Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-06-10
By Louis Joseph Vance


IL SeGllled marc 10 rcullIc uuuL one
must forego it all forever.
Presently he found himself acutely
self conscious. The sensation puzzled
him, and without appearing to do so
he traced it from effect to cause and
found the cause in a woman-a girl,
rather-seated at a table the third re-
moved from him, near the farther wall
of the room.
Too consideratc and too embarrassed
to return her scrutiny openly, look for
look, he yet felt sure that, however
temporarily. he was become the OBJ
ject of her intent interest.
Idly employed with his cigar, he
slipped his coffee. In time aware that
she had turned her attention else
where. he looked up.
At first he was conscious Of an eff
feet of disappointment. She was no
body that he knew, even by reputa-
ton. She was simply a young girl,
barely out of her teens-if as old as
that phrase would signify. He o
dered what she had found in him to
make her think him worth so long a
curious.
With this second glance appreciation
stirred the artistic side of his nature.
that was already grown impatient of
his fretted mood. The slender and girl
1sh figure, posed with such absolute
lack Of intrusion against q screen of
rose and gilt, moved him to critical
admiration. The tinted glow of shaded
candles caught glistening on the spun
gold Of her fair hair enhanced the fine
pallor of her young shoulders.
In the sheer youth of her Che real
ized) more than in aught else lay her
chiefest charm. She could be little
more than a child, indeed, if he We're
to judge her by the purity Of her shad-
owed eyes and the absence of emotion
in the calm and direct look which
presently she turned upon him who
sat wondering at the level, penciled
darkness Of her brows.
At length. aware that she had sur
prised his interest, Kirkwood glanced
aside coolly deliberate lest she should
detect in his attitude anything more
than imperSonal approval.
A slow color burned his cheeks. In
his temples there rose q curious pulls
ing.
After awhile she drew his gaze again
imperiously, herself all unaware Of the
havoc she was wreaking on his tenn
permanent.
Eighteen" he acknowledgement
or possibly nineteen dining at the Pless
in a ravishing dinner gown and I'M
happy? Oh, hardly-not she!"
Yet the impression haunted him, and
ere long he was fain to seek conf1rma-
ton or denial Of it In the manne Of
her escort.
The latter sat with back to Kirk
wood, cutting a figure as negative as
his snug evening clothes. One could
surmise little from a fleshy thick neck,
a round glazed bald spot, q fringe of
grizzled hair and two bright red ears.
Calendar!
Somehow the fellow did suggest
Kirkwood's caller Of the afternoon.
The young man could not have said
precisely how, for he was unfamiliar
with the aspect Of that gentleman's
back. None the less, the suggestion
persisted.
By now a few Of the guests, theater
bound for the most part, were leaving.
Here and there a table stood vacant
that had been filled, cloth furnished,
chairs disarranged, in another moment
to be transformed into its pristine bril-
lance under the deft attentions Of the
servitors.
Down an aisle, past the table at
which the girl was sitting, came two,
making toward the lobby, the man, a
slight and meager young personality,
in the lead. Their party h2d attracted
Kirkwood's notice as they entered
why, he did not remember, but it was
In his mind that then they had been
three. Instinctively he looked at the
table they had left, n placed at some
distance from the girl and hidden from
her by an angle in the wall. 1t ap-
peared tnaC me luiTu meuIpel udu
chosen to daily a few moments over
his tobacco and a liqueur brandy.
Kirkwood could see him plainly loung-
ing in his chair and fumbling the stem
of a glass, a heavy man of somber
habit, his black and sullen brows low
ering and thoughtful above a face
boldly handsome.
The woman of the trio was worthy
Of closer attention. Some PAGES in the
wake Of her lackluster esquire she
was making a leisurely progress, trail
ing the skirts Of a gown magnificent
beyond dispute, half concealed though
it was by the opera cloak whose soft
folds draped her shoulders. Slowly,
carrying her head high, she approach
ed, insolent eyes reviewing the room
from beneath their heavy lids, a metal
lie and mature type Of dark beauty
supremely self confident and self pos
sessed.
Men turned involuntarily to look aft
er her, not altogether in undiluted ad-
miration.
In the act Of passing behind the pu-
tative Calendar she paused momenta-
rily, bending as If to gather up her
A..s I,lx, Tho ootiop Hiof1yrh.