The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-10-25

I she cached out md ooh up a clgarer
from q pile which lay ON a tabouret be-
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-bnt that sudden burst of fire
frightened mel rushed out-cried for
help-and," she finished with 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 it.
AT Fond-Corre there was much to
DO" she continued with a little sigh.
Here there is nothing but to smoke.
smoke"
"Fond-Corre"" 1 queried.
Just beyond ST. PIERRE she ex-
planned, closing her eyes with delight
at the memory. There was our home
I can see it again. i'm its grove of
cocoa trees running down to the grey
sand, with the wave tapping gently
over 1T. Tambou, how ! sigh for it,"
and she stretched her arms above her
head with a gesture of infinite long
ing.
Looking at hcr. l began to believe
mat | was dreaming all this; that /
had fallen asleep in my chair and been
transported to the land OF Haroun-el-
lSaSchid. l had never seen a woman
like her-so full of colour, of passion,
A key ratified In the lock, the door
opened and a man came in. 1t was
quite i'm keeping with the dreanl-the
enraged husband with naked cimeter-
even here in Now York. ~ vro hor111y
me proper thing to be discovered thus.
though not till that instant had l
thought OF it.
All, now" i said to myself. 'stilettos
and pistols! you're in a ticlSlish place,
my friend"
But before I could rise, cecily had
sprung from the couch and thrown her
arms about his neck.
Oh coumen on ye, d~oudoux?" she
asked In 4 voice like-well, j have never
heard anything to compare with it.
Tout douce. che-et ou?" he an
sWered. and kissed her; then he per-
ceived me. seemingly for the first time,
though this i 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 I had really been
guilty of some fault.
His wife uttered In his ear a sentence
so raid that I was utterly unable to
catch h words. but I p it ex-
planned the reason of my presence, for
he turned to me instantly with put
stretched hand.
"Cecily tells me hat your presence
ton, Mr.
Lester" I said. ~ am your neigh
bour across the hall"
My name Is Tremaine. and I'm ex-
ceedlngly glad to meet you," he con-
tinued. with a courtesy which charmed
me from the first moment. I'VE must
pour q libation to honour the escape"
Cecily, who had been hanging on his
lips. flew to the next room and was
back in a ome with a decanter and
glasses-three of them-and she Joined
us with an tmperturable matter-of-
course air which somewhat surprised
me. Only I noticed she left a 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.
L 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-nve. He
was a handsome man. with n dark.
fascinating face which somehow
matched his wife's. The power Of his
y had already experienced, and the
square Jaw and clear-cut lips bespoke
an extraordinary power of will 10
match. He perhaps felt my scrutiny,
for he turned TO me. shaking off with
an effort the spell thai held him.
She's a most extraordinary woman"
he said with n smile tina seemed a lit
tile 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 1t, humming a
weird little refrain that rose and fell
and turned upon itself. reminding me
faintly OF the negro spirituals I had
once heard at a campmeeting in the
Jersey woods. After q moment, 1 saw
a movement within the cage. and a
head erected itself. q broad. triangular
hea 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 refrain-queer. Chopped
off Creole words.
ooh. gu jojolli. oui, Oh, thou art
pretty. pretty. Fe-Fe! Pa liza fai moin
pc! I do not fear her, not at all! Fe-
Fe Is the work Of the good God. Tra-
vail Bon-Die JOLT? Is she not pretty?'
Continued Next Weekly