Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-01-12


an officer in the board OF health
I'll have to pay my respects to him
before l so home. He promptly dag
nosed the case as smallpox. Labouisse
was afraid that his guests would leave
the house-you know he never makes
a red cent except at Mardi Gras. So
he bundled Mrs. Ashton OF in a bur
~. cleared everything out OF that
room. and refurnished II before morn
F ing-even put new paper on the walls
1 Pretty slick trick, wasn't it?"
II don't think he originally meant
to carry the thing so far But he
kept getting deeper and deeper in the
mud until he couldn't back out. He
just had to go on.
When the police came. Labouisse
tipped them or the first thing. or
course. they were dead anxious to
prevent a smallpox scare right in the
/ face Of Mardi Gras with the town
full of strangers. They took every
precaution, and there was really no
danger. These Carnival visitors would
have lit out from here like Rock OF
partridges. and hit the ground run
ming. So the police threw dust in
our eyes. told us amy old thing. sent
us of on false trails-anything to keep
MS amused until after the Carnival.
That's the truth Of il. Then it cot
so hot for them that they couldn't
tell"
But what about that room?" Chau.
dron asled-"the door that had the
broken knob? I can't get that straight
in my head?'
"Labouisse cleaned 70 out: changed
the furniture pictures. everything.
the girls got excited and confused:
that helped Labouisse"
Duke was beginning 10 understand.
It began to penetrate his head that
he had been made a scapegoat. a mere
dummy for the purpose of diverting
suspicion 10 dawned upon him grad
ualy. almost impc rceptibly. that his
arrest had no connection whatever
with the affair at Vicksburg. And all
the while he had had no other Thought
except that Do was being held pend
ing the arrival of extradition papers
from Mississippi
To took him quite a little while 90
fully comprehend. Great God. to
what depths had he descended. he
Noel Duke 20 De picked mp on the
streets like q common vagrant. cast
into prison. suspected Of numbering
q woman, And De dared not open his
lips. Anita heard &c. She saw him
there: perhaps She suspected. She
heard that i.so'ont creature asking
him questions. What could she think?
What could Joe think2 Oh. well. he
could not help it now. 1T do sn't
matter anyway Tie turned of with
a shrug. and went 20 another window.
But Anita was watching him. he
knew e. he felt it-watching him not
SO much with her eyes as with her
very soul. tortured with doubts
The girl had long forgot her aunt
lying an in the red ward. forgot the
people around her. forgot Alice whose
head she was stroking- forgot every
thing except the che thing. the unsor-
getiablc thing. Why was Noel I'm that
prison? Why did he not deny those
fearful accusauoEs2 10 was so unlike
him 90 Dee silent. they talked 70 him
as If he had been thieving negro
and ho said nothing
Yes. yes. Noel had been Wild. she
knew that But Anita came OF wild
stock herself Brothers. father. grand
fathcrs-as far back as there was any
record of them the Camcrons had
been hari-riding. hard-fghting. hard
| loving. hard-hatng gentlemen. II was
Ia her blood. and Anita understood
But when mon mpugned the Cam
cron honor. when men accused them
| OF crime, Anitas fun round eyes
rested upon Noel Duke and wondered
The subtle MAGNETISM of her gaze
drew the man unrcsirtinsly toward
! her. whether aecinst his will or no.
she could not t.u
step by step he crossed the room
touched her on The elbow. and She.
| looking at him AN The while seemed
| 90 rouse hers u and Doe conscious that
| he stood beside her
II must see You az once-alone." he
bent down and whispered MAY I
/ come this afteUOon2"
| AT three. She answered. and gave
| the address On So. Charles avenue
Alone; people must not sec me-"
| he insisted.
Come 20 the side door. next the
| conservatory. around the corner on
Bellevue street number As" Anita