Charlevoix county herald., 1907-05-18
Agar heg light laughter pur.

~SNA' N5es-N hC- AiSh' Ao"ShISA put
sued me.
Pardon. monsieur" she called, stiIi
mocklngly
turned and looked silently at my
tormentor.
Mischievously she pointed a 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 tragic mien at this de-
licious bit of badinage would have
been absurd. | 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, a dazzling and fascinating
figure in the full light. Her eyes no
longer Knocked; they beseeched.
Forgive me. It was cruel to laugh.
But when | catch you, like naughty
child-ah, that is too droll!"
"On the contrary, madam, | should
thank you. 1t was my first laugh for
weeks"
Monsieur" She came. step still
nearer, her dress cleaning and gilt
tering as she moved. She looked at
me pitifully.
But her sympathy was too easily
awakened to be convincing. | under
stood perfectly that she had been de-
termined to speak to me when | first
entered the room.
Madam" | said cynically, sit is you
who are breaking a rule nova rule
of society"
Par example?" she demanded, her
eyes darkening.
ut is forbidden 20 show sympathy
to one who has been unfortunate"
She sighed her relief. Evidently
she has expected from me a banality
to the effect that society does not
sanction a woman's speaking to a
strange man.
"But"-she made a gesture Of con-
tempt-"the canard of a newspaper!
Who believes that?"
All the world, apparently" l an
swered, amused at the vigor of her
denial.
We'll, for one, do not"
regarded her, still cynical, and yet
was moved. Hers was the first
sympathy shown to me. l felt in
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 l was not ungrateful for her
interest. AS for the price-well, is
anything quite gratuitous? Whether
the payment be in gold or gratitude
or love or obedience-we all have our
price.
And why do you not believe the
account Of this newspaper"
You are a 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?" I repeated
wonderingly.
Has not every English gentleman
the blood of warriors in his veins?"
she protested.
But am an American" 1 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?" | demanded coldly.
That she should mention them at all
annoyed me.
Then you are not"-she twisted a
bracelet about her arm, then looked up
swiftly-"you are not even rela-
tion?"
Il am not even a friend" | said,
still more coldly. Good night, mad
am"
Good night monsieur"
She sank into 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 l walked toward
the door she stared after me, frown-
ing in her perpleXity.