The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-12-23
BY
HAROLD
MAC GRATH
Copyright. 1908. by the Bobbs.
Merrill Co.

morning. II looked racler paIHe1.a -
/ I'm writing you against my better udg
ment. Yes. l know your name. l find
that / am well acquainted with people
you know. / am a woman who often sur
renders to the impulse of the moment l
may or may not answer any future letter
from you. You write very good Italian,
but 1t will surprise you to learn that l de-
test all things that are Italian. Once i
loved them well. Why should you wish to
know me-? Our ways are as divergent as
the two poles. Happy because l sing?
There are some things over which we
can sing or laugh, but Of which we can
not speak without crying. Happy or un-
happy, what can this matter to you? To
you l shall always remain the lady in
the fog. Are you rich, young, talented?
I care not In the least. Perhaps 1t amuses
me to add to your confusion. Fine me?
I think not. Misguided energy!
Hillard put the letter away, extin-
guished the lights and passed up to
his room. This was a direct challenge.
He would accept it. This time he
would use no personal to tell her that
a letter awaited her. She should make
the inquiries herself. And from the
mail clerk he would obtain a descrip-
ton of the elusive Nine. Angot. Next
morning he rode In the park with
Merrihew. Again he saw the yelled
lady on the Sanford black. Out Of
normal curiosity he telephoned the
stables and made inquiries. The reply
was short. No one at the stables knew
the lady, but she rode the horse on
proper authority.
That night he wrote:
shall keep on writing till you cease to
reply. Let me be frank with you. l am
bored. So are you. The pleasure you de-
rive in keeping up this mystery engages
you. You bid me to find you. l accept
the challenge. You must understand at
once that it is the mystery that interests
me. 1t Is the unknown that attracts me.
l am mentally painting you in all sorts
Of radiant colors. You defy me to find
you. There is nothing SO reliable as the
unexpected, nothing so desperately UNI
certain as a thing assured. l warn you
that l shall lay all manner Of traps. way
lay your messengers, bride them. / shall
find out where you live. The rest will be
simple.
She replied:
I have no desire to alleviate your con-
fessed boredom. Your persistence would
be praiseworthy II we'll directed. Waters
'~~ N'N SNO't N"S WAN 49,
marble, but a woman Is not moved till
she wishes to be. l never thought that l
should dabble in an intrigue of this sort.
and / am surprised at the amusement II
affords me. L really owe you some graft
tude. The few / have met who know you
tell me that you are a mice young IN.
Every maj has some portion Of self
love. SO his next effort was a pas
sionate denial that he was mice"
When should he meet her? The post
man brought him a letter which con-
tanned one word-Nimmer! He sent
her four pages, a frank and witty de-
scription of himself and his friends.
On the day she received this letter
a cablegram came to her from the far
Mediterranean. Whatever it contained
had the effect to cause all restraint to
disappear from the tone Of her letters.
They became charming, and more and
more Hillard found himself loving a
voice. All his watching, all his traps,
came to no successful end. She was
too clever for him. He sought the mail
department Of the great newspaper;
the clerk couldn't remember, there
were so many calling for mail. Let
tiers passed TO and fro daily now, but
always she declared hat it was i'm
possible for them to meet. No, it was
out Of the question to dine with him in
q restaurant. 1t was equally out Of
the question to cook a dinner where
she lived, as she and her maid dined
at a small restaurant near by. Finally
he nropncn1 IN hripO tho 6innnv all
cooked from the club. Two days went
by without a sign; then the blue letter
anne.
surrender. The most fatal thing in
life is curiosity. 1t has the power to lead
US into all manner of trouble. And l have
my share of curiosity. Remember. you
never would have found me. / may dwell
in a garnet; | may sbe hideous; perhaps
nothing remains TO me but my voice.
And now the terms. And II you do not
follow them confidently and blindly your
dinner will grow cold in the carriage.
Dinner will be at s. Feb. /. At Z a car
riage will call for you. The messenger
will blindfold you. He will then proceed
to the club and take the dinner and bring
you here. BE warned. If you SO much
as lift the corner Of the bandage, the ro-
nance will end then and there. / realize
that / am doing something very foolish
anu uHWise' put' as you say, i LII d W.
man who has seen much Of the world.
Thus l have my worldly side. / shall use
1t as a buffer.
"Blindfolded!" Hillard scrubbed his
chin. All these precautions! Who was
she? What was she? Since there was
no escape, blindfolded he would go.
At half after G on the night of the
LIST Of February, then, he began to
dress. 1t was some time since he had
taken such particular care.
"The signor seems In high spirits
tonight" observed Giovanni as he laid
out the linen.
"Man, I'm happy and greatly ex-
cited. Do-you ~recollect the lady who
| sang under my XlndoXI- am going