The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-11
THE POWERS AND MAXINE
All Rights Reserved.


the signal for my chauffeur to stop. Instantly the electric carriage slowed down, then came to standstill. My man opened the door and Count Goden- sky submitted to my will. Nevertheless he was far from being in submissive mood. as I did not need to be remind ed by the tone of his voice as he said. Eau revoir."
 Nothing could have been more polite than the words of his way of speak ing them. as he stood in the street with his hat in his hand. But to me they meant a threat, and as threat they were intended.
 My talk with Godensky at the stage door. my pause to pick him up. and my second pause to set him down, had all taken time, of which I had had lit- tie enough at the starting, if I were to meet Ivor Dundas when he arrived. It was two or three minutes after midnight, or so my watch said, when we drew up before the gate of my high walled garden in the quiet rue d'Hollande.
 little while ago had been ready to seize upon almost any expedient for keeping Raoul away from my house tonight, but now after what I had just heard from Godensky I prayed to see him waiting for me.
 Nobody (except Ivor concerning whom I'd given orders) would be let in so late at night during my absence not even Raoul himself; so if he had come to reproach me he would have to stand outside the locked gate till I appear ed. looked for him longingly but he was not here. There was. to be, sure, motor brougham in the street. for wonder Casually the rue d'Hol- lande Is as empty as a desert, after II n'rInnLl hut orirIso faao at me from the window--an impish, curi- ously abnormal little face it was--ex- tinguishing the spark of hope that sprang to life as 1 caught sight of the carriage.
 It was standing before the closed gate of a house almost opposite mIne, and the girl seemed somewhat interest ed in me; but l was not at all interest ed in her, and hate being stared at as If I were something in a museum.
 The gate is always kept locked at night, when I'm at the theatre; but Ma rianne has the key, and we let our selves in when we come, for only old Henri sits up, and he Is growing lit- tie deaf A moment, and we were in- side, the chauffeur spinning away to the garage.
 Usually, I am newly delighted every night with my quaint old house and it's small, but pretty garden, to which it seems delightful to come home after hours of hard work at the theatre. But tonight, though a cheerful light shona out from between the drawn curtains of the salon, the place looked inexpressi- bly dreary, even forbidding to me. felt that I hated the house. though had chosen 1t after a long search for peacefuIness and privacy. How gloomy, how dead, was the street beyond the L.N N-~H. oI1 sRa1 nI like the eyes of corpses. There was a moist, depressing smell of earth after long continued rains, in the garden. No wonder the place had been to let at bargain, for long term! There had been a murder in it once. and 1t had stood empty for twelve or thirteen of the fifteen years since the almost for gotten tragedy. had been the tenant for two years now-before became "star," with a theatre of my own in Paris. had had no fear of the ghost said to haunt the house. Indeed, remembered thinking, and saying, that the story only made the place more in- teresting But now I said to myself that wished I had never spoken so lightly. Perhaps the. ghost had brought mo bad luck I felt as If the murder must have happened on just such still. brood ng. damp night as this. Maybe 1t was the anniversary, If only knew.
 went indoors, Marianne following. Henri. very thin had fallen into dog in the hall. where he had sat, hop inf, to hear the stopping of my car- riage.S He rose up, lowing and blink ing, just as he had done often before, and would often again-lf life were to go on for me in the old way He re- gretted not having heard Mademoiselle. would Mademoiselle take supper.
 No, Mademoiselle would not take sup per. She wanted nothing and Henri might go to bed. T thank Mademois- ellie. When I have closed the house"
 But don't want the house closed I said. q shall sit up for awhile. It's hot-close and stuffy. I may want the windows open"
 '"The visitor Mademoiselie expected did not arrive. Perhaps"
 'If he comes Marianne or will let