Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-03-11
By E. PHILLIPS oPPENHEIM.

dom get chance. Will you promise
to give me show tonight, Sir
GeorgeT
LAS long as you permit me to say
two or three things which are in my
mind" he answered, lowering his
voice little, you may do all the
rest of the talking"
Dear me. / am curious already"
she exclaimed. what are the two or
three things. Sir George? Why. do you
see, nearly every one has gone!' she
added suddenly Come along"
She laid her hand upon his arm and
led him away. Soon he was by her
side at the table. Their companions
were uninteresting. Andrew was out
of sight Duncombe forgot everything
else in the world except that he was
with her.
Their conversation was of trifies, vet
intimate trifies. The general talk buzz
ed all round them Neither made any
effort to arrest it. To Dunconlbe she
seemed simply the image he had Great
ed and worshiped suddenly come to
life. That it was not in fact her pic
ture went for nothing. There was no
infidelity. The girl who had existed
In his dreams was here. 1t was for
her that he had departed from the even
tenor OF his ways, for her he had
searched in Paris. for her he had
braved the horrors of that unhappy
week. Already lie felt that she be-
longed to him, and In vague sort of
way she. too. seemed to be letting her.
self drift. to be giving color to his IN
conscious assumption by her lowered
tone. by the light in her eyes. which
answered his by all those little name
less trif1es which so to the sealing of
mwritten compacts.
Once her manner changed. Her IA
Their. who was on the opposite side Of
the table. little way off. leaned for
ward and addressed her.
"Say. Sibyl. where did we stay in
Paris? I've forgotten the name Of the
place"
'I.'Hotel rAthenee," she answered
md at once resumed her conversation
with Duncombe.
But somehow the thread was broken.
Duncombe found himself watching the
little gray man opposite. who ate and
| drank so sparingly. who talked only
when he was spoken to and yet who
| seemed to be taking keen but covert
interest In everything that went on
about him. Her father! There was no
likeness-no shadow of likeness. Yet
Duncombe felt almost personal inter-
est in him. They would know one an
other better some day, he felt
| $50 you have been in Paris lately?"
| he asked her suddenly.
| She nodded. "For few days"
Il arrived from there barely a week
ago." be remarked.
81 hate the placer she answered
Talk of something else'
And he obeyed.
The second Interruption came from
Andrew. During momentary lull in
i the conversation they heard his firm
clear voice talking.
My time was up yesterday, but
find so much to interest me down here
that / think / shall stay on for few
more days II my host remains as hos
pitable as ever"
$50 much to interest him." she muir
INJURED. care not all places the same
to the blind? What does he mean?"
"He is not really blind" Duncombe
answered, lowering his voice. HE car
see things very dimly. The doctor has
told him that If he wears those glasses
for few more months he may be able
to preserve some measure of eyesight
Poor chapw
"He does not attract me, you
| friend" she said little coldly. "Wha
can he find to interest him so muci
here? Do you see how he keeps hi:
head turned this way? 1t is almos
as though he wished to listen to wha
we were saying"
'There Is a sort Of reason for that,
Duncombe answered. "Shall l explain
litY
"Dow
pelham lives, as think told you
in a small country house near Raynes
ham," Duncombe began. ''The hall ii
his village was occupied by youn,
mana boy, really-and his sister
Early in the year the boy, who hat
never been abroad, thought that h,
would like to travel a little in Europe
He wandered about some time in Ger
many and Austria and was coming
home by Paris. Suddenly all letter.
from him ceased. He did not return
He did not write. He drew no money
from his letter of credit. He simpl!
disappeared"
| The girl was proceeding tranquil.
with her dinner. The story SO far dix
not seem to interest her.
| "His sister, who went over to Parll
to meet him, found herself quite alon,