Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-07
ALADDIN of LONDON
or ID ESTAR
Copyright 1907 by Max Pemberton, all rights eseryed
1t 1907 by Max Pemberton, all rights reserved.

ID. RI sw-HE-
gospel. Alban, wholly facinated by
the silence and the beauty OF, ths
scene. lay at Annals feet, SO full Of
content that he did not dare to utter
bis thoughts aloud. The girl caught
the tiny wavelets in her outstretched
hand and said that Corydon had BE-
come blind.
DO you like Willy Forrest?" shs
asked, "do you think he is clever,
Alban?"1 question, the answer to
which would not interest her at all II
It did not lead to others. Alban, in
his turn. outstanding the secrets, re.
piled evasively:
Why should I think about him?
He is not a friend Of mine. You are
the one to answer that, Anna You
k him-I have heard you say So
Never believe what a girl says. I
adore Willy Forrest because he makes
me laugh. l am like the poor little
white rabbit which Is fascinated by
the great black wriggly snake. Some
day 1T will swallow me up-perhaps
on Thursday-after Ascot. I wish
I could tell you. Pandora seems y
have dropped everything out Of her
basket except the winner of the Gold
Cup. If Willy Forrest Is right, I
shall win {. fortune But, of course,
he doesn't tell the truth any more
than / do" Alban was silent a little
while and then he asked her:
DO You know much about him,
Anna? Did you ever meet his peo-
pie or anythihg?"
She looked at him sharply.
"Efe is the son OF Sir John Forrest,
who died In India. His brother was
lost at sea. What made you ask
me?"
He laughed as though it had not
been meant.
you say that he doen't tell the
truth. Suppose IT were SO about him
self. He might be somebody else
not altogether the person he pretends
to be. Would 1T matter II he were?
| don't think so, AnnaI would much
rather know something about a. man
himself than about his name"
She sat up in the punt and rested
her chin upon the knuckles Of her
shapely hands. This kind Of talk was
little to- her liking. She had often
doubted Willy Forrest, but had never
questioned his title to the name he
bore.
Have they aver told you anythin:,
about us, Alban?" she continued,
did you ever hear any stories which
l should not hear?"
"Only from Captain Forrest him.
self; he told me that he was engaged
to you. That was when I went to
the Savoy Hotel"
Cali those weeks ago. And you
never mentioned it,"
"Was it any business Of mine?'
What right had I to speak to You
about it?".
She flushed deeply.
"a secret for a secret" she said.
When you first came to Hampstead,
I thought that you liked me a little
Alban. Now, I know that you do not.
Suppose there were a reason why 1
let Willy Forrest say that he was
engaged to me. Suppose some n
else had been unkind when I wished
him to be very kind to me. Would
you understand then?"
This was In the best spirit of the
coquette and yet a great earnestness
lay behind it. Posing in that roman
tic light, the thick red lips pouting,
the black eyes shining as with the
clear flame Of a soul awakened. tho
head erect as that of a deer which
had heard a sound afar, this passion
ate little actress, half Pole, half
Jewess, might we'll have set a man
heart beating and brought him. sup
plant, to her feet. To Alban there
returned for a brief instant all that
spirit Of homage and Of awe with
which he had first beheld her on the
balcony Of the house in st. James
Square. The cynic in him laid down
his robe and stood before her in the
garb of youth spell-bound and FACT
mated. He dared to say to himself
she loves me 1t is to me that these
words are spoken.
Il cannot understand you, Anna
he exclaimed. tortured by some
plague Of a sudden memory, he'll.
back from a swift embrace he knew
not by what instinct. you say the
you only let Willy Forrest call him
self engaged to you. Don't you lovs
HIM then-it 1t all false that 70,
have told him?"
ut ia quite false, Alban-I do no
love him as you would understan'
the meaning of the word. If he say
that I am engaged to him, it is tru'
because he says it? There are som
men who marry women simply be
cause they are ~persevering. viii
Forrest would be one of them if
were weak enough. But ! do nc