Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-02-17
CHAPTER xIlI-continued.

She sat back in the chair and folded
her arms. I had not referred In any
way to her transaction with Gillespie;
/ had never intimated even remotely
that l knew of her meeting with the
infatuated young fellow on st. Aga
thas pier; and I felt that those Incl
dents were ancient history.
at was corking hot this afternoon.
I hope you didn't have too much ten
mis-"
mo; 1t was pretty enough fun" she
remarked, with so little enthusiasm
that l laughed.
"You don't seem to recall your vic
tory with particular pleasure. 1t seems
to me that I am the one to be shy OF
the subject. How did that score
stand?"
II really forget-I honestly do" she
laughed.
That's certainly generous; but
don't you remember, as we walked
along toward the gate after the game,
that you said"
"Oh, can't allow that at all! What
said yesterday or to-day is of no i'm
portance now. And particularly at
night am, likely to be weak-minded,
and my memory is poorer then than at
any ether time"
II am fortunate in having an ex-
cellent memory" 80,
''For example?"
"For example, you are not always
the same; you were different this aft
ernoon; and I must go back to our
meeting by the seat on the bluff, for
the Miss Holbrook of tonight"
That's all in your imagination, Mr..
Donovan. Now, If you wanted to
prove that I'm really"
Helen Holbrook," I supplied, glad
of chance to speak her name.
'ff you wanted to prove that am
who am" she continued, with new
animation, as though at last something
interested her. how should you go
about it?"
please ask me something difficult!
There is, there could be, only one
woman as fair, as interesting, as who'll
iy charming"
Il suppose that is the point at which
you usually bow humbly and wait for
applause; but I scorn to notice any
thing SO commonplace. II you were
going to prove me to be the same
person you met at the Annandale sta
ton, how should you go about it?"
well, to be explicit, you walk like
an angel"
"You are singularly favored in hav-
ing seen angels walk, Mr.. Donovan
There's a popular superstition that
they fly. In my own ignorance l
can't concede that your point is well
taken. What next?"
"Your head is like an intaglio
wrought when men had keener vision
and nimbler fingers than now. With
your hair low on your neck, as it is
tonight, the picture carries back to a
Venetian balcony centuries ago."
That's rather below standard.
What else, please?"
"And that widows peak-I would
risk the direst penalties Of perjury in
swearing to 1t alone"
She shrugged her shoulders. you
are an observant person. That trifing
mark on a woman's forehead is usual
ly considered Disagreement"
"But you know well enough that !
did not mention it with such a
thought. You know it perfectly WE'LL"
INC; foolish one" she said. mock
ingly, "the widows peak can not be
denied. suppose you don't know that
the peak sometimes runs in families.
My mother had it, and her mother be-
fore her."
'sYou are not your mother or your
grandmother; so am not in danger
Of mistaking you"
"Well, what else, please?"
There's the emerald. Miss Pat has
the same ring. but you are not Miss
Pat. Besides, I have seen you both
together"
"sull, there are emeralds and en-
eralds!"
'And then--there are your eyes!"
There are two of them, Mr.. Dono-
van!"
There need be no more to assure
light in a needful world, Miss Hol-
brook"
"Goodl You really have possibili-
ties!"
She struck her palms together in a
mockery of applause and laughed
at me.