Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-11-24

III the meantime the lamps III the
casino had been extinguished. In the
harbor the yachts stood out white and
spectral. The tram for Nice shrieked
down the incline toward the promon-
tory. At the foot of the road which
winds up to the palaces the car was
signaled. and two women boarded.
Both were yelled. They maintained a
singular silence. At Villefranche they
got out. The women stopped before
the gates of a villa and rang the por-
ter's bell. Once in the room above,
the silence between the two women
came to an end.
Safe! l am SO tired. What a night"!'
the elder of the two women sighed.
What a night truly. | should like
to know what it has all been about.
To run through dark streets and alleys,
to hide for hours. as if | were a thief
or a fugitive from justice. is neither to
my taste nor to my liking"
Kitty" she began sadly, ''in this
world no n trusts us wholly. We
must know why. Loyalty must have
oSoA NhANoA iuuoL udtC ldClS.
You have vowed your love and loyalty
a hundred times. and still when a great
crisis c%onfronts me you question. you
grow angry, you complain, because
my reasons are unknown to you. 1t
was blind terror which made me run.
l counted not the consequences. l
shall tell you why l am lonely, why
the world, bright to you, is dark. 1
am proud. but shall bend my pride.'
With a quick movement she lifted her
head high, and her eyes burned into
Kitty's very heart. Il am
Stop! No. no. l forbid you" Kit
ty put her hands over her ears. She
might gain the secret, but she knew
that she would lose the heart of the
woman it concerned. II am wrong.
wrong. l have promised to follow you
Loyalty. without question. l will keep
that promise. I am only angry be-
you would not let me speak to
MI. Hillard. He is very handsome"
Kitty added thoughtfully. HE is
strong too"
Strong and cruel as a tiger. How
| hate him! But thank you. Kitty;
thank you. Sooner or later. if we stay
together. | must tell you. The conf
dence will do me good" Kitty ap-
preached, and La Signorina drew her
close, II have wrought harm to no
one. But on my side they will tell you
that l have been terribly wronged.
And all | wish is to be left alone.
alone. 1t was cruel of me to forbid
you to speak to Mr.. Hillard. But 1
wish him to recollect me pleasantly,
as a whimsical being who came into
his life one night and vanished out of
it in two hours"
But %supposing the memory cuts
deeply" ventured Kitty. Men fall
in love with less excuse than this"
"Nonsense!' La Signorina opened
the window to air the room. She lin
gered, musing. you are very good to
me, Kitty"
II can't help being good to you, you
strange, lovely woman, for your sake
as well as for mine. Now am going
to write a letter."
La Signorina still fingered by the
window.
Merrihew was pocketing currency in
exchange for his gold when Hillard
passed an open letter to him:
My Dear Mr.. Hillard-Do not seek us.
It will be useless. If Mr.. Merrihew is
with you. tell him that some day I will
explain away the mystery. But this
please make plain to him-if he insists
| lnNn CQ9rnhino for mo ha UviJ or1r 1N,,H1o
my unhappiness.
KITTY KILLIGREW.
Merrihew soberly tucked the letter
away: II knew it," he said simply.
"She is in some trouble or other, some
tangle. and fears to drag us into it
Who left a letter here this mornings"
he asked Of the concierge.
"a small 10y from Villefranche."
Gust my luck" said Merrihew. 81
said that it would be Of no use tc
hunt in the smaller towns. Well, we
had better take the luggage back tc
the rooms. I am going to Vile.
franche."
"You will be wasting time. After
what happened last night I am certain
they will be gone. Let us respect theil
plans. hard as it may seem to you"
"But you?"
ooh. don't bother about me. I have
relegated my little omance to the gar
ret of no account things, at least fol
the present." said Hillard. with ar
enigmatical smile. make up YOU
mind-we have only twenty minutes
"Oh, divine af1atus! And you lay
down the chase so readily as this?'
Merrihew was %scornfully indignant.
81 would travel the breadth Of the
continent were l sure of meeting this
woman. But she has become a will-o'
the-wisp, and l am too old and like
comfort too we'll to pursue impossible
tiles"
"But why did she leave you thai
mask?" demanded Merrihew. "She
must have meant something by that
'True. but for the life Of me I can't
figure out what"
"But I don't like the idea of leaving
Kitty this way without a final effort
to rescue her from the clutches Of this
| f1 ccinatiDp o6vanf11rosS