Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1909-10-07

>>>>>>>>>>>>>%>>>>>>>>-
"Cigars. then"
But they both played very indif.
ferent game. At 1890 Merrihew's
eyes began to haunt the clock and Hill
lard grew merciful for various rea-
sOns.
What time does the performance
endY" he asked.
AT 1880. but 1t takes about twenty
minutes to scrape off the makeup"
Merrihew put his cue In the rack.
He made off for the coat room.
Hillard laughed and went up to the
writing room to fulfill part Of his
destiny. He took the letter out and
read 1t again. He replaced the letter
IN its blue covering. and then for the
hrst time his eye met the superscrip-
tion Like man entranced he sat
there staring. The steward had
brought the letter to him. and In his
first excitement this had made no i'm
preston upon his mind. He had seen
nothing peculiar nor strange And
here it was. not his initials, but his
name in full.
She knew who he was!
In fashionable quarter of the CITY
there stood brownstone house. with
grotesque turrets. winding steps and
elaring polished red tiles. There
was a touch Of the gothic. OF the
renaissance, of the old English man.
or; just touch. however. a kind
OF blind mans buff Of house. A
very rich man lived here. but for ten
months In the year he and his family
nuttered about the social centers OF the
world. And, with a house like this on
his hands. one could scarce blame him.
Twice week during this absence a
caretaker came in. fourished a feather
buster and went away again. Society
reporters always referred to this house
as 1.-The palatial residence"
This morning a woman stood In the
alcove window and looked down into
the glistening street. The venetian
red of her hair trapped the reflected
sunlight from the opposite windows.
and two little points Of silver danced
In her blue eyes. All. but her eyes
were blue-blue as spring water in the
morning. blue as the summer sky seen
through cleft in the mountains, blue
as lapis lazuli. with the same tbers of
gold. And every feature and contour
OF the face harmonized with the mar
velous hair and the wonderful eyes: a
beautiful face, warm. dreamy, engag-
Ing mobile. 1t was not the face of
worldly woman: neither was 1t the
face of girl 1t was too emotional
enough control for the first
But the prophecy Of laughter did not
come to pass. The little wrinkles faded.
the mouth grew sad. and the silver
points no longer danced In her eyes
The pain in her heart was always
shadowing. She had seen her fairest
dream beaten and crumpled upon the
reef of disillusion.
Yet again the smile renewed itself
She twisted and UNFINISHED the news
paper. Should she? Ought she? Had
she not always regretted these singu-
lar impulses? And yet what harm to
read this letter and return 1t to the
sender? She was so lonely here. 1t
was like being among strange people.
SO long ago was it that her foot had
touched this soil. Was 1t possible that
she was twenty-five? Was there not
some miscount. and was it not fifteen
instead? Would not this war of wis
dom and folly be decided ere long?
She opened the paper and smoothed
out the folds. Mime. Angot-There
is letter for you in the mail depart
ment of this Office" 1t was SO droll.
1t was unlike anything she had ever
heard OLA personal inquiry column.
where Cupids and Psyches billed and
cooed. The merest chance had thrown
the original inquiry under her notice.
Her answer was an impulse to which
she had given no second thought till
too late. She ought to have ignored
1t. But she was lonely: the people she
knew were out of town. and the Jest
might amuse her.
This man was in all probability a
gentleman. since he was a member of
a gentlemen's club. But second thought
convinced her that this proved nothing.
Men are often called gentlemen out of
compliment to their ancestors. Sl.n,
II this man only saw the affair from
her angle of vision. the grotesque hui
NOR OF 1t 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
tnat 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 never know. From
their viewpoint they would have de-