Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-10-25


she reached out AMI took up a cigaret
from a pile which lay on "A taDouret De-
side the couch.
1T was thus the curtains caught
she laughed. and, after a Whit or two,
dung the still blazing taper over her
shoulder. 'pouf!-and they were all IN
flame. A moment before | Was long
ing for eXcitement-any excitement
whatever-but that sudden burst or flre
frightened mel rushed out-cried for
help-ani,' she finished viii a charm
ing little gesture. spoiled your smoke.
Try one Of these
There was no resisting her-it was
like playing with fire. l took a cigaret
and lighted il.
"At Fond-Corre there vas much 10
do" she continued with a little sigh.
Here there IL nothing but to smoke,
smoke"
"Fond-C orre?" | queried.
Just beyond st. Pierre" she ex-
planned. closing her eyes with leigh
| at the memory. There was our home
II can see 1t again, in its grove of
cocoa trees running down TO the grey
sand, with the waves tapping gently
over IL. Tambou! how l sigh for it,
and she stretched her arms above her
head with "A gesture Of infinite long
ing.
Looking at her. I began to believe
hat | was dreaming all this; that |
had fallen asleep in my chair and been
transported 10 the land Of Haroun-el-
RasChid. | had never seen a woman
like her-so full Of colour, Of passion,
A key ratified I'm the lock, the door
opened and a man came in. 1t was
quite I'm keeping with the dream-the
enraged husband with naked cimeter-
even here In New York it was hardly
the proper thing to be discovered thus,
though not till that instant had I
thought OF It.
All, now" / said to myself. "stilettos
and pistols. you're i'm a ticNlish place,
my friend"
But before l could rise, Cecily had
sprung from the couch and thrown her
arms about his neck.
oh oumen GU We. d~oudouX?' she
asked In a voice like-well. l have never
heard anything to compare with it.
Tout douce. Che-et ou2" he an
swered, and kissed her: then he per-
ceivcd 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 |
found myself for an instant unable TO
meet it. as though l had really been
guilty Of some fault.
His wife uttered i'm his ear a sentence
so raid that | was utterly unable to
catch the words, but | suppose it eX-
planned the reason of my presence, for
he turned to me instantly with out
stretched hand.
"Cecily tells me that your presence
of mind prevented a general conflagra-
ton, MIR
Lester" / said. Il 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 a libation to honour the escape"
Cecily. who had been hanging on his
Ups. flew to the next room and was
back in n 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 a little win
In her glass, and with it she approached
a square cage Of fine gilt mesh hang
ing over the radiator in the warmest
corner of the room.
l happened to look at Tremaine and
was aStoniShed at the intensity OF the
glance he sent after her. So absorbed
was be that for the first time | had the
opportunity to examine him closely. It
was impossible to tell his age, there
was about him such an air of exhaust
''HH SobbIl lillSf nave Deen any,
where from thirty to forty-fve. 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 that hell him.
She a most extraordinary woman
he said with a smile that seemed a lit
tie forced. " 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 over it, humming a
weird little refrain hat rose and fell
and turned upon itself, reminding me
family OF the negro s%pirituals | had
once heard at Il campmeeting in the
Jersey woods, After a moment, | saw
a movement within the cage and q
head erected itself, a broad, triangular
head, deep orang barred with black.
with Eyes like Goals of fire. 1t swayed
to and fro. to and fro. as Cecily fitted
words to the refrain-queer, chopped
off Creole words.
"Oh, on jojolli. oui! Oh, thou art
pretty. pretty. Fe-Fe! Pa ka fai moin
pc! l do not fear her, not at all! Fee
Fe is the work OF the good God. Ira
vail Bon-Die joli? Is she not pretty?'
Continued Next Weekly