The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1902-06-21

Judson. / had been the only stranger.
Now. within a week of my advent.
there was another--a male stranger, a
gentleman to the eye and ear, well
dressed Out not too well dressed.
staying at a hotel which offered no
tnducement at this time OF year to
his kind. had seen him come out OF
that inn, and instinct told me that
was the inducement. Who the man
was | could not guess. but was sadly
sur that he more than guessed who l
was, Somehow my secret had been
betrayed. and he-no doubt OF the arnly
OF impecunlous, unattached ones-had
stalked me TO my lair. My hat had
blown off. he had run after It, picked
1t up. and handed 1t back with bow
and a murmured word.
To be sure he had not followed up
his advantage. but was certain that
this was only his eleverness. and that
he would be more pushing next time.
/ was so hatefuily experienced In that
kind OF thlng-I knew all the phases.
Mrs. Pendennis tried to cheer me up.
but l had seen the speck in my gar
nered fruit, and 1t was big speck, at
least six feet tall and broad in pro-
portion. One couldn't forget it. espe-
clally as to a less sophisticated mind
1t might have appeared exceedingly
good to look upon.
Next day met him again, or rather
he met me. But to my surprise. in
stead Of taking OF his cap aud smiling
and making the most Of yesterday q
acquaintance he glared and plunged
round the first corner. Could this be
a new kind Of tacticsf | asked myself.
Could it be that he wished to rouse
interest by plquing curiOsityf
| smiled with scorn at the thought
and determined to show the man at the
first opportunity how futile were his
subtleties. Stin. II 1t were his object
to make me think of him. must con-
fess that to a certain extent be sue
ceeded. for 1t was a novelty to be
glared at by a man. and the picture Of
the big brown frownlng fellow lin
gered in my mind.
That evening my opportunity came.
My afternoon walks had usually to be
taken alone. as Mrs. Pendennis' work
| ing days were long. ! was strOlling
| by the sea at the sweet hour when the
east is misty silver with the rising Of
the moon. the west fading pink with
the setting Of the sun There he was,
presumably lying in wait. 50 | glared.
and. turning round. marched away.
But something seemed to force me to
glance back-just a feetlng glance. yet
long enough to see that the man was
stridlng of in the opposite direction
So far had he gone already that l was
afraid he must have missed my pro
/ test.
! For an entire week we kept It mp
I There were not many different walks
I to take, 50 1t need not have been sur
4 prislng that we almost invariably met
But as invariably we turned upon oul
track and-often met again. l could
not help wondering who he was and
all about him. and whether. after all
be really was one Of them.
After a whole fortnight came IN
from q walk one day to ind Mrs. Pen
dennis nervous and embarrassed. I've
a confession to make dear" she said
at dinner. do forgive me, but-TvC
let out to the rectOT's wife-she called
while you were Out-whO you really
are. I'm afraid she's rather a gossip
and probably half Judson knows By
this time.
''If by half Judson you mean thu
man" retorted. ''it doesn't much mat
ter. for if he came for the purpose We
suspect he must have known al
along"
Don't say we suspect Margot.
don't suspect"
You did. You know yon did 4
you don't now II must he because
you've found out something"
We'll. told you the dear rector
wife was Inclined to gossip. and he
husband IS an old acquaintance Of tn,
mans. That. she says. Is VIVA
brought the man here. He wanted L
lind the quietest. most secluded spot II
America. and he thought Of his friend
description Of Judson."
why did he want a retired spot? |
he an escaped conyIctY'
mo. But his name is John Dray
ton"
MY goodness! Not the South Amer
lean milliOnaire?"
Yes. dear. So it seems"
why, he's got as much money as
haye-mOTe. perhaps"
THAT was his reason for wantin
seclusion. You see. people made sue
I a fuss about him when he first cam
p back from South America. Girls b.
r haved rather foolIshly. and he"
20, what fun. He ran away frol
o them. too. and supposed that wa
a one Of them. just as I've been suppo
e Ing about him."
/ Likely. But II the rector's wife hs
o repeated what was indiscre,
O enough to let out"
!, "Then he knows by this time. wo
r der" But didn't finish my Sc
a tenee. was wondering whether
d we happened to meet In the morniI
D he would avoid me again.
II We did happen to meet. dropped
d book-quite accidentally, Of course.
n fell into the water and be fished It o.
b and gave 1t to me- He didn't glar
neither did l. 1t was no longer wor
r the trouble. Somehow we talked al
II we liked the same things. Besides, Il
l. common sorrow Of being rich drew
b together. / had never met a your
unmarried millionaire before. and b
k Ing with one was wonderfully restfl
k BY and by It got to seem the nice
thing In the world.
lr When he told me that was the prs