The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-12-16
By
HAROLD
MAC GRATH
Copyright. 1908. by the Bobbs-
Merrill Co.

il this mar only saw the affair from
her angle of vision. the grotesQue hui
NOR Of it and not the common vulgar
intrigue. She hesitated. as well she
might. Supposing that eventually he
found out who she was? That would
never, never do. No one must know
that she was in America. about to STEP
into the widest of wild adventures
No; she must not be found out. The
king. who had been kind to her. and
the court must eve know. From
their viewpoint they would have de
clared hat she was about to tarnish
q distinguished name. to outrage the
oldest aristocracy In Europe. the
court Of Italy. But she had her own
opinion; what she proposed to do was
In itself harmless and innocent. But
this gentleman who leaned out Of the
window? She had seen the match
fare in the young mans face. Was
1t the face she had seen In that flash
Of light that interested her sufficiently
to risk the note? Against the dark OF
the night it had appeared for an in
slant, clean. crisp. rudy as a cameo.
The face warranted confidence.
She had sung because she had been
happy, happy with that transient hap
piness which at times was her portion.
Could she ever judg" another man by
his looks? She believed not. How
she had run! The man, bareheaded,
giving chase and the burly policeman
across the street!
She stepped down from the alcove.
wound the gray veil round the riding
crop and tossed them into a corner.
Somehow in the daylight the magic
was gone from his face. for she had
recognized him that first day in the
park. He rode well. She touched a
bell. A maid appeared.
"Bettina. you will go to the Office Of
this newspaper and INQUIRE for a letter
addressed to Nine. Angot. And be
quick. for l may change my mind"
The maid was back in a half hour
"There was a letter. then?" Tie
points were dancing again in the blue
eyes.
you may go. Perhaps" and Betti
mas mistress smiled-"perhaps | mas
let you read it and answer it after .
am done with it. That would be
rather neat"
The slight nod was a dismissal, and
the maid went about her duties, which
were not many in this house.
Meanwhile the lady with the vene-
tan hair toyed with the letter. Club
paper. Evidently he was not afraid to
trust her. But would he amuse her?
The contents gave her a genuine sur
prise. She ran to the window. ltal-
ian. 1t was written In Italian. with
all the tiouriShcs of an Italian born.
She turned to the signature-Hillard
So he had signed his name in full:
She ruminated. How came such n
name to belong TO a man who wrote
italian so beautifully? She looked at
the signature again. John-Giovanni.
She would call him Giovanni. She
had been rather clever. To have
had the wit to look in the library
for the blue book and the clu'
list-nOt every woman would have
thought of that. Then n new inspira-
ton came to her. She sen Bettina
for the card basket. She scattered the
contents upon the floor and sat down
Turkish wise. She sorted the cards
carefully. and. 10. she was presently re-
warded. She held up the card in tri-
umph. He had called at this house OF
Thanksgiving day. He was known.
then. to the master and mistress. Very
good. She now gave her full attention
to the letter. which she had not yet
perused;
To the Lady in the Fog:
To begin with. let me say that |. too.
have laughed. But there was some degree
Of chagrin in my laughter. on my word
Of honor. IL was a distinct shock to my
sense of dignity when saw that idintic
personal of mine in the paper II il my
first offense OF the kind. and ! am really
ashamed. But the situation was not ordl-
nary. Ordinary women do not sing ~
the streets after midnigh'. As you could
not possibly be ordinary. my ofens' has
greater magnitude. To indite a personal
to a gentlewoman' A thousand pardonS'
l doubted that II would come under Nour
notice. and. even IL IL did. | was sure that
you NOuIu ignore IL 10 UUO a No'IlfN
with an appreciable sense of humor IL
rare. To find one who couples this with
initia ton is rarer still. How YOU found
out my name confuses me.
Indeed" murmured the lady.
Doubtless you have the club list in your
house. DO you know, when the letter was
brought me ! saw nothing unusual about
the address. IL vas only when began
this letter that | comprehended how clev-
er you were There are half a dozen
]. HIS at the club ] tell YOU trutifullv
over my own name that your voice star
tied me
/. was startled because my thoughts
were far away. was drea ming Of ftalv.
where was born, though there IL no
more Italian blood in my veins than there
Is in yours.
."N'hat made him think that, ] won
der"