Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-06-19
r. Again her ign, laughter pur

door. Again her light laughter pur
sued me.
Pardon, monsieur" she called. still
mockingly.
1 turned and looked silently at my
tormentor.
Mischievously she pointed jew
eled finger to a placard on the wall :
Guests are forbidden to carry away
the papers from the reading room,'' I
read.
To assume a tragic mien at this de-
licious bit of badinage would have
been absurd. I could not help laugh
ing. But answered with some pique:
Hotel proprietors are forbidden to
annoy guests with offensive photo
graphs in the hotel reading rooms!
That is new rule l shall have placed
upon the walls tomorrow
She clapped her hands delightedly.
"a beautiful and much-needed rule" "
she murmured, her eyes sparkling.
Then she came toward me a few steps,
and stood, dazzling and fascinating
figure in the full light. Her eyes no
longer Knocked; they beseeched
Forgive me. It was cruel to laugh.
But when I catch you, like naughty
child-ah, that is too droll!"
''On the contrary, madam, I should
thank you. 1t was my first laugh Tor
| weeks
Monsieur" She came a step still
nearer, her dress cleaning and gilt
| tering as she moved She looked at
me pitifully.
But her sympathy was too easily
! stood perfectly that she had been de-
! termined to speak to me when l first
entered the room.
Madam said cynically, 1T is you
who are breaking a rule nova rule
| of society,""
Par example?" she demanded, her
eyes darkening.
1T is forbidden to show sympathy
to one who has been unfortunate
| She sighed her relief. Evidently
she has expected from me banality
| to the effect that society does not
| sanction a woman's speaking to a
strange man.
"But"-she made gesture of con.
| tempt-'the canard of newspaper!
| Who believes that?"
"All the world, apparently" l an.
| swered, amused at the vigor of her
denial
We'll, I for one, do not"
regarded her, still cynical. and yet
l was moved. Hers was the first
stinctively that it was the cheap and
! insincere sympathy of an adventures,
| who offered it for her own ends. She
would demand its price presently.
And yet I was not ungrateful for her
interest. AS for the price-well. is
! anything quite gratuitous? Whether
| the payment be in gold or gratitude
| price.
"And why do you not believe the
| account of this newspaper"
You are race of warriors. One
with such blood in ones veins does
not play the coward. Mo-" She struck
her hand together to emphasize her
conviction.
"A race of warriors?" l repeated
| wonderingly.
Has not every English gentleman
| the blood of warriors in his veins ?"
she protested
But 4 am an American" l said
| quietly.
"Impossible!" She looked at me
really bewildered now AN Ameri-
can! But the ladies that you spoke to
half an hour ago."
And can an American not speak to
| Englishwomen?" l demanded coldly
| That she should mention them at all
annoyed me.
'"Then you are not'-she twisted a
bracelet about her arm, then looked I'D
swiftly-'you are not even a rela-
| tion?"
Il am not even a friend" l said,
still more coldly. Good night, mad.
| am
Good night, monsieur"
She sank into 4 fauteuil, as one who
is too astonished to make even the
physical effort of standing. For the
first time since she had spoken she
was not acting AS / walked toward
the door she stared after me, frowu.
ing in her perplexity.