Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-08-15

he recognized no man ON earth q bet
ter than his peer.
Please heaven, these gathering
clouds might yet be scattered and the
sunlight of happiness shine over their
future.
The time crept on.
Surely they had reason to believe
deliverance must soon arrive from the
town whittier Jones had dispatched
messengers.
The night wore on.
Some of the women slept from ex-
haustion.
Little Miss Millions had been made
SO comfortable and seemed to take
such confidence and trust in Merrick's
guardianship that she, too, dozed.
Then exhaustion overcame her, and
the god Of sleep gently touched her
eyelids with his silver wand.
Fainter grew the sound Of voices
near by-they were like tinkling bells
heard afar OF, and then utterly dying
out
A noise of shouting aroused her.
Don't be alarmed" said a voice
close by, which instantly quoted her
fears. "but a train has arrived to take
us all on our way.
All was now confusion and hustle.
Women secured their valuables and
packages ready to enter the carriages
that would take them on to their des-
tination. l... a..
Presently they were settled as best
the conditions allowed.
Men hustled about changing the lug
gage, and it really seemed relief to
hear the steam escaping from the new
motor after the dead silence that had
so long hung like pail over the place.
At last they were off.
Constance lay back in her seat and
waited.
Although the town was only few
miles away and they reached it in
short order. the time seemed exceed
ingly long to Constance.
At last the houses appeared.
They drew up at a station where
many people had gathered to see the
travellers who had passed through such
a remarkable adventure and yet lived.
Constance was wild with desire to
put her head outside to see whether he
were in sight and cared to find one he
had left; but pride restrained her from
making this move.
A dozen people went by, and each
false alarm sent a wave of hot blood
over her, only to be followed by a
chill of keen disappointment.
Then some one halted and a head
appeared, head that she knew full
we'll, since it had once lain in her lap
while the owner rested upon the
ground, insensible.
Constance, said a voice, 'are you
here-may l enter?"
The railway carriage was fairly well
filled pretty much all of the way to
Nice so that there was no opportunity
given Mark Merrick to play the lover,
even had he been inclined.
1t was, taken in ALL a most singular
journey, and one they would long re-
mSmber
Although no words passed between
them that would indicate sentiment.
there were numerous little acts that
served to thrill them-when hand
came in contact with hand subtle
Geographic signal would send the
blood into her cheeks, and the glow
in his eyes spoke eloquently of the
passion he kept so well under re-
Straint. III
Jones ran across once or twice while
upon the platform, and upon each oc-
casion received the CHEEKY assurance
that all was well.
Nice at last. ....-a
Those who had gone through such
woeful experiences were not sorry to
have reached the end Of their journey.
Merrick was still courteous.
He insisted on seeing Constance and
her maid 10 the hotel. srsss
After dinner he joined Jones, and
the two took dinner together.
Although so early in the season,
Nice was filling up with people from
all over Europe. the English predomi-
mating. as usual
Monte Carlo, it is claimed, is the
open volcano crater through which
the seething, boiling lava of human
cupidity and avarice finds its outlet
once dam this up and the molten mass
will burst out savagely in half dozen
places.
Wretched though the results are,
it seems to be necessity in the eyes
of surrounding nations.
At any rate not step is taken to-
ward crushing the hydra headed mon
ster.
Perhaps Jones was fated to be the
man who would deal the dragon to his
death blow-Jones, who carried upon
his person the remarkable system
whereby a persistent player must al
ways win three times out of four, and
that will break any bank. 49,
Down upon the silvery strand, en-
joying cigar and admiring the pic
turesque scene, our two friends stroll
ed in the evening. -.s .tr......-...
Jones talked Of the count and his
ally.
Would Villebois now give up his
mad desire to secure possession of the
packet which promised untold riches