The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-09-04
THE FATAL
|[A|[Ul[;] ][7 |
By CHARLES GARVlCE.
Copyright. 1909. by George n. ooran
Company
CHAPTER XIII.
The Voice.

rang tin Ronald's sars and set
every nerve GuiNering. Could it
be Cara's voice? 1t seemed impos-
sibe that 1t could be and yet,
could he be mistaken As regards the
voice of the woman he loved? He
fought hard for se'tcontrpl, for
composure; for the woman beside
him was regarding him with wist-
ful curiosity anxiety.
The drove to little restaurant
in the hills, and had some lunch
and by this time Ronald had re-
covered from his agitation sufficient
to play his part as host but even
while he was talking to the Prin-
cess, he was haunted by that sweet,
sad voice. and was asking himself
whether il was possible that the
Count could be Lemuel Raven. Ca
ra's father. 1t seemed wildly i'm.
probable, too improbable for the
most fal~fetched of melodramas--
Ronald had not yet learned that
truth ever was, is and will be
more strange than liction.-and yet,
why not If the Count were the
man who had kept Cara a prisoner
on the island, and had stolen the
treasure. he had plenty of money
to buy palatial villas, live like
prince, land stake thousands pt
Monte Carlo. At any rae, he. Ron
aid, would soon find out, by fair
means or foul, whether the girl
whose voice he had heard was
Cara or not.
+ He was tortured by the sus-
pense. by the feevrish longing TO go
to the villa and demand admittance;
with almost a feverish desire to be
alone, to think out some plan. As
warmth of the afternoon, and ap
preached the villa, he grew silent,
and his face became so stern, so
fixed, with his repressed emotion,
tina, the Princess glanced at him
and sighed .a..
What are you thinking of, Ron
nie?" she asked. you haven't an
swered my last two remarks-it's
true they weren't worth "a response
and you look so strange and alb
sorbed Are you thinking of some
one who is absent, some one you
wish were here-instead of me-"
she added softly.
Ronald was more than half in
clined to tell her; but he resisted
the temptation. The matter-Cara's
safety. deliverance-was too serious
for confidence. No, he could mo-
tell her.
I'm sorry" he said 81 was
thinking of trouble l had gone
through, am going through but |
mustn't bore you with it,"
do you think 1t would bore me-"
she asked, with a wistful. pathetic
little smile. DO you think, If |
We're offered my choice OF happi
ness, that | shouldn't say at once
Give me a share of Ronald Des-
borough's troubles md his joys?
All, you don't understand n woman,
Ronnie To share the mans trouble
is her privilege. perhaps the most
precious she has. But you shall not
tell me unless you like. Some day
you may want to do so; and then
-ah then we shall see,"
He forced himself to tighten the
tone of their conversation; they
reached her hotel; he would not
go in with her. and at once be took
a carriage and drove 10 the villa.
He had formed no plan, devised no
means of arriving at the truth and,
Just as Dexter Reece had done. he
passed slowly before the gates and
ness; should he ring the bell
and ask for the Count? He knew
that It would be useless to do so;
and yet he could not resist the
desire.
He pulled at the bell, which clang
ed in muffled fashion. suggestive,
TO his overwrought mind. of secre-
cy and mystery; and the burly gate
keeper came from the lodge and
surveyed him through the gate.
rs the Count within?" asked Ron
aid. in his broken Italian.
The man replied in the negative T.
and held out his hand for card. |
Ronald pretended to search for
one; then said:
mo matter I will call again, !
-, bf