The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-13
PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS
COPYRIGHTED, 1897, BY WILLIAM LIE oUEUx.

of fleeing youngsters and bluffing his
elders in nearly every health-resort in
Europe. Easy going to fault, he bore
his fifty years msrrily, with scarcely a
grey hair II his head, and although his
rudy well-shaven face bore no sign of
anxiety it was trif1e blotchy, caused by
high living and long nights of play while
twenty years of an existence on his wits
had so sharpened his intelligence. that in
his steel-grey eyes was keen penetrating
look that had long become habitual. AS
careless and INDECENT now as he had ever
been, he nevertheless dressed just as care
fully. walked as lightly, and held his head
just as high as in the days of his prosper
ity. when a smart cavalry officer, younger
son of a weIl-known peer. he could draw
cheque for thirty thousand When he
reflected upon his present position. ham
pered by the two girls dependent upon
him, he merely laughed a strange, cynical
laugh. the same that he had laughed
across the roulette table when he had flung
down and lost his last louis.
whats your game, burying yourself
in this abominable hole?' inquired his
whilom partner, presently. II called at
the National Sporting Club as soon as
got to London, expecting to see something
of you, but the hall-porter told me that
you lived down in this Sleepy Hollow ,
and never came to town. So T resolved
to run down and look-you up
Cant afford to live in London" the
Captain answered, rolling cigarette care
fully between his fingers before lighting
1t. -,
enigma, BROKER. Money would put you
on your legs again, my dear fellow"
81 don't doubt it, the other replied.
"But l have reasons.
Zertho d'Auzac knit his dark brows,
CHANGING at the Captain with look of
quick suspicion.
No reply escaped Brokers lips. He
was thinking deeply.
Amy other man wouldn't make you
such an Offer the other continued. in a
tone of contempt
Instantly there was an angry CLINT in
the Captains eyes.
81 tell you, Zertho,- I'll never let my
daughter marry you. You, of all men.
shall not have her-no. by Heaven! not
| for o hundred thousand pounds"
| The others face darkened in anger. But
| he turned away, giving vent to short,
| harsh laugh, and with feigned good
humour advanced towards the window.
and whistling softly. took out his cigar
cite case, plain silver one wherein his
| coronet and monogram were engraved.
At that moment two graceful, bright
| faced girls entered the gate from the road,
sauntering leisurely up the path towards
| the house. Dressed alike in dark we'll.
made skirts, cool looking blouses of cream
crepon and straw sailor-hats with black
bands, they walked together, the sound
of their laughter ringing through the
room. The taller of the pair was Liane
BROKER, slim. with infinite grace, face
undenia bly, beautiful, a pair of clear grey
| eyes the depths of which seemed unfath-
| enable, nose and mouth that denoted
| fuoyancy O.. spirits, sincerity of finesss,
hair dressed neatly in the latest mode,
and that easy swing about her carriage
peculiar alone to Frenchwomen. Her
warmth of Southern blood and large ex
pressive eyes she inherited from her mother
who came from St. Trope in the Var,
and her strange cosmopolitan education
had already made her thorough woman
/ of the world. Her character was altogeth-
er a curiously complex one. Though
fresh, bright and happy she, the daughter
of an adventurer, had seen good deal OF
the seamy side of life, where the women
were declasse, and the men rogues and
outsiders, yet in FAIRNESS to her father, 1t
| must be admitted that, even in his most
reckless moments, he had always exerted
towards both girls a keen solicitude. Her
| beauty was peerless. Hundreds OF men
had said SO among themselves. Such a
| face as hers would Lave made fortune
on the stage; therefore it was little won
der that Prince Zertho d'Auzac, the man
who under the plain cognomen of Zertho
d'A uzao was once fellow blackleg with
her father, and now wealthy parsonage
| by reason of his Inheritance Of the great
family estates in Luxembourg, should
desirs her as his wife. Well he knew
what a sensation her beauty would create
in Berlin or St. Petersburg, and with the
object of obtaining her he had travelled to
England. Pure and good. full of high
thoughts and refined feeling, Liane
BROKER existed amid strangely incongru-
GUS surroundings. She had been reared
in the worst atmosphere of vice and
| temptation to be found in the whole of
| Europe, yet had passed through unsoathed
and interrupted.
Her companion was fair with bright
pink-and-white complexion, rosy, deli
cate cheeks, and merry blue eyes, Nelly