The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1902-01-21
A DOUBTFUL VICTORY
ny Mun,rL HIVE.


"Iamafraidiiis The only copy left. =
said the girl
There was twinkle in her large
brown eyes and a distinct touch OF
mischief IN the clear voice as She
locked sercncIy from the one man.
loli'ng up against the parapct OF the
terrace in all the INDECENT grace of
bis foreign extraction, TO the other.
standing firmly erect. muscular and
solid, with the concentrated strength
OF his unmstakably English origin.
She placed the photograph in ques-
ton ON a iutIipg corner Of marble
and gazed ont over the white. glisicp-
ing villas apd dusty palm trees firing
ing he san-baked roads down 10 the
blue Mediterranean below.
Somewhere from within ihe bic
hotel a man was strumming hcavily
LON du Dai, Uui thv ciuyuet
ground dividing them was quite de-
serted and the three were as much
alone as though the whole world lay
in between.
1t was SO difficult to choose be-
tween them All her national In
stincts. on The one hand, prompted
her TO trust in young Alex Sturt. we'll
born, though comparatively poor. and
her rebellion, heart cried out that he
was indeed the mantle one man
Of her life.
And then again she would fall un-
der the spell Of Henri Bragon's fasc-
nation, themesmeric influence Of bis
fine dark eyes, bis wealth and social
prestige, and the natural desire toI
marry her fathers chosen friend and
companions.
Love in cottage had no fascination
for her. She had known whatitvas
TO leave Grosvenor square for a
Bloomsbury lodging house. to bios
som out still later in a ruinous "ap-
pariement' in the Champs-Elysce.. |
when thewhcol offortuneturncd. and +
the struggle was very great.
Meanwhile the two men on the ter
race glared at one another and COW
etcd. The Frenchman broke the 81.
lence first
"It pairfect, he murmured; "bui
what mere picture could do mademoi
seile ze fullest justice? Pas posi-
be-. he murmured. as he stopped
aad picked the portgaitup
eli Is for me 2" But tthc /
Englishman strobe forward. a large
band out,tretehed.
"Will you allow me to look 2"-and
the photograph had changed hands.
Very well posed" he admitted.
His voice was so Indifferent as to
be almost rude as he passed it back
across the Frenchman into Denise's
slim fingers; but his blue eyes told
different story and asked the ques
ion his stubborn lips forbade.
Miner they pleaded. humbly. be-
eechrngiy, as they gazed down into
he brown ones below. and then. as
hey met withno response. he TUNED
Iround abruptly and began plavipe
With the croquet balls.
A sudden fancy caught the girl
sudden, capricious, throw-back TO
he days Of old, when primeyal man
ought for the first woman and was
nashamed. sprung up into her nine
eenth century brain amidst all the
ultlyated environment Of a Riviera !
ea,on. =
"Would'yo like to play for it?7 !, =
he laughed. a hard-fought game ,,
{ croquci-tbe photo to thewinnerl1 =
Alex Sturt's face lighted up. Done \ \
ith YOU" he cried, bo,ishiy. but I"
shade of annoyance came into the -
renchman's expression. lie had =
cen SO positive all along that thepor-
ait was for him. !,
"Mais certainementp - he bowed =, !,
'aeefully toward the girl. IA most i
lcellent sugeestion--a tournament
old with a picture Of the queen Of r. r.
We and beauty for re prizer He i
ooped down over herand murmured
his soft foreign voice: "What u
ore could a heart desire?" and The u,
nglishman's blood boiled at the air I,
possession in the mans whole man
'r. J..
"Wbo begins?" he broke in, az 1,
essively !,
"That is for mademoiselle to de. %
de- was the suaye reply. n1