The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-10-31
CHAPTER III.
A BREAK IN A CIRCLE.

MY acquaintance with the IremafneS
IN the weeks that followed, grew by
imperceptible degrees into an init
macy which was one Of the most pleas
ant of my life. OF Cecily / nave al
IA attempted to give some idea, al
though l realize how cold and mad
equate 1T is. AS l began to know hel
better, l came to wonder more and
her swift change of mood, her utter
ignorance of social convention. An
other thing l saw and that was hel
absolute worship Of Tremaine. / aues-
ton If he fully understood it's strength;
he had grown, in q way, accustomed tic
1t; but to a stranger, ar outsider, 1t
was startlingly apparent. l say start
lingly, because one was vaguely con
scious of unsounded, threatenins
depths beneath that sweet exterior,
which promised 1 10Y not what OF
passion and tragedy, should they be
rudely stirred.
AS for Tremaine, I hesitate to say
how utterly 1 fell under his spell. Yet
this was not in the least to be Won
dered at. My life had been, on the
whole. so narrow. and his had been so
broad; my experience Of the world had
been cast In the usual grooves, While
his a so evidently overleaped them,
had struck out a path for itself into
all sorts Of unexpected places. Why
he so eXerted himself to charm and
conquer me l do not yet fully under
st~and--perhaps it was the mere delight
IN power. In the exercise Of his dazzling
faculties; or perhaps 1t was that he
had leisure, that his mind was not yet
~engrossed in the game on which he
staked SO much.
I have said that his life had been
cast in many curious places. Mar
Unique was only the last of these, the
most recent, and / gathered that the
business which brought him to New
York was h forming of a syndicate
to build a railroad through the island.
Through Is the right word, for it was
evident that, owing to the islands Pc
culiar formation. there would have to
be much t1nnelling. But he waved
all such practical difficulties aside and
~discoursed of tho great future before
such a road with an enthusiasm that
was absolutely convincing.
l remember n evening he got fair
~ started upon this hobby of his and
talked uninterruptedly for at least an
hour-facts, details, descriptions at his
hnger-ends. Cecily. chin in hands, lis
tened intent to every word, and /, with
the remembrance of that venin still
fresh upon me, can understand how
he Won the a of even Wall streets
suspicious denizens. And, indeed. It
was a wonderful prospectus which he
palnted-broad sugar plantations with
no market, the whole traffic of the is
land carried upon the heads Of women.
the great heaps of the east coast
80 per cent. pure steel. waiting only for
development. but worthless now be-
cause no ship can approach them-and
l know not what beside, but all Of
which, I have no doubt, was substan-
TALLY true.
Perhaps I am lingering unduly
over this portrait OF Tremaine, but
have neve met his equal for
ia RING FOR -L ot,Inoit1r ~ L
sonal magnetism. In the days that
followed, I was to see less and less
Of him, but the memor OF those first
evenings is a living and vivid one.
| can see him sitting there yet be-
fore me with his wonderful eyes. his
form and his slim, white nervous hand
holding his cigaret. I found myself
speculatfng sometimes as to his ma
~tionahty. French he seemed unaues-
tionably by temperament. and yet he
spoke English with a facility and care
lessness unusual in a foreigner. / was
often tempted to ask him, straight
out, but a feeling of hesitation ri.
ways held me back. I csme at last r.
the conclusion that he was of Frenel
parentage, but had lived in England q,
America probably from his youth
l a just come in from dinner on.
evening and was settling down to !.
perusal OF "L,Affaire Lerouge." wha1
there came a knock at the door am
Tremaine entered. He was in eve,,ins
dress and was seemingly much per.
ta1oed.
My lear Lester" he began abrnnt
u. IN mar quick. nervous wa of his
TN n the deuce of a box, and Pr
going to ask YOU to help me out.
promised Cecily to lake her tonigh
70 see the extravaganza at the New
York and have the seats here. but q
The IN at Y1lfnlnnf I find 7 oo~s< -.
away. I've a business engagement tha
Itan't afford to break, but Cecily vii
.>ever forgive me IL I diaappoint he,
Hive Q anything on for tonight?
No" I answered. looking at him i
7 establishment, for 1t was eyiIen
wat YVES coming.