The Golden age. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1906-1915, April 12, 1906, Page 14, Image 14

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14 INTO MAmiOUS LIGHT SYNOPSIS. Julian Deveaux, a New York actor of bad personal character, goes South for rest and recreation, leav ing in New York a young preacher, John Marsden, who has become his friend. During the Southern trip Deveaux meets a family at Monteagle, Tenn., and becomes interested in the young daughter, Chris tiana. The father, John Douglas, is much attracted to the young actor, but the aunt, Mrs. Wayland, distrusts him, while the girl, Christiana, is too in experienced to feel any special interest in Deveaux apart from his skill in teaching her to paint. Deveaux confesses his love to Mr. Douglas, and attempts to win the girl with her father’s reluc tant permission. His progress, however, is so slight as almost to discourage him. A sudden accident, however, which resulted in the death of Mr. Douglas, resulted in the consent of Christiana to the marriage with Deveaux and during the wedding trip in Paris the girl gets her first intimation of Deveaux’s life and character. (Continued from last week.) CHAPTER XII. In the dining room of a hotel in Constanti nople, Mr. and Mrs. Julian Deveaux were having dinner. He had been very gay and entertain ing; he was so delighted over his wife’s evident pleasure in their voyage across the Mediterranean. After the lapse of a few minutes she noticed that his face suddenly clouded. The remainder of the courses brought in he barely touched, save the wine, and of that he took glass after glass, until his face was flushed and his eyes had an expression she had never before seen. She was opposed to the drinking, but she had become accustomed to it dur ing their stay abroad, and sip by sip, she became very fond of it. He liked to see her bright and wit ty, with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. So he urged upon her all he dared. This evening she became so alarmed at his un usual actions her smiles changed to tremulous lips as she began to remonstrate with him. 4 ‘Never interfere with anything I wish to do, Christiana. I am of age. I am your husband, whom you promised to love, honor and obey, if you please. I cannot permit you to dictate to me.” Christiana fell back in her chair with a little gasp, while her eyes filled with tears. “Christiana, of all things in the world that irri tate me most, it is to see a woman in tears. I feel like rushing’ away until she has grown from infancy to womanhood. I much prefer you to strike me than to cry. Show yourself a woman and not a baby.” Christiana’s tears quickly dried, but her bosom rose and fell like the waves of an angry ocean. Instantly she left the table, went to her room, entered and locked the door. She threw herself upon her bed and wept until she fell asleep from ex haustion. She had scarcely left the dining room when a heavily-veiled woman took the vacated chair by Julian Deveaux. “And so, Julian, you ran from me a second time, did you? But, you see, I have a good eye. I did not lose sight of you for an hour. You might as well decide at once to treat me right, and not cause us both so much annoyance.” “Curse you!” he exclaimed under his breath. “Dare you make another public scene. Go to your room at once, and I shall follow when I can do so unobserved. Give me your number.” She obeyed, and shortly he joined her. When he entered the room he locked and bolted the door. She knew something of the demon in the man, and wps prepared for the violent scene that followed. When Mie had goaded him to the point of murder, she s’ Menly disappeared through a secret door. He knew > would be useless to attemnt to follow her. His fury had sobered him somewhat. ‘' T The Golden Age for April 12, 1906. By LLEWELYN STEPHENS. He left the hotel and went for a walk. By twelve o’clock he was his normal self, penitent and re morseful for his harsh words to his wife. Returning to their apartment he was surprised to find the door bolted within. He knocked several times, before his wife aroused. When he was admitted, and stood before her he was alarmed at the expression of mistrust and fear upon her face. “Annie,” he said, placing his arms about her, “I have often told you that I was very imperfect, and to be prepared for many faults which would un doubtedly spring into view under certain provoca tions.” “What were the provocations?” “I drank too much wine.” “ Why did you ?’ ’ He gave his shoulders a shrug. “Why does any one ever drink too much? Why did you drink too much one evening?” “That reminder is very cruel of you,” she re plied, trying to withdraw herself from him. “You know you forced it upon me.” “Yes, I remember quite well that Eve said, ‘The serpent beguiled me and I did eat.’ ” “But you cannot say of me, ‘The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me the wine and I did drink.” “No, dearest, I cannot. But, in all seriousness. I am deeply ashamed. Won’t you forgive me, Annie?” “Yes, Julian. Life, though, will never seem quite the same to me.” “I have been trying to prepare you, dearest, haven’t I?” “Yes, but I was expecting imperfections in others, not you. Until Mio died, I always thought perhaps there was sin and sorrow somewhere, but so far off. it would never reach me.” “Dearest, do not think for one moment, that this little occurrence to-night was anything so serious that yon should be really unhappy over it. Just wait until you know something of other men, then yon will realize what a trifle this incident was.” “I do not wish to know other men.” “But you know that, as my wife, you will be thrown with them a great deal.” “Only very distantly, I hope. There is only one man in New York whom I have the slightest desire to know well.” “And, pray, whom may that be?” he inquired, while a curious little sensation began tugging at his heart. “Your friend, the young minister, -who married us. John Marsden, is his name. I think.” “Yes,” he said, with a rising inflection and something of a drawl. “And what makes you think you shall like John Marsden?” “I do not know. I had not noticed him until he sang ‘Nearer my God to Thee.’ I think his the most sympathetic voice I over heard. I am so glad he is one of your best friends, and I hope you will invite him to call on us just as soon as we return to New York. I am sure he is not one of those wicked men you say I shall have to know.” “No, John Marsden is quite a splendid boy. I often tell him he made a mistake in not selecting a more decent, profession.” “What do you mean, Julian?” “He always will he poor: never can make any thing of himself. He nossesses oratorical powers that are positively fascinating. I went to hear him preach several times, just because I so enjoyed his enthusiasm and faith in himself. He is an awfully good fellow, don’t you know, just because he’s never had the right temptation to make him other wise.” “Julian, von me.* Do von think a conse nted minister of God would deliberately do any th ino- wrong?” “Yes. my dear; fhev think themselves saints ’’yon ear+h. and deceive themselves, as well as other people. They are the greatest hypocrites o" —th.” “Julian, you shall not talk that way to me. What is coming over you? Why do you wish me to think the whole world so utterly bad?” “Just because it is, dear, and I am sure I have been revealing the fact to you by degrees, so that you might not have too sudden shocks. When we get back to New York, I wish you to be quite up-to-date, thoroughly conversant with all the ways gnd wick edness of the world. After you are introduced into society, it would embarrass me very much to hear any of my friends saying, ‘Well, what an unsophis ticated child Deveaux married. She believes every thing she hears, she swallows all the fairy tales I tell her,’ and so on. So I must prepare you. When some New York fellow professes to be madly in love with you, don’t appear surprised, shocked or angry in the least, but just let him make a fool of himself, then very coolly laugh at him, and say something to the effect that he has made a very nice little speech, or that he has some talent for acting and that you really think he might make something of a success upon the stage, but that he was an absolute failure in winning your heart. Then he may become very tragic, and may accuse you of being heartless, of having trifled with his affections, and so on, and may go so far even as to say that nothing but a suicide’s grave can bury his grief. But you may be assured he will do nothing at all out of the ordinary, but will tell all his men friends that you are the most fascinating woman he ever met. However, he would not attempt any more love to you. Nothing effects a more speedy cure than ridicule.” “And you wish your wife to permit men to talk to her of being in love with her?” “My wishes in the matter would amount to little, my dear, for they all do it. My uppermost desire regarding my wife is to have her become the most beautiful and attractive woman in New York.” “That sounds incredible to me, Julian.” “What could possibly give me more pleasure?” “I thought you wished me above all else to suc ceed as an artist.” “You can be an artist and still be a social suc cess, can you not?” “I do not know. I hardly know whether I longer have any opinions of my own. The whole world seems to be turning upside down. Not another word tonight, Julian. I wonder what darling father would think of the way you are educating me. Why did be not tell me all about the wickedness of the worl d ? ” “Because there was no necessity for your know ing anything about it, so long as you were shut up in a Garden of Eden, with no serpent in it. I am sure, if he looks down upon us from the spirit world now, he is very happy to know that you have a pro tector who loves you as well as he did, and who knows so well how to warn you against the wicked ness of the world and protect you from it.” CHAPTER XIII. The next morning when Julian Deveaux and his wife were at breakfast Ariane Bouvier sat at a table just opposite them. She stared at him in such a manner as soon to attract Christiana’s atten tion. hen they left the dinning room, she asked. Julian, who was that woman who kept looking at you so? Her face is familiar, yet I cannot recall ever having seen her.” Perhaps she is envious of your beauty. I am quite sure that is the reason she gazed at yon so.” “You were the attraction. She hardly looked at me. ’ ’ “So my little wife hasn’t raven tresses and flash ing brown eyes for naught. She has quite a storm of jealousy smouldering within her.” Christiana was pacified for the time. However the strange woman became their shadow, wherever they went, sometimes passing so near as almost to touch them. Christiana still had the utmost confi dence in her husband, but she shrank in fear and