Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-18

space she was one of the features of
Paris, and TO happen to select the
same restaurant for supper was con-
! sidered a great piece of luck Great
est luck of all If it was a night on
which some unsophisticated man tried
to scrape acquaintance with the Cobra.
A hush would follow the misguided
person up to her table, where there
was always a second place laid and a
chair tilted. The restaurant would
look like the palace of the Sleeping
Beauty; food stopped half way to
mouth, the wineglass arrested on its
road to the lips, walters frozen into
lrigidity; dish in hand, till the amiable
smile on the mans face had given
place to CONSERVATION, followed by
| the hasty retreat. Then once more
| the restaurant would wake to life and
| in the hum of conversation which fol-
lowed you would hear these questions
asked:
"But what is her game? Who is she
waiting for? Where did she come
from? How long will she keep it up?'
| One by one the questions were an
swered. An American who had not
been in Paris for years returned to
his old haunts, wealthy, sun-dried, and
weather-beaten. He happened to dine
at d'Armenonville on night when the
mysterious woman sat alone at her
table.
"Who is she?" he demanded, excited
| ly, of his companion. "Who is that
white-faced woman over there by her.
self?"
"Ah!" replied the other man, eff
one could answer that question one
would solve an enigma which has been
puzzling Paris for months. She drop
ped from the skies, or, what is more
likely, bobbed up from below"
But l have seen her before-her
face is familiar to me. | have it'll
Caracas.-the opera house! She was
Carmen, and she danced great deal
better than she sang; her movements
were like snake in a flowerbed. The
feature of the entertainment which
stamped it on my mind is this: She
danced UP to the tenor while he was
singing his prettiest and STABBED him
in the throat. He had been her lover.
I'll never get it out of my ears, the
way his song changed into scream;
and the woman danced away from him
mockingly, leaving the needle-like dag
ger 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 wickedest look back over her
shoulder at him that have seen on a
human face. No, the tenor didn't die
no such luck, poor devil!-but he
never tenored again. And the woman
eloped TO Cuba with the governor of
the prison. Strange, how women like
that gravitate to Paris, isn't it?"
Gould you swear it is the same
woman?" asked his companion.
II could, but l won't. Who is put
ting UP for her? She does herself
well, and those diamonds cost more
than franc apiece"
THAT" replied his companion, s'is
another of the mysteries she manages
to drape herself in. She moves among
the cocottes, but she lives like nun"
And he gave his friend full details Of
the Cobra's solitary life.
Then where on earth does the
money come from? She must have
come to Paris via New York, and pick
| ed the bones of some old millionaire
on the way"
"The prevalent theory" replied the
other man, as he slipped his Gordon
Rouge, seems to be that she Is
financed by a Jew syndicate, given
money enough to create the right
atmosphere, and wait for the right
man. Possibly some particular man is
aimed at The game she has played
| is almost too clever for a woman of
her calibre to work out alone. What
do you think?"
The man from Caracas looked medi-
tatively at Veeda Venestra. "The wis
dom of the serpent. Ell? She ought
to have that. l have seen human
sheep, and birds, and dogs, and cats
heaps of cats, from the tiger to the
house-cat-but I never saw the human
snake before. should say that if the
serpent has the wisdom it is credited
with, that woman might invent and
play such a game as this without any
help from Jew syndicate. l wish
some chap would try and sit at her
table tonight"
At that moment Vandraken entered
alone. Every table was full, and he
had neglected to secure one. The
head waiter, in spite of crackly note
the young man had given him, was
desolate, but powerless The young
mans eyes ranged round the tables
till they fell ON Veeda Venestra sit
ting on lonely state. He drew the
waters attention
| At that table, now. there is room. If
he was not mistaken. The lady was
of the demi-mondaine? He would pay
for both dinners and much wine; the
arrangement could but result in
mutual happiness. Possibly the head.
waiter would present him, and facili-
tate the arrangement.
The head-waiter looked at the young
mans cherubic face, and had much
difficulty to preserve his gravity. The
Cobra would not have to open her
eyes very wide to brighten this infant
he thought.
That lady, Monsieur, is the mys
terry of Paris. She may be a demi
mondaine. she may not-as to that
who could say? But she was not con
ventional, that was certain If she die
not like the company of monsieur
| she could say so-always she hac