Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-28
A ROMANTIC AFFAIR.

uiedi. 4 uo uoWuCdSt prOulo WdS CicoI Cut
and firm, arguing powerful individual
ity In its owner, and yet the mania had
seized him, as 1t had seized many a
weaker man, and he had staked his all
and lost over the gaming tables at Monte
Carlo.
The moonlight touched his bowed head
softly, silvered the outlines of his figure,
revealed his haggard whiteness. 1t fell
on something else-something that gilt
tered in his hands like steel.
"Stopl Don't do that!"
1t was woman's voice that spoke, q
woman's touch that rested lightly on his
sleeve, woman's great duslxy eyes, set
In face such as one sees but seldom in
lifetime, which were raised to his.
She had strolled from her party to enjoy
alone the beauty of the evening, and alb
sorbed in meditation had wandered far
ther than she knew. q
The mans arm dropped to his side
He looked at her In silence, wondering.
''admiring, perhaps little ashamed.
"Why did you want to do itY' pursued
the gentle voice. "Does life seem 90
evil thing to your"
~ have been a fool-a madmani I am
ruined wish to God l had never seen
this cursed place"
"But you are a man. You can work.
You can regain all that you have lost"
He shook his head.
II cannot find employment here, and ]
haven't the means to get away. ! have
had the viatique already, and ! went
back to the tables thinking to have one
more bid for fortune and lost. The au-
thorities will not help me twice."
Her hand slipped into her pocket and
out again. Adroitly she drew the pistol
away from him and pressed something
In its place.
"See, ! have bought this thing Of you,"
she said hurrledly. "You need not feel
too grateful. Compatriots should help
each other. II you want to repay me,
swear to yourself that you will never do
what you attempted just now. must
leave you now. Goodby."
She was gone before he could stay or
thank her-swallowed up and lost in the
shadow Of the trees
miss Ferris, allow me to introduce to
you Mr.. Fergus Landeck."
The first time they had met alone be-
meath the stars at Monte Carlo, now they
were amid a fashionable London crowd,
and she was in evening dress, with dia-
monds sparkling at her throat and In her
hair.
For an instant she returned his gaze,
questioning, perplexed; then there was a
40 o. nd ha oh brv.ax
"Will you take me into the conserve
tory, Mr.. Landeck? 1t Is so warm here"
They left the ballroom and strolled
under the domed glass where the palms
and lilies grew.
"You have not forgotten, Them It
was his voice, low and tremulous, which
broke the silence
mo; nor you, it seems"
There are moments in mans life
which he never forgets. That was one
of them. Do you know l have often
wondered whether we should ever meet
again, but | dared not indulge a hope
until this evening, when for the first
time learned your name. Miss Ferris,
shall we sit down for awhilef Wait, let
me fix that cushion for you. am very
grateful for this opportunity Of speaking
to you alone. want-I want to return
TO you, with many thanks, the-the gift
you gave me five years ago. All, don't
say no. The obligation under which you
placed me will none the less exist, and
and shall always keep the little purse
always-in remembrance Of that night
and you"
Fortune has evidently favored you
since," she said after pause.
"Yes, fortune has indeed favored me.
Miss Ferris, your gift was like the en-
chanted purses in the children's fairy
tales-bottomless. 1t enabled me to reach
the Transvaal goldfelds. worked hard
there; saved little; by and by specu-
lated much. Sometimes people grow
rich there In a month"; week. | was
one of them. Whatever touched seemed
10 turn to gold: whatever did was right.
Money came to me in thousands-tens of
thousands-hundreds even. On the day
! sailed from Cape Town, three weeks
ago, l was one of the richest men in South
Africa, and if it had not been for you l
should be lying in suicides grave"
Something glistened on her lashes. She
dropped her eyes and toyed with the
feathers of her fan.
81 am glad. SO very glad, you have
succeeded"
His gaze fingered on the subtle outline
of her figure, the curve of her full white
throat and cheek, the brown hair with
the threads of gold which waved and
curved about her brow and neck.
"And you"-his voice sank lower still
-"you have not marriedr'
"No, as you see. But it is probable
that / shall lose my freedom soon."
"Does that mean you are engagedT
"It means that Lord Hythe proposed
to me by letter this morning, and that l
am TO give him his answer tonight"
"And is 1t to be 'yesY
She laughed little.
"Do you know that is a very strange
question 10 put on so short an acquaint-
ance and that our conversation is be-
coming unusual in the extreme2 Mr..
Landeck, you seem to forget that we
were introduced only half an hour ago9
"You were present at the most solemn
moment Of my existence. Let me lit
tie behind the scenes Of your own life,"
he urged.
Cl,o ho.;tataJ o,1 ,aat a rapid olauca