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A DREADFUL TEMPTATION. oa:
She went to her luxurious room, crept shiveringly be-
neath the satin counterpane, and was soon lost to all mun-
dane interest in the deep sleep induced by the drug she had
taken.
She slept long and uninterruptedly, and it was far into
the day when sheawoke and found her maid, Iinette, walt-
ing patiently to dress her.
“You must arrange my hair very carefully, Finette,” she
said, as the maid brushed out the dark luxuriance of her
tresses, ‘‘and put on my handsomest morning-dress.- I ex:
pect a caller this morning.”
It always pleased her to appear at her very fairest in
Howard Templeton’s presence. .
She liked for him to realize all he had lost when ho gave
her back her troth because she was poor,:and because
he was not manly enough to dare the ills of poverty for her
sake.
So Finette arranged the silky, shining, dark hair in a soft
mass of waves and puffs that did not look too elaborate for
a morning toilet, and yet was exquisitely becoming, while
it gave a certain proud stateliness to the petite figure.
Then she added alittle comb of frosted silver, and laid out
several morning-dresses of various hues and styles for the
inspection of her mistress.
- Mrs. St. John looked them over very critically.
It was a spring morning, but the genial airs of that balmy
season had not yet made their appearance sufficiently for
an indulgence in the crisp muslin robes that suited the
month, so Xenie selected a morning-robe of pale-pink cash-
mere, richly trimmed in quilted satin and yellowish Lan-
guedoc lace. |
The soft, rich color atoned for the unusual absence of -
tinting in the oval fairness of her face, and when she de-
scended to the drawing-room she had never looked love- '
lier.
The slight air of restless expectancy about her was not
enough to detract from her beauty, though it robbed her of
repose.
‘Mamma, has little Jack come in yet from his morning |
.
airing?” she inquired of Mrs. Carroll, who was sorting some
bright-colored wools on a sofa.
“Yes, halfan hourago. You slept late,” said Mrs. Car-
roll.
‘Let us have him in to amuse us,” said Mrs. St. John,
restlessly.
Mrs. Carroll rang a bell and a servant appeared.
“Pell Ninon to bring my son here,” said Mrs. St. John.
Presently the little French maid appeared, leading the
beautiful, richly-dressed child by the hand.