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A DREADFUL TEMPTATION, ee Bt
“y quite: agree with her, ” Mr. Templeton: answered, ina_ May
Jight tone, and with a. bow to Mr. Carroll, ‘The resem EY
.blance is very striking.” ee
_.. As he spoke, he moved his chair forward, carelessly yet
deliberately, so that he might look into Mrs. St. John’s
beautiful, pale face. .
~The. young widow did not seem to relish his furtive con
' templation. She flushed slightly, and her white hands
clasped and_unclasped themselves nervously, as they lay
folded together in her Jap.
She turned her. head to one side that she might not en-
counter the full gaze of his eyes. He smiled to himself at
her embarrassment and, turning from her,-allowed his gaze
to rest upon the bright fire burning behind the polished —
_ steel bars of the grate.
A momentary unpleasant silence fell upon them all.
. . Lora broke it after a moment’s thought by saying, careless-
ly, as she opened the piano:
‘*T remember that you used to sing very well, Mr. Tem-
_pleton. Won’t you favor us now?”
‘‘Lora, my dear,” Mrs. Carroll said, in a eently- shocked
voice, “You forget that music may ‘not be agreeable to —
~-your sister so recently bereaved.”
‘Oh, Xenie, dear, I beg your pardon,” began Lora, turn-
ing around, but Mrs. St. John’ interrupted her by saying,
wearily:
“Never mind, mamma, never mind, Lora: I-I_my.
head aches—I will retire if you will excuse me, and then’
you may have all the music:you wish.”
She arose from -her seat, gave Mr. Templeton a chill, lit-: |
tle bow which he returned as coldly, then went slowly “4
ron the room, trailing her sable robes behind her like a
a
F ‘AS cold as ice, by Jove,” was Howard’s' mental com- ’
~ment;:‘ yet she did not appear particularly elated over her
prospective triumph. Strange!”
. . He crossed over to the-piano where Lora: was restlessly._
turning over some sheets of music.
. **Won’t you sing to me, Miss Carroll?” he asked, in a:
soft, alluring. voice.
Lora sat down on the miugic-stool and laughed as she ran
-her white fingers over the pearl keys.
- “Bxeuseme—I do not sing,” she said, carelessly. ‘But
I will play your accompaniment if you will select a son
“ You do not sing,” he said, as he began to turn over t 16
“music. ‘‘Ah! there is one point at least in which you do
- not resemble your sister. Mrs, St. John has a very fine
. voice,”
Ltn! re