Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-09-24
CHAPTER NH,

up to the business ol lAe mohPHt' ulth1 1HS
the mos, of the brief time left TO him.
1t was half-paSt ten when he stood out
side of n house in : street and consulted
his watch.
UIalf-paSt ten Very late for visit,
and yet-they We're awake in the house
Through the bowed shutters and open
windows came the sound of one of Chop
in'S waltzeS played by a girls slightly
amateur fingers on a piano that was not
of the hes;. But on that night of witch
cry. in the silent lighted streets, the air
fca.ci out with a certain graceful state
llunSS.
Curhing his impatience. Sarto waited
un.;l the last note of the phrase was
Gaycd. regardless of the flight of time,
and then. mounting the steps. rang the
leN.
There was a little hesitation before a
light tread came along the hall and the
door opened,
Il had almost given up Your High
rcS>." said Annette Bancroft.
Her visitor STOOD, hat in hand. look
ing up at her
Il am all apologies for the latenesS of
tie hour" he began in a low voice. But
| have been dining at Chevy Chase and
was detained longer than | thought.
shall only stay moment
The girl led the way. without speaking,
into the drawing room. where two candles
were burning. revealing the open piano
heaped with music. Behind it the win
dow stood open, letting in the light from
the street.
Roses" CALCULATED the mock prince
lie daintily shifted at a bowlful standing
on the center table. Papa Gontier. he
murmured. lifting the heavy heads He
has good tasse in howers-the English
man"
Annette made faint acquiescence. She
had seated herself on the piano stool.
eho>,-like little figure in the half light.
Turning away from the table, Sarto
moved towards the piano.
"Ah. | had forgotten that. he said,
speaking sotto-voce M. Bust remains
otter | am gone He has the best of it :.
After you have gone echoed An
ne;te.
She stood motionesS. staring with part
ed lips and widened eyes into the face of
the man who bent over the piano, his
dark. mobile features so near hers.
Yes" he said speaking in very quiet
tones. to which his curiously expressive
voice lent certain pathos. 1T is to say
eood-by | am come tonight. Before
morning | will have left Washington. l
shall never see YOU again.
The last words rang with an irrepres-
.n1 hot SbiVpr
through his listener. Turning, forGetful
of the all-revealing lights in the street
below. she looked up into his face, her
own white with the shock of his words
her eyes wide with the secret of her heart.
Annette" cried Ludovic Sarto.
Love is a great mystery, 1t
moves through the winding passages of
our cold. dark hearts so silently that we
never Suspect its presence until suddenly
one day we see it for the first time mir
~ored in the light of another's eyes.
At some time-when the chauffeur
could not tell-soma Midas touch had
turned the gratitude, the friendship he
felt for this girl into the gold OF his
heart.
And in this instant Of miracles the
mans whole being. his double nature,
even the dark side which had achieved its
sinister triumph one short hour ago. seem
ed touched by that same Divine alchemy
tie base metal in him transformed and
purified.
There are certain moments IN this dull
fife of ours when the froth is on the wine
moments of dazzling, diamond-like bril-
as sweet as the first
taste Of a nectarine and as pvanescent.
Even as Ludovic SartO and Annette
Bancroft gazed into each others eyes, the
moment passed by. never 70 return.
The next a terrible realization came
into the mans heart. "Wait moment"
he said hoarscly. IL have something
to tell you ~
Turning sharply away. he took few
turns up and down the room, graphing
with the ordeal that was suddenly upon
him.
For the girl must be told the truth
now, 1t was inevitable Alas the dis
coyerv of her secret demanded the reveal
Ing Of his.
II was strange psychic fact that to
Sarto - in spite Of bis slippery, di-
verse nature. no other course occurred.
The man who loved Annette Bancroft
and was loved in return-could no longer
mask behind the Prince del Pine.
I.udovic must come forth and Dear his
responsibilities The law Of self-preserva
ton. which he had only acknowledged so
far. had given way to another. diviner.
For the first time in his life the mer-
curial chauffeur bent his head to the law
of salf-sacrifce.
Turning suddenly, he looked at the girl
al the piano.
Annette was leaning forward, facing
him. a faint nervous smile on her lips.
her eyes full Of a dawning, shy expect
anry.
Watching her, his wonderfully keen
almost perceptions dssecting
the girls soul. Sarto saw, with shudder-
ing. sickening horror and self-disgust, all
that the girl in her innocent romantic
soul was imagining. \ fairy tale no less
foolish enough with prince for its
hero and for its heroine
The man who loved her knew. with an
inward recoil. that it fell to him to shat
ter this pretty little castle in the air
with its occupants.
Standing before her, he spoke formally
Miss Bancroft, tell me, how long have
we known each other-you and I?''
Annette raised her eyes to his, and a
vivid color tinged her pale cheeks.