The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-13
son whose movements can't possibly

from you-hoW should feel If eve1
| found out I had been playing into her
, hands and spoilt your life %
You need not reproach yourself" ]
a said. II heard all that was necessary
from his own lips at Charing Cross"
But If there We're a mlsunderstand-
ing and he was too honorable to de-
7 fend himself at that Woman's expense ?
sees with ones own eyes. He may
j merely have seen her at the theater-
perhaps, bound by "a promise which
he'd forgotten, till she reminded him
LOT it. 1t may be all over and done
q with now. Very likely that appoint
with her. Can't.sy you understand how
my part in this affair has been on my
conscience? couldn't bear it, I had
to bring you here, even by trick, so
that you might see with your own eyes
4 whether or no your lover comes to
call at this actresses house after mid
night. Then whatever happened, I
need no longer blame myself"
You reason very Strangely said,
as quietly as I could. "And there
can a; pc ?, no excuse for spying: That is
4 ing home now"
Then you will leave me here
alone?' cried Marion, with shrill
sEsOund in her voice. as tho she were on
the point of bursting into sobs.
That sound made me rather gentler,
Tor father and have always schooled
ourselves to be gentle with Marion, no
matter how difficult. mo, of course
not" said, soothingly. IT shouldn't
dream of. leaving you alone. We will
simply tell the coachman to drive us
back to the hotel"
IF you go in the COUPE" returned
Marion, beginning to gasp ominously,
Il shall have to stand here in the
street, and goodness knows what may
come of it at this time of night. I
must stay. I've vowed to do that, and
1 always keep my word, even with my
self. l am determined to know for
duty's sake, if nothing else, whether or
not injustice has been done Noel
sacrifice. -,'
was so aghast at her land so at a
loss what to do with anyone who
| seemed SO insane, that for a moment
I could not think what to say. And in
| that moment something happened. A
very handsome, tall, dark young
Frenchman appeared in the street
up at the pavement. In an instant he
had disappeared again; but as he
passed us I heard something fall on
the asphalt with a soft thud that had
subdued undertone of a "chink'' in
it.
was lOohA1lS OuI VI lIlG WlluOW OH
that side, for I'd been ready to direct
the coachman to take us home, and T
saw that a little silk bag lay on the
pavement. I was sure that the young
man must have dropped it, and was
just on the point of calling after him
when Marion gripped my arm very
hard. ''Sh!" she whispered, unless
you want Noel Brent to know. There
he is, down there at Juliette de New
ers' gate; and oh, see! somebody's
letting him in. Somebody must have
been waiting"
There was a queer note in her voice
that sounded more like joy than sor-
row; but, to do her justice, I was in
no state to judge of other peoples
feelings and motives. I even forgot
about the young man who had
dropped the silk bag close to our car
riage. I started back from the win
dow, tho it was SoE the wrong side and
we were almost the far end Of the
house. VI. I'LL
T sat shrinking against the cushions
for a few minutes in a perfect panic
for fear Noel should suspect and think
had come to spy upon him; but after
awhile recovered myself little, and
said that If Marion wouldn't drive
home with me would leave her and
get out and walk.
II must wait and know how long
he stops with her" she exclaimed,
with such a greedy, curious air, that
L could stand no more, I flung open1
the door, jumped out of the coupe, and
almost stepped on the little silk bag.
Quite mechanically stopped and
picked it up looking first one way and
then the other; but the young man
who had, I was sure, dropped it, was
nowhere to be seen. 1t is queer how,
when you are only interested in one
thing in the world, still another part
Of your brain goes on acting independ-
entity of your real thoughts. I sup
pose there must have, been vague
idea in my preoceupied mind that it
would be better to take home the bag
as the owner was gone, and then adj
vertise 1t in the paper, rather than let
1t lie In the street, perhaps to be car
ried off by some dishonest person.
Anyway, I kept the bag in my hand, |
tho at the time Z scarcely seemed to
be thinking about.it. was listening
to Marion, who begged me to come
into the coupe. again and she would do
anything wished. So I did; and we
out feeling as ifithe whole experience
had been a hateful dream. And 1T |
was not until I had been in bed for I
nearly an hour that remembered I I
must have left the silk bag In the
coupe. as I had no recollection Of it |
e'AIcA SWUNG AlitS5sE S1lS .Ce1II1dSo dIlQ |
laying it in my lap: was sorry that I
hadn't left it in the street, instead |
of taking responsibility upon myself |
and then failing to carry it out. But,
of course, it was too late, to do any
thing until next day, and I could only I
hope that there had been nothing Of I
real value, in the bag-unless the. I
coachman proved scrupulously honest. |
1t. was a wretched night. Never
once did 1 close my eyes. was tho
rolyi ashamed and Inundated, astweI I
as unhappy. Maybe I had been vain,
and needed the punishment for my
self-conceit, for had been coneeited I
enough to believe that Noel loved me,
and would be true to me even In spite T
of the fascination Of beautiful I
woman like :Juliette de Movers. OF
course, tho she Is an actress, she is re-
ceived in society, and is tremendously
admired for her beauty and wit, as |
well as her c1everness, so that she is
a very formidable rival for any girl.
Still, am afraid I've been rather
spoilt, for I thought that Noel really
would prove true to me notwithstand- I
ing the f1irtations Marion made so 1
much of with Mademoise1le de Nevers
and several other women more or less
prominent in the world. But he HIM
self had shown me enthusiastically how
foolish had been my confidence in rnys
own poor little power Of holding him.
and told myself over and over again
that I was completely disillusfoned.
that my love for Noel had come to an
end with my faith In him. I even
made up my mind that I would firtI