Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-12

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moved his chair directly behind his
wife's. He had decided to leave Par
is the next morning
Wnen the performance was over
they went on to supper at the Ritz.
Iankerlane tried to get out of it by
pleading sudden attack of neuralgia.
But his wife, who would have been
| glad of tete-a-tete conversation
with Lord Portlington, accepted his
excuses too readily, and he decided to
accompany them. He was man Of
! a jealous disposition, and the knoWl-
edge that his wife did not love him,
was not calculated to allay any sus-
picions he might form as to her mo-
tive for wishing to be alone with his
friend
Very trihing incidents will alter the
course of a whole life, even as a peb-
Bile on the height of the Rocky noun
tains may turn the course of stream
either to the Atlantic or Pacific
oceans; and the snug little supper at
the Ritz that night was destined 20
have SO stupendous an influence on
the lives of William Tankerlane and
his wife that it assumed the import
ance of a catastrophe.
The room was full of chattering
crowd Of fashionable men and women,
and resounded with the laughter Of the
light-hearted Parisians. And the lit
tie table occupied by the three Eng
lish people contributed it's share to
the general merriment. Lord Port
lington was in his very best form,
and Laura, whose mind had been di-
t1I L. INV ~,
play she had just witnessed, laughed
and TESTED like young girl who has
tasted mona of the sorrows of life.
Even Tankerlane, with that in his
thoughts which might well have made
a man grave, had sufficient strength
Of mind to appear almost as gay as
his companions.
To say the truth, however, he had
but little fear for the future. 1t was
his last night in Paris. Tomorrow
both he and his wife would be back
in London The danger, which threat
ened him. would be a thing of the
past. The near approach of safety is
apt to make men restless, or else
Tankerane would not have been
supping in the Ritz that night.
But, when they were halfway
through their meal. a sudden hush
came over the chattering throng, and
Tankerlane caught the words La
Petite Jackson from the lips OF a
fair-haired woman at the next table.
He looked up, slowly and deliberate
ly, so as not to attract attention and
there, twenty feet away from him,
with her large sparkling eyes looking
;-l,+ ;,,+o \ &c foa or tho
an that Of all women in the world he
least desired to meet.
The two looked at each other for
perhaps three seconds, and in that
time no sign of recognition appeared
on their faces. The woman, skilled
actress that she was. had perfect
command over her features. She was
the more surprised of the two, for
Tankerlane had already seen her in
the theatre But she showed no sur
prise, and scarcely betrayed more
than a passing interest in the man
before her. She just paused at the
door, and then, turning to her COM
panions, a man and two women, she
made some remark to them in French
and followed the obsequious waiter to
the only empty table in the room-a
table, as it SO happened, next to the
one at which Tankerlane was sitting.
The whole scene had been so mo-
mentary that it had escaped the no
tice of Lord Portlington and Laura
both Of whom recognized
the actress. and were pusily occupied
in noting how she looked off the
stage. Tankerlane himself had ap
ryIo Of hor nd
had then resumed his meal.
Mademoiselle Jackson sat down
just behind Tankerlane, but facing
his wife, who was sitting on the oppo
site side Of the table In that hour
he was thankful for even the smallest
of mercies, and the fact that his back
was turned to the woman he did not
wish to see, afforded him momen-
tary respite from the agonies OF a
most trying situation.
Mrs. Tankerlane nd Lord Porting
ton resumed their lively conversation,
but after little while the former be-
gan to be aware that the actress. was
regarding her with an unusual amount
Of interest. At first she attributed
this to the fascination which beauti-
ful frock has for all women, and es.
pecially for women who have to study
the art of dressing for stage purposes.
But after time she began to realise
that the interest she excited was due
less to her clothes than her person
atty. The one was compliment. |
but the other was an impertinence !
Laura Tankerlane began to grow I'M
comfortable under the frequent
glances which the actress cast at her,
and she was glad when her husband
suggested that it was time to go
home.
Lord Portlington helped her on with
her long sable opera cloak, and the
waiter came forward with Tanker
lanes overcoat ano hat. For one
brief moment Tankerlane's face was
turned towards MaGemoisell> Jackson,
and he saw to his horror that an os-
tentatious smile Of recognition had
flashed across her face. She rose to
her feet, came across to him, and held
out her hand.
oval, this is treat!" she said,
with rather forced American ac-
cent; "and how dio you get here?"
Why, 1t must be three years since we