The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-02-06

terical one, IN the back ground. Hut Il
the eyes cf the third he read rlty. 10.
same tender pity which he had seen II
her eyes when lieien Morgan has
STOPPED TO pick up his trick rabbit a,
tho frightened animal. escaping frou
his pocket and trembling at the shouts
OF the children. bad run 10 the girl toI
protection.
Its jail for you. young man. unless
you produce my wlfe's rings, She left
them behind the rock crystal vase IA
the music room. and we don't propose
to have them disappeared NJ you do
handkerchiefs and rabbits"
The scene which followed was a hor-
rible nightmare TO the young magician
his own protestations OF innocence
drowned in Mrs. MorIans Mysteries.
Senator Morgan's orders for an officer.
Helen's pleading for time 10 search
and finally the discovery Of tho rings
BY a maid In Mrs. Morgnn's dressing
room, And when II was all over Wi.
liama was thrust out IN the night
through q side entrance, feeling more
like a thief than AN acquitted man.
Then suddenly gentle hand fell up,
on his arm. aud a gentler voice mur,
INJURED In his ear:
"Just minute. please. | want 10
tell you how sorry am. | hoped this
would be the greatest night OF your
life
For one long minute the young man
who had his own way 10 make and the
girl whose future had been assured so
far as wealth could accomplish this
feat looked into each others eyes. And
the soul OF the man, suddenly born,
went out to the divine tenderness OF
innate womanliness which Is great
er power than mere physical beauty.
He spoke quietly, but with new found
confidence.
1T has been a wonderful, wonderful
night TO me. and some day ! am COM
Ing back to tell you why"
Under the chaperonage OF dow
Gger duchess who knew how 10 turn
her title TO financial account Helen
Morgan was "dolng" the London sea
son. In Mayfair drawing room sbo
sat, and beside her was a man with
an English accent above re-
proach and a patronizlng air. or course
the Morgan millions would mean the
OF his ancestral but crum-
bling castles, but then the utter indlr-
ference OF this girl irrltated him even
while It commanded his admiration.
II suppose you saw Ersklne IN Paris.
He's been the go over there-made by
the American set. understand. They
say It's his manners as much as his
art that got the women all going. He
never speaks during his performance
and has the most inscrutable eyes.
Never could understand why women
went In so heavily for eyes. Con-
,us TO zee this man"
Helen Morgan hardly heard what the
nan with the monocle was saying
"ErskineW
In a secret drawer OF her jewel case
here lay a card, Frank Erskine VIII |
iams," the card OF the man who had !
never come back. never sent her a
message In five years, the man who
,ad forgottenl But, no; this could not
,e he, for the man who had promised
lad ready tongue-yes, n ready |
ongue, as all men had-who promised.
A futter Of fans and a murmur OF
ubdued interest announced that the
lon Of the evening had arrived. A
Iuick inclination OF the head, snap
ling OF long, slender fingers, and the
performance was under way. With
lshtning rapidity and wonderful deft-
less the conJurer worked, and the
,reathless audience watched, not so
much the tricks as the unsmiling lips,
he inscrutable eyes, which seemed not
o see either the sea OF faces upraised
0 his nor even the assistant who did
is unsp0ken bidding.
Only one person in the fashionable
udience saw something more, and
hat qulvering, blue eyed girl who
or one brief second had met and held
be magician's glance and seen burn
az In those inscrutable eyes fire
1hich had burned there on night five
ears before, fire lit centuries agone
D the eyes OF the worlds first man
dam.
The assistant called for ring with
,hich his master would work new
rick. Mechanically Helen Morgan
anded him a magnificent hoop OF
earls. Ersklne took the ring gravely,
alsed a silver hammer and apparent
, smashed the trinket into thousand
Ieces on an anvil Of curlously wrought
liver. Then he produced sealed
asket OF water, In which swan gold
sh. and In the mouth of the fish he
)und the hoop OF pearls. But the
ng was not returned to Its owner by
ie assistant. Instead, as the room
ing with applause, the magician him.
III walked quietly down the aisle,
,tmed by the parting OF many sllken
iirts. and placed the ring on the girls
embllng white hand. Not even the
IAN with the monocle noticed that the
,njurer for an instant held the slim