet to help her it imagination philip its so I 1 know its so that ashes in danger threatened afraid something in me knows and shares tier her sufferings and wont cant be still I 1 I 1 philip wont you help me ills his hood bead described a slow sign of regret im doing my bests best priscilla 1 I mean hypnotism no you must philip you must im not afraid of being hypnotized by you youve explained elery everything thing so cleal ly I 1 know its nothing but the utilization of a natural means to remove the barrier between the two states of consciousness ness so that the imprisoned subconscious Iton selous can find expression philip you wont refuse me this once you see what this thing Is doing to tile me you know ill go mad if I 1 dont find relief lie ile gave a gesture ot of surrender and got up from ills his chair As you will ill lie said perhaps after all you know best ile he arranged pillows at the head of a couch lie down here bere rest relax lax remember that as youve just declared youve got nothing to fear from the hypnotic trance some something thill 9 as natural as sleep even more natural if what I 1 believe of it Is true im not in the least afraid with a readiness and docility which he be thought touching she suffered fosdick to make her comfortable upon tile the couch lie ile was insistent upon an attitude of complete relaxation supine the head barely elcia elca ted by a thin down pillow the ankles together but not crossed the hands open at either side Furt further ber he be bade her loosen tier her locked teeth so that they no ion longer ger touched and drawing a chair close to the head of the couch lie he sat down and with ills own hands smoothed out the strained contracted muscles round her eyes and mouth and brows ills his touch his tone his presence sence were mere all soothing already she was plea pleasantly antly aware of slackening nervous tension in ID her ebes a vague smile formed drowsy tier her lips framed but did not utter the woid no she was as riot not in the least sleepy but at ease the weight eight of his liand hand on tier lier forehead was like an imponderable force of obliterating influence consciousness was slowly retreating into a houndle qs ware ace of inertia she had no dedire doi ire to strain it site she did no know that her her I 1 eyes had closed of thay own accord and spent a lo fog idle speculation concerning tam disappearance of philips face ile he had lis d not she knew bis big hand still rested on tier lier fore forehead bead but his voice sounded bounded fur far oay away sleep I 1 she wondered that lie he should bid her sleep or wish her to perhaps it was because he thought it would better prepare her for the ordeal of the hypnotic trance if it were any ordeal sleep iteration of that monosyllable excited no more interest she had bad become completely engrossed with the phenomenon of respiration her own breathing its lt tempered constant obb ebb and flow upon which her being swung like a leaf in a tideway sleep she had bad no desire to sleep felt oa no need of it never had bad she known such absolute command ot of all her faculties abe sensation of being acutely alive was uns extraordinary without precedent divorced from that complexity of cares and interests of 0 dally life which ordinarily distracted and diverted the full stream of its powers into tin an hundred undred li channels tile the ego turned back to the ego and in that inversion achieved an isolation with a self completeness and containment and independence passing anything known in making life 40 in this nirvana an initiate of the arcana of existence tile the soul dwelt in exalted abstraction in a phase of sublime seif sufficiency free f hit his touch hit his tone toie to ie lis llis l presence were all soothing dont dom and pence peace I 1 but not for long ong how low long there could be no computing consciousness of measured time had bad been abolished by contact with eternal verities verifies veri ties nevertheless the period of that detachment was not unlimited it had bad an end there was at length a necessity imposed upon the soul aum a summons mons a calling to it from out the vast which it could by no means ignore the call was from leonora it was soul of leonora voiceless and inarticulate calling to its own jovn calling without rest through the void from a far and unknown bourne and the spirit to which blab its soundless call was tuned ansbe answered red and fared forth seeking forever seeking time beyond reckoning was consumed yet the search had no end the soul adventured fruitlessly its yearning was mas denied at last it returned weary and frustrate and spent it come came back to its own onn place to the tenement of its refuge and there rested upon and within fill itself demanding the consolation of its integrity yet knowing oiling no comfort of it when found tormented by knowledge of its failure haunted by the call then that which it had bad sought and found not sought it in turn and it was found the I 1 that was leonora was joined to the I 1 |