New-York tribune., 1909-11-14

upon him with an inspiration from topmoSt
OLYMPUS that all unwittinglv she had bound
herself to his fortunes
Then leave il at that" he said quietly.
This sudden air of confidence was bewilder-
ing She had been swept OF her feet by emo
ton. and the very considerations she thought
she had conquered were now tugg1ng at her
heartstrings. He must not go away as her
knight errant eager and ready 10 slay dragons
for her sakel
Do not misunderstood me-" she faltered
d" | was only quoting a passage from one OF
kingSleV'S Greek fairy tales that has always
had "a peculiar fascination tor me.
" I II get that story and read It. But ! am IN
tertering with Your work and here comes Your
friend, the Humming Bee. If he said anything
funny 10 me lust now | should want TO strangle
him. So goodby, dear Joan. | will turn up
again tomorrow and tell you how l fared IN
each round
A Nd he was gone leaving her breathless and
shaken; for well she knew that he held her
pledged 10 unSpOken vows. that his eager con-
tdenCes would apply alike TO the days sport
and his future life. With hands that trembled
She essayed a further mixing of cOlors; but she
scarcely realized what she was doing until
queer cracked voice that vet was musical sang
softly in German at her elbow:
If the Song should chance 10 wander,
Forth the Minstrel too must 60"
IL was passing strange that crooked little
ever driven out of Warsaw. and the only living
artist who could put on canvas the gleam of
heaven that lights the Virgins face in the " I'm
maculate Conception. should Justify his nick
name of lie Bourbon by humming those two
lines.
Il hope you are not prophet, Felix" said
Joan with catch in her throat.
No, my belle, no prophet, merely an
avenger. slayer OF Kings. l see YOU have just
routed one
She turned and looked into the deep set eyes
of the old hunchback, and for the first time
noted that they were gray and very bright and
piercing At the same time the fancy crossed
her mind that perhaps Henri Ouatre had had
blue eyes, bold yet tender, like unto Alec Del
grado's.
so you too are aware that Monsieur Del
grado IS a Princes she said, letting her thought
bubble forth at random.
Some folk call him that and it is the worst
thing | know of HIM so far. IL may spoil him in
time; but at present | find him a nice young
man."
Joan swung round 10 her picture. eff Alec
had the chance of becoming a King, he would
toe a very good one" She said lovally.
Poluskis wizened cheeks puckered into GRIN
He glanced at the easel and thence To the picture
on the wall. Perfectly, my dear Joan he said
And by the bones OF kosciuszkol YOU have
chosen proper subject, The Fortune Teller
Were you filling our young warrior with dreams
OF empire' Well. well. l don't know which Is
more potent with mOnarChs. woman OF dvna-
mite. In Aec's case fancy | should bet on
the woman. Here. for example Is one that
shook Heaven, and have always thought that
Eve was not given fair treatment. OF she would
surely have twisted the Serpents tail, and
humming the refrain of Les Demi-Vierges' -
he climbed the small platform he had erected in
front Of the world famous Murillo.
RACK To back. separated by little more than
halt the width of the gallery. Joan and
| PolusH worked steadily for twenty minutes.
| The Pole sang 10 himself incessanty. now
bassooning between his thin hps the motif Of
some rhapsody of Lists. now murmuring the
words of some catchy refrain from the latest
| review. Anybody else who So transgrcssed the
rules would have been summarilv turned out
! by the guards, but the men knew him. and the
Grande Galerie, despite its treasures. or per
| haps because of them Is the least popular part
| OF the Louvre. Artists haunt il: but the