The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-10-10
(continued.)

ne COulu HUI IcpI CSS tuC INV
ejaculation of establishment that
came to his lips, and as his COM
panion litter her cup he saw in her
face again the look that had stirred
him SO strangely when he stood in
the window of the Hotel Windsor.
Rowland was not a man educated
in the trivialities Of chance flirta-
lions. He lacked finesse, and now
he spoke boldly and to the point,
the honest cando, of his gray eyes
shining full on the girl.
Il saw you from the hotel win
dow tonight" he began, "and some
thing in your face led me to believe
that you were in trouble. That is
why l have ventured to be so bold.
I am an engineer in charge of the
new Hudson Bay Railroad, just on
my way to LIE Pas from Chicago.
I'm stranger in town. I've never
been in this-this place before. It's
very nice tea-room, an admirable
blind for the opium stalls behind
those wall"
In a few terse words he had COW
cred the situation, as he would
have covered a similar situation in
business deal. He had told the
girl who and what he was, had re-
vealed the cause of his interest in
her, and at the same time had CIV
en- her to understand that he was
aware of the nature of their pres
ent environment. Closely he
watched the effect of his words
and in another breath was sorry
that he had been so blunt. The
girls eyes travelled swiftly about
her; he saw the quick rise and
fall of her bosom, the swift fading
OF the color in her cheeks, the af
frighted glow in her eyes as they
came back big and questioning to
him.
II didn't know" she wrote quick
lily, and hesitated. Her face was as
white now as when Rowland had
looked on it through the window.
Her hand trembled nervously and
for an instant her lip quivered in a
way that set Howland's heart
pounding unanimously within him.
Il am stranger, too" she added.
II have never been in this place
before. l came because"
She stopped, and the catching
breath in her throat was almost
sob as she looked at Rowland. He
knew that it took an effort for her
to write the next words.
Il came because you came"
'Why?" he asked. His voice was
low and assuring Tell me-
why?"
He read her words as she wrote
them, leaning half across the ia
BILE in his eagerness.
Il am stranger" she repeated.
Il want some one to help me- Ac-
cidentally I learned who you were
and made up my mind to see you at
the hotel but when l got there
was afraid to go in. Then l saw
you in the window. After a little
you came out and I saw you enter
here. l didn't know what kind of
place it was and l followed you.
Won't You please go with me-to
where / am staying-and l will tell
yOu-"
She left the sentence unfinished,
her eyes pleading with him. With
out a word he rose and seized his
hat.
Il will go, Miss" He laughed
frankly into her face, inviting her
to write her name. For moment
she smiled back at him, the color
frightening her cheeks. Then she
turned and hurried down the stair.
Outside Rowland gave her his
arm. His eyes, passing above her,
caught again the Turing play of the
| aurora in the north. He flung
back his shoulders. drank In the
fresh air, and laughed in the buoy
ancy Of the new life that he felt.
'It's glorious night" he ex-
claimed.
The girl nodded, and smiled up at
him. Her face was very near to
his shoulder, ever more beautiful
in the white light of the stars.
They did not look behind them.
Neither heard the quiet fall of
moccasined feet dozen yards
away. Neither saw the cleaning
eyes and the thin, dark face of Jean
Croisset, the half-breed, as they
walked swiftly in the direction of
the Saskatchewan