Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-02

ing force that seemed to dwell in him
like fame in flint.
Hasar smiled as he stood aside for
her to pass. then resumed his logged
watch on the stairs, while she strolled
down the long gallery, so feet long by
80 wide, from whose walls the em0assa-
doris, the admirals, the marehals. the
judges and prelates, all the fine flower
| Of NanDie's courtly race, looked down ON
this interloper who had all the air Of
being born to her present surroundings,
as with the slight scornfulness of car
rage that went SO well with her rare
type Of beauty she glanced from one to
another of the great silent company on
the walls, at the heirlooms i'll the place
they had occupied for scores Of years,
that would be there long after Mamie
anu she vess dust.
| There were pictures by old masters at
the opposite end Of the gallery worth q
kings ransom, and Hagar had come to
know them all by heart, for she loved
pictures, loved the warmth and richness
that they furnish to mans dwelling
places, as no statuary, worries, gold and
silversmith S work or rare old china ever
can, and that are second only to the
glory and loneliness of flowers, or that
panorama of nature which man is often
only too content to enjoy through the
prison panes behind which he lives.
Presently size turned into what was
called the ambassadors suit, standing
still in room that was a glowing har-
mony Of rose color, to look down the
long aisle Of antechambers and drawing
rooms through their open doors, and
presently moved down them, pausing to
touch the delicate green and white of
some brocade hanginSs as though she
loved them, and sat down at last on one
of the white MORE chairs upon which
the raised flowers bloomed fresh as when
painted a hundred years ago by the cum
ming French artificers who had been
brought over in their hundreds by that
great ambassador and accomplished fine
gentleman, whose income was a prince
ly one and who spent it all and more in
making StraubenZee q lordly pleasure
house and entertaining all that was
brightest and most exquisite in the
world within it,
| And now, alas, the house that had
cost gigantic fortune to build and
make beautiful i'll purely French style,
upon which he had ]avished his match
less skill and taste, was almost all that
remained Of the great mans ma2nifi-
cence, though his gold plate still adorn-
| ed the table, emblazoned with the royal
arms, and his picture in court robes
| hung i'll the place Of honor i'll the seal
ing wax red dining room.
His income of ESQ, 900 a year had
dwiDdled sadly in the hands of his sue
cessOrs, so bedrooms or SO had been
pulled down, but nothing could spoil
the lookout over the deer park where
antlered heads glanced in the bracken,
and by the grace and fleetress Of their
| movements gave that touch of living
| picturesqueness to the scene that made
the completeness of its charm.
Hagar was looking ont from one of
the windows of the drawing room-that
mystical room which seemed always
made ready against the gay court uf
| Watteau's lords aud ladies who never
came, when Blake Trelawny's hand,
laid urgently on her arm, startled her.
i
harshly. "She must have known was
waiting and has slipped off by one of
the other staircases. Can't you find
herr" He shook her arm to emphasize
his words. And when you have found
her don't leave u.s. lean always manage
her better when You are there he
added ungraciously. Whether it g das
Damonische or what, directly your
backs turned my influence wanes.
You'll have to sit down somewhere out
of sight when 1 make love to her, but
near enough to make her do as you like.
There, march! You know her haunts
better than do
"And what if will not?' she cried,
his insolence rousing her to anger as she
shock off his grasp.
| Because 1 say you WILL" he said
grimly. Lord, how can a man prefer
little Mamie to such a creature as you 3:
And yet do. All your long, classic,
healthy, beautiful body doesn't weigh
down one lock of Nannie's curly hair in
my estimation, and, besides, you love
Will Cassilis, which shows there's more
than one woman fool in the worldr'
| II IS u lie. crleu 11agar, lCCklnC
as if size could have killed him. He be-
longs to Mamie. He never looks at an
other woman"
''But Mamie does not yet belong to
him." he said, Unjust not, shall not.
The young man returns tomorrow. So
time is short, and bold blow must be
struck today"
'Then strike it alone" said Hagar,
"for / will not help you" and was NOV
ing away, but he caught her roughly by
the sleeve and pulled her back.
Glow dare you?" she said in low,
intense whisper. You would not dare
to speak to the humblest servant here as
you do to me, and why:"
Because you have been my willing
iackal. my dear" he said, land also be-
cause you made the blunder in life that
no woman ever gets over. You fell in
love with the wrong man and persist in
the blurder, and l despise fool But
you've got to bring dear Mamie, sweet
Mamie, into my arms, and then you and
your Will may go to Jericho or the
devil It's all one to me. Now, then, ~