The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-10-24


IN reached out ana took UP a cigaret
from a pile which lay on a tabouret be-
side the couch.
1T was thus the curtains caught. "
she laughed, and. after a whiff or two,
flung the still blazing taper over her
shoulder. 'Pouf!--and they were all in
flame. A momen before I was long
Ing for excitement-any excitement
whatever-but that sudden burst of fire
frightened mel rushed ~out--cried for
help-and," she finished with a charm
ing little gesture, spoiled -FOUR smoke.
Try n OF these
like playing with fire. 1 look a cigaret
and lighted 1t.
AT Fond Core there was much to
do" she continued with a little sigh.
Here there is nothing but to smoke,
smoke!" .
"Fond-C Core? 2" / queried.
Just beyond st. Pierre" h ex-,
planned. closing her eyes with delight
at the memory. There was our home
Il car see It again, in it's grove of
cocoa trees running down to the grey
sand, with the waves tapping gently
over II. Tambou! how I sigh for it,"
and she stretched her arms above her
head with a gesture Of infinite long
ing.
Looking at her, / began to believe
that / was dreaming all this; that I
had fallen asleep in my chair and been
transported to the land Of Haroun-el-
Raschid. I had never seen a woman
like her-so full of colour, Of passion,
OF
A key ratified in the lock, the door
opened and a man came in. 1t was
quite in keeping with the dream-the
enraged husband with naked cimeter--
even here in New York 1t was hardly
the proper thing to be discovered thus.
though not till that instant had I
thought OF IL.
"Ah, now" 1 said to myself, "stiIettos
ana pistols! you're in a ticklish place,
my friend"
But before I could rise, Cecily had
sprung from the couch and thrown her
arms about his neck.
"Oh comment on we, d~oudoux?" she
asked in a voice Ike-well, I have never
heard anything to compare with IT.
Tout douce, che-et ou?" he an
swered, nj kissed her; then he per-
ceived me, seemingly for the first time,
though this / somehow doubted. Good
evening, sir" he said, standing with
his arms still about his wife and gaz-
ing at me with a look SO sharp that I.
found myself for an instant unable to
meet 1t, as though 1 had really been
guilty of some fault.
His wife uttered in his ear a sentence
80 raid h a 1 was utterly unable to
catch the words, but / suppose 1t ex-
planned the reason of my presence, for
he turned to me instantly with out
stretched hand.
"Cecily tells me hat your presence
OF mind prevented a general conflagra-
ton, Mr."
Lester" I said. "I am your neigh
bour across the hall"
My name is Tremaine, and I'm ex-
ceedingly glad to meet you,' he con-
tinued, with a courtesy which charmed
me from the first moment. I'VE must
pour n ltbation to honour the escape
Cectly, who had been hanging on his
lips. flew to the next room and was
back In a moment with a decanter and
glasses--three OF them-and she Joined
us with an imperturable matter-of-
course air which somewhat surprised
me. Only / noticed she left q little wine
In her glass. and with 1t she approached
a square cage of fine gilt mesh hang
ing over the radiator in the warmest
corner OF the room.
/ happened to look at Tremaine and
was astonished at the intensity Of the
glance he sent after her. So absorbed
was he that for the first time I had the
opportunity to examine him closely. 1t
was impossible to tell his age, there
was about him such an air Of exhaust
less youth--he might have been any
where from thirty to forty-ive. He
was a handsome man, with a dark,
fascinating face which somehow
matched his wife's. The power Of his
eye ! had already experienced, and the
square jaw and clear-cut lips. bespoke
an extraordinary power of will to
match. He perhaps felt my scrutiny,
for he turned to me, shaking off with
an effort the spell hat held him.
Shes a most extraordinary woman"
he said with a smile that seemed a lit
tie forced. i" She's about to do what no
other woman in the world would
dare do, and she thinks nothing OF it.
Come and see."
Cecily had already reached the cage,
and was bending owe II, humming a
weird little refrain that rose and fell
and turned upon itself, reminding me
family of the negro spirituals l had
once heard at a campmeeting in the
Jersey woods. After a moment / saw
a movement within the cage, and a
head erected itself, a broad, triangular
head, deep orange barred with black,
with eyes like Goals of fire. 1t swayed
to and fro, to and fro, as Cecily fitted
words to the r~efrain-queer, chopped
off Creole words.
"Oh, GU jojolli, oui! Oh, thou art
pretty, pretty, Fe-Fe! Pa ka fai moin
pc! / do not fear her, not at all! Fe-
Fe is the work of the good God. Ira
vail Bon-Die joli? Is she not pretty?H
(Continued Next Weekly ,