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Otago Witness, Issue 1548, 9 July 1881, Page 25

A Serious Flirtation.

James Spencer, when he had first been presented to Jessie M'Leod, had been told that she was ' a regular flirt,' and been warned not to fall into her toils. He had laughed at the warning, but six weeks after he had known this woman could make him moat miserable or most happy. The two stood together at the entrance of the lighted ball -room. They had just moved oat from among the couples on the floor.

' Shall we not go on ? It is cooler in the next room,' said Mr Spencer. They went forward to the adjoining room, whose half-shadowy reoesßes were very inviting after the heat of the dance. ' I have made an important decision tonight,' said Spenoer, as he leaned over the chair on whioh the girl had seated herself.

She looked up, for there was an impressiveness in his tone which startled her. She was going to speak lightly, but Instead she asked, gravely : 1 What to it?'' ' I have deoided to tell yon what is in my heart— to tell you that I love you.' He bent lower as he spoke, and his eyes sought to read her face. He could not kr.ow that her heart had given a sudden br, ttn( j and then had seemed to stand still.

She did not reply instantly. When she did speak, her voice was perfectly calm, and the man heard the scoffing in It.

1 1 really had not expecte'J that Mr Spencer would carry his flirtation to thia extent,' she said. Spencer turned white, He did not speak, and Jessie went on :

' I was told that you -counted many hearts which had been giveo over into yonr sacred keepiog, but I really had not expected you would ask for mine.'

The girl laaghed a little.

Spencer's face from white turned to red, and his lips trembled at the memory of his folly iv boasting o£ the kindness of women 10 him. He had thus boasted. It was a despicable thing to have done, and he had opportunity now for repentance. Jessie rose, and said, as if nothing had happened : 'I am sufficiently rested now. Will you take me back to the ball-room ? '

1 Nob yet,' he answered.

Miss M'Lsod said nothing, but stood looking at him, haughtily. In a moment, however, she remarked : ' It will not harm me to go alone.' But he placed himself before her, and saitl, huskily : 1 1 beg you will wait. Did I make you understand that I love you — that you have inspired a passion strong aa life in me ? Oh, can you not be merciful to me ? ' His voice vibrated with hia emotion, and Jeßsie's face ohangod, her eyes wavered, but only for a moment. She drew heraelf up, while Bhe said, with ley bitterness :

' Mr Spencer, you have doubtless aofced the part of aa ardent lover bo often that that fact, accounts for your perfection in the role. 1

Spencer stepped aside, bowed low, and offered her his arm, In silence they walked baok into the ball-room, and having conduotod her to a seat, he bowed again, and

The glance that she gave him showed that his faoe looked cold and set as marble, He left the room, and did not return.

A few moments later, and Jessie was dancing again. What was she thinking ? What was she feeling? It was impossible to tell from her face.

Two hours after midnight, the hotel parlours where the public ball had been given were deserted and dark. In her room, in the hotel, Jessie sat, in a dressing gown, her hair about her shoulders, her eyes fixed on the note in her hand — a note she had jusfe written, for the ink was not yet dry. This was what she had written : —

1 My Dear Dora,—

' I have seen Mr Spencer, and he has made love t<? mo, aa you predicted that he would. lam under the impression that I have refused him, as I promised I would do. I am afraid I laughed at him, which was unnecessary. I shall persuade mamma to leave this city, for I think it a, horrid place. I quite hate it.'

After a time she rose and enclosed the note in an envolope, saying to herself : « That is the end of that.'

She did not go to bed ; she moved rest" leßsly about the room, from one objeot to another, her eyes scarcely seeing anything. Oaoe she said :

' There was nothing else to do. But how oouid he seem so much in earnest ? '

Finally the clock on the mantelpiece straok the half -hour after three. She told hereelf that she must go to bed. The sounds in the hotel had all subdued ; everybody seemed to be sleeping, and the porter, in spite of the gas burning just in front of his face, was fully half-asleep. As Jessie walked to her own door, to se» if it were locked, Bhe heard a stealthy sound; outside, like one trying to move without any 7 noise. She was not startled — Bhe only felt; simply carious, and was glad of anything that would oooupy her mind for awhile. After waiting a moment, she noiselessly opened the door and looked out. There was the very fainteit of gas jefca burning at the far end of the long hall. A few yards in advance of her she saw the figure of a man stealing along—unmistakably a man who had no business to bs where he was. While she looked, he paused at the door of a room, softly tried it, and then, with the dexterity of practice, he inserted a key, and, after a little working of it in thft wards, he had pushed baok the bolt, and now entered the room.

When he had opened the door a dim light was visible, enough for Jessie— who had oloaed her own door, lest her light should reveal her — to ccc that this stranger was masked with a piece of black cloth over his face.

She did not think of anything now but! that she would glide softly along the halL. and, reaching the stairs, run down antlalarm the porter. As she reached the door of the room into' which this man had entered, something; made her pause and look in ; for the burglar, or whatever he might be, in his desira> to shut the door softly, had not quite latched it, and it had opened a little way. In a large chair, directly opposite, saitfe© man whose words of love she had that night heard. Spencer wsb still undressed, and hir s hair was much disordered. On the W'jlq before him were paper, pens and imk, a 8 jf he had intended writing. He fcsj\ now fallen asleep, and the pallor of his tr ce> a 8 Jfc leanod against the velvet off ths ' ona ir, was unlika the hue of sleep.

The masked man had reae> ie d his side", and stood looking down at > iUXI . n i 8 hand was half raised, and in the. ■ c i eQO h e d fingers —oh, horror I— was a, *" ng, shining, and Blender knife. Could a f ace have been seen, it would karq, revealed a terrible hatred.

Jessie, har heafk contracted, her lips stiffened so that »he could not scream if she triad, knew that instant: action was the only thing which could save the life of the sleeping man. On the impulse of the moment; she sprang forward, and grasped the arm of the unknown, would-be aasassin.

With a fierce exclamation the stranger wrenohe^ himself from her hold, and turned with fury upon her, striking down venge* fully, # and immediately the blood from her bafj arm —for her sleeve had fallen back — c.'imaoned the blade, and dripped upon the floor. Before another blow could be given, Spencer, who had been awakened by the man's cry, had sprung forward, and he was now holding the intruder in an unyielding grasp, in spite of his struggles. The knife was torn from hia hand, and now the mask fell off, revealing the wild and furious face of an unmistakable madman.

Evidently Spencer knew him, for he ex--claimed:

'It 7s you, is it ? So you have esoaped again ! ' • Yes, yes,' cried the other ; ' and I knew if I finished you I Bhould be all right agate, It is your influence ' Here he suddenly stopped, and, bursting into tears, began begging Spencer to see that the knife was not lost.

The moment the knife had been taken from him, Jessie had slipped from the room, and, running down the stairs, had snm^ moned the porter, forgetting entirely that blood was falling from her arm, and staiulng the floor as she went.

She returned directly to her room, and in ten minutes more the place was quiet, and the guests had not been disturbed. The' madman was locked np until the morning. Jessie was just binding up her arm with a handkerchief, but she was finding that her hands were very unsteady, when a knock came at her door. Sue walked aoross the room and opened it, colouring deeply as she inefc Spencer's gaze. He saw the arm, and standing at the door, suddenly leaned forward aud kissed it. ' Forgive me — forgive me ! ' he mur« mured. • You have risked your life for me. Would to heaven I could make you know how I love you! Will so thing be able to inspire any Jove in yonr heart for me ? I will wait any time— do anything ! Only give me a grain of hope ! ' He was holding both her hands now. Her head was bent, her eyea drooping, her breath coming heavily. * You need not wait, because I already love you,' she said, in a hardly audible voice.

The next instant she had turned away, Mng juj* felt hia eager kiss pn h,f* Jigs,

He went baok to his room, walking on air— lie hardly knew himself. He was sure that no man was ever so happy before. The note whioh was sent to • My dear Dora,' the next mail, had the following postscript added :—: — ' I hare changed my mind, and accepted him.'