Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-22

The words were accompanied by a
| smile there was no resisting. / falter-
F; ed, stopped.
Higgins was still staring from the
hall. Mrs. Tremaine stepped forward
and calmly shut the door in his face.
In that instant quick shiver ran
through me, as though / had been
: suddenly imprisoned with q wild beast
"a SILVER that had in it something
| fearfully delightful. And let me add
| here that the emotion which Cecily-
| for SO / came to know her-raiSed in
me was not in the least admiration i'll
the ordinary sense of the term, but
: rather an overpowering fascination.
such as one sometimes feels in watch
! ing magnificent tigress pacing back
and forth in her cage. Such. l believe,
was the feeling she inspired in most
, men. even in Tremaine himself.
She smiled at me again as she swept
| past me to a couch in one corner and
! sank upon it.
"Sit, m'Sieur." she said, and motion
| ed me to chair close ut hand. Il was
very lonesome. l was weary of talk
ing to my own body
l cannot reproduce the soft dialect
she spoke. Any effort to do so makes
it appear grotesque, so / shall not try.
At first it puzzled me occasionally, but
/ l soon came to understand her per-
fectly.
$50 was L." 1 said, smiling at the
quaint expression. Il was growing
very sick of my own body. Have you
been in New York long?"
Less than month, m'sieur; and l
do not like it. 1t is too cold. too gray"
''Ah, you have come in Il bad time"
l said, wondering at her almost child
ish expression of misery. Wait until
June. Then you will seer
June! All, we shall not remain so
long-I at least! l have promised to
stay one month longer, but more than
that-impossible.'
She reached out and took up ciga-
rette from pile which lay on taboret
beside the couch.
1T was thus the curtains caught"
she laughed and. after Whit or two,
flung the still blazing taper over her
shoulder. "Pouf! And they were all
III flame. y moment before 1 was
longing for excitement. any excite
ment whatever, but that sudden burst
of fire frightened me. l rushed out.
cried for help, and" she finished, with
charming little gesture, spoiled your
smoke. Try one of these
There was no resisting her. 1t was
like playing with fire. 1 took ciga-
rettc and lighted it.
AT Fond-Corre there was much to
do" she continued, with little sigh.
Here there is nothing but to smoke.
smoker
''Fond-Corre l queried.
Just beyond st. Pierre" size eX-
planned. closing her eyes with delight
at the memory There was our home
1 can see it again in its grove of cocoa
trees running down to the gray sand,
with the waves tapping gently over 1t.
Tambou! How 1 sigh for it, and she
stretched her arms above her head with
a gesture of Infinite longing.
n key ratified in the lock. the door
opened and man came in. 1t was
quite in keeping with the dream-the
enraged husband with naked scimiter.
Even here In New York it was hardly
the proper thing to be discovered thus,
though not till that instant had
thought of it,
"Ah. now said to myself, "stilet-
tos and pistolsI You're in a ticklish
place. my friend"
But before 1 could rise, Cecily had
sprung from the couch and thrown her
arms about his neck.
'Oh, comment ou We. doudoux?" she
asked in a voice like-well, have never
heard anything to compare with it.
Tout douce, che-et ou?" he an
swered, and kissed her. Then he per-
ceived me, seemingly for the first time,