The Red Cloud chief., 1907-02-22

','hH
- corridors. the gaining of the
carriage. seemed to Loicr 10 be mar
velously simple proceedings. Then, as
he sat by Ewes side ana again felt the
forward movement OF the horses. he
had leisure for the first time 10 Won
der whether the time that hud passed
since last he occupied that position had
actually becn lived through.
Only that night he had unconscious.
ly compared one incident in his life to
Il sketch in which the lights and shad-
ows nave bcen Obliterutcd and lost.
Now that picture rose before him.
startiingly and incredibly intact. lie
saw the sunlit houses of Sautasalare,
backgrounacd Ivy the sunlit hills-saw
them as plainly as when he himself
had skctchcd them on his memory.
Every detail of the scene remained the
same, even to the central figure; only
the eye and the hand of the artist had
changed.
AT This point Eve broke in upon his
thoughts. Her first words were curl
ously coincidental.
What did you think of Lillian AS
lrunD tOilSnl! sic tShtu. NuSut
her gown perfcct?'
Loder lifted his head with an almost
guilty start. Then he answered straight
from his thoughts.
IL didn't notice it, he said, but
her eyes reminded me of Il cats eyes
and she walks like a cat. l never
seemed TO sec it-until tonight"
Eve changed her position. "She was
very artistic" she said tentatively.
Don't you think the gold gown was
beautiful with her pale colored hairT"
Loder felt surprised. lie was con-
WINGED that Eve dlslikcd the other.
and he was not sufficiently versed in
women to understand her praise. II
thought he began. Then he wisely
stopped. IL didn't see the gown" he
substituted.
Eve looked out of the window. How
unapprcciative men are.' she said. But
her tone was strangely free from CEN
sure.
After this there was silence until
Grosvenor square was reached. HAY
ing left the carriage and passed into
the house, Eve paused for Il moment
at the foot of the stairs to give an or
der to Crapham, who was still in at
tendance in the hall. and again Loder
had an opportunity of studying her.
AS he looked Il sharp comparison rose
TO his mind.
"A fairy princess!' he had heard the
red haired man say as Lillian Astrupp
came into view along the Bramfells'
L-.I .-I Al. a;,,fIN hnI ann,nn.l
particularly apt. With her grace. her
delicacy, her subtle attraction, she
might well be the outcome of imagi-
nation. But with Eve ii was different.
She also was graceful and attractive,
but it was grace and attraction of a
different order. One was beautiful
with the beauty of the white rose
that springs from the dollhouse and
witllcrs at the first touch of cold; the
other with the beauty of the wild rose
on the cliffs above the sea, that keeps
its petals fine and transparent in face
OF salt spray and wet mist. Eve, too,
had her realm, but 1t was the realm
of real things. A great confidence, a
feeling that here one might rely even
if all other faiths were shaken, touched
him suddenly. For a moment he stood
irrcsolute, watching her mount the
stairs with her easy, assured step.
Then a determination came to him.
Fate favored him tonight; he was In
luck tonight. lie would put his for
tune to one moro test. He swung
across the hall and ran up the stairs.
His face was keen with interest as
he reached her side. The hard outline
of his features and the hard grayneSs
of his eyes were softened as when he
mad paused to talk with Lakeley. Action
was the breath of his life, and his face
changed under 1t as another's might
change under the influence Of stirring
music or good wine.
Eve saw the look and again the I'm
easy expression of surprise crossed her
ewes. She paused, her hand resting
on the banister.
Loder looked at her directly. "Wil
YOU come into the study as you came
that other night? There's something
want to say He spoke quietly. He
felt master of himself and her.
She hesltated, glanced mt him ant
then glanced away.
'Wlll you Gomez" he said again
And ~as he said it his eyes rested OF
the sweep of her thick e~yelashes. thu
curve of the back hair.
At last her lashes lifted and the per
plexity and doubt In her blue eyes
stirred him. without waiting for he
answer, he leaned forward.
Say yesv" he urged. II don't Otter