The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-12-24

EDO you think 4 am beat III III r al y
asked him suddenly, shifting her POI
| sition, as she spoke, so that the light
of the lamp fell more fully upon her
face A.nes answered her with a quiet
Assurance. 5a sssj rs
know that you are a sTery beauti-5
X ful woma one Of the most beautiful
that 4 have ever seen = S e
Tor a moment the impassive Of
| the NYoman's pale face lapsed into a.
smile of Sat isfaction. Anles noted with
/ pleasure that the transition did moth
4 ing to diminish the impression Ct love-
4 illness THAT he had just praised SO
i highly
Then I am tempt tee, e she said, to.
remind you Of your old time chiya1ry,
and to claim the fulfi llment Of your
voW-even though. it was not made
over the peacock. Ks ssss 81
Perhaps there was subtle sugges-s
ton Of hysteria in her fantastic speech
touched Ames, or perhaps it was the
| nchantmeN of her physical beauty as
1t showed under that glimmering gas
lamp; perhaps an appreciation of both
possibilities led him to answer, very
| gently and very decisive1y, that he
should consider himself very fortunate
if it were in his power to be Of any use
in any way to her. q
The woman caught eagerly at his.
words. Come with me, she said, and
l. q
took hold of Philos arm, and seemed
in her impatience to seek to drag him
along with her Philo surrendered
himself with impassive acquiescence
to all her actions. It was always his
rule when he began game to play it
out to the end, and as he had once for
all decided to accept this chance of en-
tertainment he was now stub ornly re-
solved to see the thing out to its end.
His companion hurried him along the
sembankment as far as to the neighbor-
hood of the next gas lamp. Then Ames
saw that a hanson cab was in aiting,
its two lamps cleaning in the dreary
darkness like the eyes Of a belated owl.
When they got close to it Philo saw
that the cab driver was apparently en-
gagged in an animated conversation
| with a policeman, who seemed to be
| questioning him sternly as to his UNI
| occupied presence then and there
When the cabman saw Ames and his
unknown friend come toward him out
OF the darkness he Strengthened him
! self from the stopped attitude he had
adopted in conference with the law
and pointed triumphantly toward the
4 woman. 5k
There's my fare,'' he said, with a.
hoarse emulation. 81 told you 1 had a.
fare all along, but you wouldn't be-
1 lieve me- 81
Us The policeman did not appear to be
greatly treasured by the arrival of a.
pair when he had only heard Of one,
for he turned the light of his lantern
upon the couple though at the same
4 time seeing no cause for interference.
1 he drew back a few PAGES and survey
ed the scene with Watchful ma esty..
4 Philo's companion whispered to him to
! get into the cab. While he obeyed she
said few words to the cabman, then
she got in in her turn and the cab
drove briskly off. Philo could hear his
i companion give a sigh of relief, and in
! the next moment he felt his hand
i caught in hers in a pressure that im-a
i piled a very great5sense of gratitude. "a:
4 It was only after the cab Wassin mo-
1 ton that Ames seemed to realize the
popularity Of his situation and the
. whimsicality, to say the least, of the
whole amazing expedition. With the
/. rapidity that thought permits in mo
ton of extremity he contrasted two
4 pictures the one Of Philo Ames seated
in the comfort of the st. Stephens
club, delicious memory of green cura-
/ cSt; 10 70,
5 mosphere of Amber Pasha's wonder
full cigarettes charming his mind; the
1 other Of Philo Ames on this raw, wind
4 whipped night, driving in a hanson
cab along a course which seemed the
! very abominatiOn of desolatiOn, by the
side of woman whom he had never
seen five minutes before, and who, If
she was certainly strangely beautiful
was not less strangely eccentric, and
4 who opened a casual acquaintance by
4 perplexing questions as to the price
4 her cOmpa Mon set upon his life. Philo
felt that it was his duty as more OF
4 less sensible and more or less reputa-
j bic citizen to come to some underStand-
ling with the divine enigma by his side.
4 1t was, lie assured himself, absurd,
4 and worse than absurd, to be thus
1 drifting about London in the society Of
creature as lovely as vision, yet
who might be either a dangerous luna
tic.or no less dangerous decoy.
His heated mood fired his tongue to
a fantasy that seemed apt to the hour
& and the woman.
4 'Well, sweet minion Of the moon,' =
he said with a laugh, does your driver
i know the way to the Broken? Your
4 witchhood might at least have offered
me a Lift on a broomstick.' 8
1 The woman had her face turned to
him; he could see her quite plainly in
the lamplit cab, and he saw that her
eyes and her lips gave back his laugh
ter. and that if she was lovely in aus
4 terity she was yet more lovely in mirth.
s.This common cab will serve our
& turn she said softly, and her voice
4 now sounded sWeeter with the ass 3.
ance It seemed to derive from the de-
q 5meanor of her companion. We shall
Il not fare far tonight"
& May I not at least know whittier
the wind of your Whim will watt our