The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-13

Lame yet hers was an almost perfect type
of English beauty. Her hands were not
quite so small or refined as her friends.
and in contrast with. the latter's carriage
hers was not quite as graceful, nor was
her figure SO supple; yet tbs mass of fluffy
blond curls thai peeped beneath her hat,
straying across her brow. gave softness to
her features. and her delicate pointed
chin added q decided piquancy to face
that was uncommonly pretty and Win
ming.
Both girls. catching sight at the same
moment OF Zerthos' heavy Watcu-onain a'
the window. muttered together In ian IN
dertone. That day the Prince had arrived
unexpectedly to lunch, sat down 10 the
meagre dish of cold amutton, gas ne knaa
often done in the old days when 1unus
had been low, and having indicated ms
desire to talk business alone wlth the
Captain, they had gone out together 10
post letter at the little grocery store al
the opposite end of th5 village.
When they discovered him still there,
both pulled wry faces. He had never been
favorite Of either. Lame had always
instinctively disliked this man, who was
the scapegraoe of noble family. His
cynical look and sly manner had caused
her to distrust him, and 1t had been
mainly on this account that her father
had dissolved his partnership in the
private gaming house they had carried on
during the previous winter in Nice, an
institution remembered with regret by
many young man who had gone to tina
Riviera for health and pleasure, only TO
return ruined. Zsrtho was not wholly
unconscious of LANES antipathy towards
him; he well knew that without her
fathers aid his cause must be foredoomed
to failure. But he never on any single
occasion acted in undue haste. 1t was
his proud boast that If ever he set his
heart upon doing thing he could quietly
POSSESS his soul in patience for years IT
necessary, till the right moment arrived
when he could execute his plans with
success. Judging by the light, pleasan t
grseting he gave both girls as they entered
It was the tactics of craft and cunning he
now intended to follow.
He chaffed Liane upon becoming viii
lage belle. whereupon she. quick at
repartee, tossed her handsome head, her
hearts beating fast, almost tumultuously,
as she answered:
"Better that than the old life, M'sieur
lie Prince
ooh, SO you, too, have settled and be-
come ,puritanical!" he laughed. "You
English, you arelalways utterly incompre-
hensible. Have you yet joined the Anti
Gambling LIE guep'
''We are very happy here" she replied,
heedless Of his taunt. II have no desire
to return TO the Continent, to that old
life of feast one day and fast the next."
and vivaoity. This place sometimes
is horribly dull, it's true; but we salways
get our dinner, which we didn't on many
occs sions when we were abroad. Look at
at our house Surely this place, with Its
little English garden. Is better than those
dingy rooms on tho third floor in the Rue
Dalpozo in Moe. Besides. 1.-The Captain
mi -
Every soon he'll become teacher in
the local Sunay School I suppose"
sneered ZerthO
~ cannot understand your reason for
coming here to jesr at our poverty"
Lame exclaimed angrily, drawing herself
up quickly cat least my father lives
honestly"
III sincerely bog your pardon, and your
fathers also, mademoiselle, answered
the Prince, bowling stiff1y in foreign man
ner. "1f my remarks have annoyed you
I'm sure will at once withdraw them
with a Thousand apologies. had NO in
tention. I assure you, Of causing one in
stanu's pain. I was merely joking. 1t all
seems so drOll."
to be annoyed at anything you may shy, -
the Captain interrupted, good
as always. "However, sIeak what you
have to say to me alone. not before the
girls.
"The ladies will. know. forgive me if
I promise not to again offend, the Prince
said. His eager eyes scanned Liane with
their sockets but mingled with this fiery
admirati on there was strange covert
menace in their expression. Taking out
his watch a second later he added, "But
I'm late, / see. Ten Juinutes only to catch
my train back to London, and I don t
know the way. Who'll guide me to the
stationp You, Lianea''
NO." answered her father. "Nelly
shall go. I want Liane to deliver mes
sage for me-"
Prince d'Auzac bit his lip. But the
next instant he laughed gaiy and saying:
9Th en- come along Nelly" shook hands
with Liane and her father, bade them au
revoir with a well-feigned bonhomie, and
lounged out.of the room.
Meanwhile, Nelly wheeled out her cycle,
and announcing her intention of plotting
their visitor to the station. and afterwards
riding over to Burghfield village to make
some purchase, mounted her machine and
rode slowly on beside the Prince, chat
ting merrily.
As soon as they had left Laine inquired
of her father what she should do; but he
told her briefly that it was merely an ex-
cuse to prevent her going to the station,
as he knew she disl1ked Zerthos' society.
Eyes, father" she answered with a
slight sigh, ~ think him simply hateful.
Il m convinced that he's neither your
friend nor mine"
Then, CHANGING at the clock, she passed
out of the house cumming to herself as
she walked slowly down the garden path,
into the white dusty road.
For long time BROKER stood twirling
his moustache, gazing aimlessly out into
the crimson blaze of the dying day.
81 can't think why Zertho should have
taken this trouble to look me up again.
he murmured to himself 81 had hoped
Ehat he had cut me entirely, and believed
that terrible incident was forgotten The
excuse about Lame is all very well. But
l know him. He means mischief. He
means mischief"
And his face grew ashen pale as his eyes
were lost in deep and serious contempla-
ton.
A sudden thought had flashed across his
mind 1t held him petritied. for he half
feared that he had guessed the bitter,
CHASTITY truth.
(To be continued
TWENTY FTVE WEARS