Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-25

.IVho and achdt is the glorious stra7,-
gerY" she asked.
a very pretty girl down and across the
table from me. Miss Anne Elliott's at.
tractiye voice had previously enabled
me to recognize her as the young wo-
man who had threatened to serenade
Les Trois Pigeons.
81 beg your pardon" said, address
ing her.
Il hear you're at Les Trois Pigeons
said Miss Elliott.
"Yes?"
.'Would you mind telling us some
thing of the mysterious Narcissus"
eff you'll be more definite" return.
ed in the, tone of a question.
81 mean a recklessly charming vision
with white tie and white hair and
white fannels," she said.
"Oh," said I, "hes not mysterious"
t'But he. u.s." she returned. II insist
on his being mysterious, rarely, grand
ly, strangely mysterious! You will
let me think 500" This young lady
had whimsical manner of emphasiz-
ing words unexpectedly. with breath
less intensity that approached violence,
a habit dangerously contagious among
nervous persons, so that l answered
slowly out of fear that might echo
it.
"Hes a young American, very at
tractive, very simple"
''But he's mad!" she interrupted.
ooh, not" / said hastily.
tBut he is. A person told me so in
garden this very afternoon" she
went on eagerly-"a person with a
rake and ever so many moles on his
chin. This person told me all about
him. His name is Oliver Saffren, and
he's in the charge of a very large doc
tor and quite, quite mad"
tJean Ferret, the gardener" I said
deliberately and with venom, "is fast
acquiring notoriety in these parts as
an idiot Of purest ray, and he had his
Information from another whose con-
tinuance unhanged is every hour more
miraculous"
"How ruthless Of you," cried Miss
G4AOCCS /" ALh C-AofoSSA oSSA ASPAos&SA
''when l have had such thrilling
happiness all day in believing that
riotously beautiful creature mad! If
he isn't, why does he have an enor-
nous doctor with him?"
''This is romancew retorted. '"The
doctor is Professor Keredec, illustri-
ously known in this country, but not
as physician, and they are following
some form of scientific research TO-
gether."
The windows had been thrown open,
allowing passage to veranda. Miss
Elizabeth led the way outdoors with
the prince. caught final glimpse Of
Mrs. Hartman, which revealed that she
was looking at me with tensity,' but
with the movement Of intervening
groups lost her. Miss Elliott point
eddy waited for me until 1 came round
the table, then attached me definitely
by taking my arm, accompany ns aez
action with dazzling smile.
Tables and coffee were waiting on
the broad terrace below, with a big
moon rising in the sky. l descended
the steps in charge Of this pretty cav
alier, allowed her to seat me at the
most remote of the tables and accepted
without unwillingness other gallantries
of hers in the matter Of coffee and Gig
arettes. "And now" she said-'now.
that I've done so much for your dear
est hopes and comfort, look up at the
milky moon and tell me ALL"
She leaned an elbow on the marble
railing that protected the terrace and,
shielding her eyes from the moonlight
with her hand, affected to gaze at me
dramatically. "Who and what is the
glorious strangerY' she asked.
Resisting an impulse to chime in
with her humor, I gave her so dry
and commonplace an account Of my
young friend at the inn that present
ly found myself abandoned to solitude
again.
II don't know where to go" she
complained as she rose. these other
people are NEST painful to a girl OF
my intelligence, but cannot linger by
your side. Untruth long ago lost its
interest for me. and prefsrsto :belieHe