, 1911-07-13
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
4IESAiI
S COPYRIGHT 1910 <y.
p Xb ODDS
YlHRDTELPuu~

more wakeful than on this night. Thu
eiauHR 81 his triumph. of his success
had no yet worn itself down to a nor
mai and reasoning satisfaction, and
his HE longing was for the day, and
the day after that, and the next day,
when he would take the place of Greg
son and Thorne. Every muscle in his
body was vibrant In its desire for &C.
ton. He looked at his watch. 1t was
only 10 O'Clock. Since supper he had
smoked almost ceaseiessly. Now he
lighted another cigar and stood up
close to one of the windows.
Family he caught the sound of a
step on the board walk outside. 1t
was a light. quick step, and for an in
slant it hesitated. just out of bis
vision. Then it approached. and sud
denly the figure of a woman stopped in
front of the window. How she was
dressed Rowland could not have told
a moment later. All that he saw was
the face white in the white night-a
a on which the shimmering star
light fell as it was lifted to his gaze.
beautiful. as clear cut as q cameo. with
eyes that looked up at him half plead
ingiy. half iuringly, and lips parted.
as If about to speak to him. He stared.
moreless in his establishment, and in
another breath the face was gone.
THE deuce. but she was prettyr'
Rowland said to himself. And those
eyes
Suddenly he checked himself. There
had been more than the eyes, more
than h pretty face. Why had the
girl paused In front of the window?
Why had she looked at him so intent
ly as though or the point of speech?
The smile and the flush left his face as
these questions came to him. and he
wondered If he had failed to compre-
bend something which she had meant
him to understand. After all, might 1t
not have been a case of mistaken iden-
tty? For u moment she had believed
that she recognized him: then. seeing
her mistake. had passed swiftly down
the street.
He walked casually to the door. At
the end of the street. a quarter of a
mile distant. a red light burned feebly
over the front of a Chinese
AZ III q hlttudultdl ldSulOn his IOOI-
steps led him in that direction.
I'LL drop IN and have a cup of tea"
he assured himself.
BE stopped and turned his eyes again
into the north. He wondered as he still
gazing into the infinity OF that
other world beyond the Saskatchewan
If was really quite dead In
Always he had laughed at ro-
nance, Work-the grim reality of &C.
tion. of brain fighting brain. Of clever.
ness pitted against other mems clever
almost brought him to the
point Of regarding romance in life as a
peculiar Illusion of fools-and women
But he was fair in his concessions. and |
he acknowledged that he had
enjoyed the romanc Of what he had |
and heard. And. most of all. his
blood had een stirred by the beauti-
full face that had looked at him from
out of the night.
He passed through the low door of
the restaurant and entered a large
room filed with tables and chairs and
pregnant with strange odors.
"a pot of tea." ordered Rowland.
He slipped his tea leisurely. listening
all the eagerness of the new
of freedom which had taken pos
session of him. The Chinaman had
disappeared when he heard
footsteps on the stair. In another in
a low word Of surprise almost
Ieaped from his lips. Hesitating for
/ moment In the doorway. her face
straight into his own. was the
girl whom he had see through the
hotel window.
For perhaps no more than five sec
)nds their eyes met. Yet in that time
was painted on his memory n
that Rowland knew he would
never forget. His was a nature be
OF the ambition imposed on ir
hat had never taken more than Il
usual interest in the form and fea-
'ure of women. He had looked OF
,eautiful faces and had admired then
n a cool. dispassionate way. judging
hem. when he judged at all. as he
have judged the more material
Of his own hands. But
his face that was framed for a few
,rief moments In the door reached out
o him and stirred an interest within
lin which was as new as II was
,leasura BILE. 1t was a beautiful face
knew hat In a fraction of the first
The girl turned from his gas and
eated herself at a table so that he
aught only her profile. The change
delighted him. From the flush in her
'heeks h.s eyes travelled critically to
he rich glow of the light in her shin
ng brown hair. which swept half over
Ter ears In thick. soft W caught
n a heavy coil low OIL her neck
Then for the first time he noticed her
II puzzled him. Her turban