Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-19

frame he and Beaumano1r
behind the door. She not fully alive yet to
the real menace of the gesticulating mob surgng in
the street beneath, and her thoughts riot in the
newly discovered paradise of being loved and in love.
For Alec has asked questions, listened to
plantations. When he entered the room, he found
her, half turned from the window conscious that he
was near, though trying to persuade her throbb1ng
heart that Felix would not depart from implied
promise by sending him to her without warning
She strove to utter some words of greeting Before
she could speak, Alec's round her and
he kissing her lips her forehead, her hair. She
him through mist Her first fleeing inn
preston was that he had become older, sterner,
more commanding. Kingship had set its seal on
him. A short month OF power had stamped lines on
his face that would vanish. But that sense OF
1mperouSneSS was quickly d1Speed by the enchant-
ment of her presence.
Somehow, almost without spoken word, he brought
the thrilling conviction that he hungering for
her. The light in his eyes. the overwhelming ardor OF
his embrace, the magnetic force that eaped the in
tervenng space while yet they were separated by
half the length of the room,-these things Devil
dered, charmed, subdued her wholly, and she kin
died under them ere her brain could summon to aid
the feebleSt of remonStrances.
She abandoned the nebulous idea of protest when
she found that she in turn clingng to him. giving
kiss for kiss with derious intensity that refused to
be denied. Nevertheless the sheer joy of her emo
tions frightened her, and she was endeavoring to
subdue its too ardent expression when Beaumanoir
opened the door. to close it again hurriedly. She
recovered her faculties slowly She was still CULVER
ing under the stress of that moment of ineable de-
a
soul on fire, and she was brought back to earth only
by the knowledge that Felix, standing at his post
window, on the verge of collapse
THE sideboard contained flask of brandy which
Pauline had insisted on slowing in dressing bag
in of illness. Joan, glad of the pretext to do
some commonplace thing. thankful for the mere ut
terance of commonplace words. called for help
Please the table for instant, she
cried: Felix is i'll, and want to get at some cognac
that is in the cellarette.'
Ill! He lively enough in the street minute
ago, singing like thrush said Alec cheerily,
though he did not fail pull the table clear of the
demanded, turning to Pousk Is it surfet of
excitement, or late hours, WHAT"
Il am yielding to the unusual my King" cracked
the Poles voice thinly. During three whole days
have done naught but think and that would incom-
mode elephant, leave alone rat like me-
Rat, indeed! When we are all out OF this trap,
exercise of brain power Already you have bothered
to guess how you fathomed the pretty scheme
you upsetting
There, dear Felix, drink that and you will soon
feel strong again put in Joan.
Ha dear Felix, am II 1 expected to be called
anything but that after breaking my word SO dis
gracefully"
You are forgiven" said she with tender smile
at Alec
Beaumanoir discreetly peeping through the win
dow Poluski's shoulder something that per-
picked him.
Il say. Alec, he exclaimed, Il thought you told
that StampOff's man Bosko thoroughly re-
liable sort of chap"
Il have always found him So
Well just at present he looks jolly like deserter.
He is making speech to the mob and tearing off his
uniform obligato. The other joker is scared to
DEATH
"Bosko making speech! Why, he never says
anything but ON, monsieur, or Non, monsieur,
which is all the French he knows Well this is day
of wonders, anyhow"
NEGLECTING the precautions he had insisted on
~ a minute earlier, Alec himself went to the Win
dow and drew Joan with him. There two other
windows in the ROOM but the four clustered in the
deep recess for the thick walls of this old build
ing meant to defy extremes of heat and cold.