The Rich Hill tribune., 1906-11-22
DUKE OF
DEVIL
MAY-CARE
BY HARRIS DICKSON
CHATTER Ix.-coutlnued.

.ss--r1fN-os---Qf.so--=


oui. ma'mselle wish to see zls apart
ment- But zis is ny chamber. sleep
in here"
you sleep in here?" Alice repeated
vaguely. Anita glanced at the man
and wondered what he meant
Alice continued beating on the door.
Monsieur Victor shrugged his shoul-
ders at the persistence Of these Amer
lean girls
"Arthemlse, Arthemise," he called,
and clapped his hands. The maid
came. and few words passed be-
tween them In French. "Ze room is
not yet prepare. ma'm'selle," Monsieur
Victor apologized. but"
open this door, open this door, p
Alice demanded so vigorously that
Victor took the key from Arthemise
and threw the room open. Alice
stepped inside with Anita immediate
ly behind her. both their faces turned
toward Mrs. Ashton's bed. They bare
" crossed the threshold, then halted.
staring and bewildered. There was
no bed; it was a strange room; neith-
er Lf them had ever seen Il before.
There was no bed with green curtains,
no Crusader tapesty; no Charlotte
Corday on the wall, no Spanish eabi-
nei-nothing that they recognized.
''Why--this Is nOt-mother's room"
Anita's eyes took in every detail at
a giRnce-coats hanging on chairs.
towels thrown across a screen. a shaw
ing-stand. q line Of shoes. a dressing
gown. and slippers. Il was a mans
bedehamber; she drew back.
The low Napoleon bed in the far
corner had been slept in, and was still
disordered; the heavy center table. the
pictures on the wall-everything was
unfamiliar.
I'VE have made a mistake" Anita
admitted. and backed out into the hall.
Il thought" stammered Alice, that
this was my mothers room. Where.
is she?"
'Your mother?" the Frenchman re-
peated. in a tone so utterly blank that
it sent a shiver through the blue-eyed
girl
yes. my mother; we left her in
here last night; I thought it was this
room"
Il do not comprehend ma'm'selle."
mo. il was not this room" Alice
looked in again-"no, Il was not this
room"
The hall was very quiet Anita
could hear the parrots chatter In the
court below. the splashing fountain.
the "eoo-coo-coo" Of the pigeons
even Ihe seraping az Hippolyte's
broom came 20 her from the ban
qCette All around her and about her
was the settled serenity Of the Creole
life. Yet she began 20 fear-and
tried TO keep Alice from seeing q.
Anita glanced from the politely at
tentive face OF Monsieur Victor TO
Alice's round blue eyes. startled and
wide open Then she looked again
into that unfamiliar room II was
very puzzing. but of course nothing
could have happened
Maybe, maybe" she suggested. as
n trying TO reaBsure herself maybe
it's the next room. but felt sure that
this was the one. May we look?"
"certainemem as you please
ma'm'selle'
Monsieur Victor. courteous and in
credulous. opened door after door.
There were six rooms ia that part
OF the house, three on either side OF
the hall, and all rented TO carnival
visitors. One Of these rooms tho girls
had occupied. and Ia one they felt
sure they had left Mrs Ashton. Bu,
which, AS Monsieur Victor opened
the doors the anxious girls peered In
They found nothing.
Alice caught him by the arm
Monsieur Victor. e was the room
with the great big bed In it-wlth
the green silk curtains-you remem.
ber the room that you put mother IN
last night?"
The Frenchman smiled indulgently
and looked blank
Anita, you remember it,"
The older girl nodded. shut her lip.
tightly. and went on searching. In
the rear room opposite their own they
found a sweet-faced old lady. yery
deaf. knitting beside window
Monsieur explained something 10 hel
IN French, through a trumpet sh,
nodded that the young ladies wer,
free 10 search her room II they chose
Anita murmured an apology, and
drew Alice after her into the hall.
Monsieur Victor, where Is my
motherg" Alice caught the lapel Of
his coat and bcsought him: IA,
Frenohman shrur ged his shoulders
with an express .on Of painful igno
rance.
my mother. Monsieur Victor, ms
mother" the Girl insisted. don't you
remember-try 10 remember-he fool
slipped she stepped in the gutter
last night when you helped her from
the cahg'
PitcouHly - she gazed ~ iRtn hll
face. she mans expression showed
thai he did not remember, although
esss