THE Temptation of Mary Barr.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12861, 20 May 1905, Page 4

THE Temptation of Mary Barr.

By £FF!£ ASELASBE RO.VLAKDS,

nl.'iorof "A Splendid Recur b," "A Woman Scorned," ' ' tiraue Barbara, " "ji Kinsman's iSln, n '* bo hike a Man," etc., etc.

CII YPYKR XXXVlll.— Coiiu;vuccl

Tlie knowledge that : he w.-.s v nteiii^tibl" li tu-orge Vcim-y'h eye ma'.lc her o::lV more recjdes*,. She \in\\ long ago) ceased t(j trouble iiersell ainrai ( the money .i. i he had .stoL-n ircun JNiarv.

She mario it hw busuuss to iind out quietly that Lad> Vcrne> v.a> still absent, imic\ at times she talked about (•■joigc Vonuy .v i his wi:c. laii^l'ing and sneering «it tlu-in, and iii'-inuaimg that slucould throw li^ht on her so-callcJ happiness- .c .• 2co >.■ v.eie realb interested. Sh" wns not in tlie st. which cither knew or trot'bn ai^out V.w Vi'in.y.-., aud il I'aaji Dctuir.u." r.iukrst'-od w liat 'ay IxneatU lur bitter wnrd-, lie ( nly snii'iLd to himscll.

It pleased him to have tHs bcauti!iii creature more c>r lc^s dipeir.limt on him, aii'd Cat ma was really actually in hi.-> hands now. Somelimes :he had an unoomiortable •-ensaticn, wheii ( she neinembcred that sh; had eonficl- iL J-ei little i::-liscrclic-i .v (M:t tl't 1 '; 1 ' ' ie k to th's man, for it put her m bis power ; a position- which might, one of ihc<e da\ s, be very objectionable ; but, as" a rule," Carina forgot everything that was disagreeable On this particular night Caiina's mood was a good one, and she put on her beautilul ilothc", and deeued herself , with jewels, finr'ing fresh cajuse for admiration of hen ell each moment.

She dined in the restaurant with the paitv arranged by Baron Detchmar, and, as she swept in a little late, every eye was attracted to her.

She certainly h-oked amazingly beautiful. It w^=: no wonder th*t sl.e caused a" sensation as she entered.

One mi.yon, ■ sated ; in a comrr at a small taWe . out ul. sight, seemed io watch her with tho greatest intoiest, and, later, when she rore w ith the party, and they were .swei^t away to the oj^era, m tlu- automobiles 'that were waiting tl'is i anic person rose and followid them.

From a svat in c>ne of the cheaper parts, well out of sight, this same person -wt^iiied Carina siting like ;• nuen in the first circle box which belonged to Deuhmar, and when at last Mrs Leopold Verr.ey rose, drawing an exquisite wrap "about her shoulders, the occupant of the cluapcr scat rose, too, ancb went/ fleetly down the ttairs to wait in the' big entraiue kail of the opera house till Carina Appeared. She, \ stood laughing and .halting with ber friciu's, and then got into Detchmar's carriage, and was whirled softly out/ ol sight, but once agcin that watehiul person folio ivetl.

Tbc automobile c!io\c back to the hotS. Carina loved the "litter and tne excitement of Hie. She always preferred Mipper in a public plate. D&temr.ar lound her extryordinarilv agile in ev^tlmg too hiikli of his "companion -.hip ; but he smiled to hirnse.il. an:l ho knew, how to wait ; he had not reached his present position without having culti\atecl the -virLiie of jwtience.

Supper was a lengthy affair, but at last Carina said good-night to her friends, snd wtnt to the elevator to be taken to her rooms.

Her husband had left her earlier in the evening, and t.hu probak!\ wojikl not see him till sometime during the next day. The" rooms tbat and iLis Leopold Vernay occupied in this lug hotel forixied a suite, and. a^ Ca rina approached the little entrant, s\iz saw, 1 - a woman dressed jh iilaek, sitting on a cliair.

At firtt i.h 1 ." did iioti. ;eeoi',uu_e the wojri&n. She imagiued that it was some frind of .her maid's, t^iid she was sv-CLping past in her magmiiicencc. when the bben-rob-ed figure rose, and threw ba^k her veil.

A curious sensatieu, half anp*'", half fear, took i)oi>i-tssion of Carina as she saw ths £«ice 'A Isobcl Somertou. Before shu could reco--.cr irom her uurlcasanL surprise, Lady Somertou had .slipped past ncr, ami lunicd the key m the door, hiding the key immciiiatcly in nor pocket. 4 '•'We arc alone," i--hc said, in a lersc, (i"iet voice: "this ivS the inome»t lor Avhkh 1 have waited.' "What do you mean ?" queried Carina, her nervousness, increasing-, though .she ecntroll-d it proudly. "Why do }ou come here? Why do you daie lock the door .-'" "I have a message from tlie dead ?" said Isoi-cl Somerton, in that quiet voice. "A message- from Uie dead . Carina shivered and looked about her, really frightened now. »Slu W"s srj)erstili( us and nervous. She ; passed into the MtLing room, and I*obel Somerton followed her. "ily boy is dead," sl'.c saul, in that sjrmc fiull, even ; "kil'ed 1-, v you ! " "Carina tun)'-d on her ])assionatelv. , . . '•What is it t'> hk- r' she said. "You arc mad ! How lorld I LiH your son ?" ""I told l.im thai you were evil," said Isohcl Somcrton, sneaking as one iin a dream, "and T warned him against you, i: ° V / l:now that you were playing witn iiiin, though I wns too blind 1o v'irkT'i.'iid 'what von were w or! ing ■or. 1 was a' fool ! 1 ought In have seen more clearly. 1 ought '.o lu-e kno'vu tl'.at \our hate £:>r that girl would carry you far ; but r was wrapped up in my s'heines. 1 l^cd only for the fulnilment ol cne ambition, anrl }(>u robbed me of this, at. \ov. have robbed me ol Pcul !" Caiin.i lliujg oil lu-r tb-aK, and .•-tond revealed in ;<il her beauts .

"You an: mad !V she exchiiimd a second , lime. But thon«;li sb^ Uuml to sj/oald I'oldlv, lu-r licarl was cold «nd sick with fear. She did not' like the look of Isohcl Somertuu. Thc-rt' <^vas a stcsillhy look in her eves that watched Jur, uud all at. oiku Carina remt;mb(.Tcd that hhc ay.is alone in thtsirooms. Her m^i'l -'ltpt in anoUior part ri the 1 hottl. ; and although sl»c usually sat up for licr, ?hc w.t; how ill and had li -id to Ro to Ik-el. Leopold Vi-rmry might return -U any inoiiKMit, ImH it was just as probable that he might not r.-l'ini till very late, perhaps not ex on i:H the next day. Was sly: to I.c io ked up here " for hours with this quiet woman, uhosr «vittuv«l haiiitlsoincnoss had withered into sudden old age, vflio looked t.aiiircroiis in rvory sense of rv voi" 1 • illow conld sIX- attract :ittcn'3« p i

llov. r.i«.«a«e to , r'li^ yt:i.r* <■<. to iicr : Siic iiiiist !> 'Jii^ spncLly and quickly. Mrr.'.v she v a«> i'Lv'y innui" to droad j iv« -ji'-ili i-: •:cli new moment. "i a m sorry," she said, suddenly, trying to sjjeak easily; "I urn \ cry sorry if anything has ha])poncd to Paul. J liked him — but he was foolish, — he wan text too much." "He wanted no more than you promiscel, "' said Isobel Somcrton. "I have your letters — that letter in which yon urged him to go to I'arif!, promising to follow him within a week ; and the very day .hat yon wrote that was the day chat you married Leopold Verncy ! It- shot himself when he vknew what yen weic,'' said Isobcl Somerton, in a strained voice. "By some rrcGt\ chan c t.<jv lotnul my name and address \in a letter whkh I had written to him, and they telegraphed for me. I buried Mm thrvc days ago. He lingered for a long time, always .hoping for a sight ol you, lor a word ol Icaiembranee. Now ydfl know why I have come to you — • — " Carina shook her head. "Xo — why 1 t-hould you eoiue ? V\ hat can I do ? 1 am sorry — I am sorry," she saM, X twice. "I 11 — • never thought h - wo i-i ". away,' 1 she died siiuklenly ; "yon frighten rne'l V\"hv do \o;i hjok at me so :• tran "tlv '{ What is it that you ha v e in your mind ? Oh !"' 3ler words ended in a shriek, a 'shriek that was muffled; for Iso,lv.>l Somcrton had advanced) stulIdenly and had put her hanel on Carina's wrist, closing her lingers about it in a grip oi iron.