The Washington herald., 1908-05-27
THE SOUL OF CROESUS
BY GERALD VILLIERS-STUART
Copyright 1905 by Gerald vmsstua Entered snuu Han All nights reserved.
BY GERALD yILLIERS-STUART.

Of his companion. WHO is that white
faced woman over there by herself"
"Ah." replied the other man. If one
could answer that question one would
solve an enigma which has been puz-
zling Paris for months. She dropped from
the skies. or. what is more likely bobbed
up from below"
But 1 have seen her before-her face
Is familiar 70 me. I have it!-Caracas!-
the opera house She was Carmen. and
she danced a great deal better than she
sang; her movements were like a snake
in a fiower-bed. The feature of the en-
tertainment which stamped It on my
mind Is this: She danced up 10 the tenor.
while he was singing his prettiest, and
stabbed him in the throat He had been
her lover I'll never get Il out Of my
ears. the way his song changed into a
scream; and the woman danced away
from him mocklngly. leaving the needle
like dagger in his throat She danced till
they arrested her. The tenor sat In a
chair. bleeding like a stuck sheep. and
as she was led out she threw the wick
edest look back over her shoulder at him
that I have seen on human face. No.
the tenor didn't die-no such luck, poor
devil.-but he never tenored again. And
the woman eloped 10 Cuba with the gov
ernOr or the prison Strange, how WOm-
en- like tnat gravitate 10 Paris, isn't itT'
Gould you swear Il Is the same won-
an?" asked his companion.
Il could. but I won't. Who Is putting
up for her? She does herself well. and
those diamonds cost more than a franc
apiece"
That" replied his companion. rs an
other OF the mysteries she manages 10
drape herself in. She moves among the
cocottes. but she lives Ike nun" And
he gave his friend full details of the
Cobras solitary life.
Then where on earth does the money
come from? She must have come TO
Paris via New York. and picked the
bones of some old Millionaire on the
way"
The prevalent theory" replied the
other man. as he slipped his Gordon
Rouge. seems 10 be that she is financed
by a Jew syndicate given money enough
10 create the right atmosphere. and wait
for the right man. Possibly some par
ticular man is aimed al. The game she
has played is almost too clever for a
woman OF her caliber to work out alone.
What do you thinlk?"
The man from Caracas looked medi-
tatively al Veeda Nenestra- THE wis
dom OF the serpent, en-? She ought 10
have that. have seen human sheep.
and birds, and dogs, and cats-heaps OF
cats, from the tiger 10 the house cat
but I never saw the human snake before.
l should say that II the serpent has the
wisdom II is credited with. that woman
might invent and play such a game as
this without any help from Jew syndi-
cate. l wish some chap would try and
sit at her table tonight"
At that moment Valdraken entered
alone. Every table was FULL and he had
neglected to secure one The head wait
er. In spite Of a crackly note the young
man had given him, was desolate, but
powerless. The young mans eye ranged
round the tables till they fell on Veeda
Venestra. sitting in lonely state. he
drew the walters attention.
At that table. now, there is room. IL he
was not mistaken. The lady was OF the
demi-mondaine? lie would pay for both
dinners and much wine; the arrangement
could but result in mutual happiness.
Possible the head waiter would present
him. a..0 facilitate the arrangement.
The head waiter looked az the young
mans cherubic face. and had much diff
ficulty 10 preserve his gravity. The Cobra
would not have TO open her eyes very
wide to frighten this infant. he thought.
That lady, monsieur, is the mystery
of Paris. She may be a demi-mondaine,
she may not-as to that, who could say?
But she was not conventional, that was
certain. II she did not like the company
of monsieur. she could say so-always
she had the two places laid. Why, If she
want the whole table?"
SO Vandraken marched upon his fate.
and in the restaurant as in the kitchen
Of the Sleeping Beauty suspended ami
nation held sway.
As shuddering spectators watch rab-
bit approach a snake at the Zoo, so the
diners at dArmenonville that night
watched the pink-and-white youth, with
the curious red-brown eyes, draw near to
the Cobra.
The Cobra knew by the sudden hush
that a rabbit was approaching, but she
made no sign. With the disdainful calm
which was her usual pose, she turned
over the pages Of the wine list If she
betrayed any consciousness of the little
drama at ALL II was by one Of the queer,
sphinx-like smiles which quivered on her
lips and eyes.
When VandraEen had put his hand
duestioningly on the back of the tilted
chair, not even knowing in what Ian
guage to address the woman. she looked
up from the wine list. and her smile
changed TO one Of challenging, nom
committal invitation. Il am not offend
ed" it seemed to say, but at you own
peril. That chair is yours If you can
sit in IT, No affair Of mine. assure YOU
Vandraken drew back the tilted chair,
and even the Tziganes held their sensu-
Gus waltz tune In the air. The young
man cleared his throat as he took his
seat, but before he could say anything
his voice was beaten down by the eyes
OF the woman opposite. He had the SEN
sation of being looked at by hundreds
ot eyes behind latticed screen. The
Cobra sat in a relaxed attitude; the pres
sure Of her hand. supporting her chin.
threw her head backward; the line Of her
forearm. from her wrist to the table.
was the only tenga restrained stroke in
the picture; AL the rest suggested aban-
don. quiver of the woman's half
closed eyes made Vandraken conscious of
a change from scrutiny 10 a sensuous in
vitation to look at the vision she was
unveiling
Then, as the dark lashes lifted, she
drew deep breath. and the mobile body
moved forward without disturbing the
tense line of tho head and forearm The