The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-29

versation, as usual turned to the alb
sent one.
There is still the portrait, which
Messieurs have not SEEN" suggest
ed Ernestine.
Not that; no, not that! How
could you think of IT," cried Mad.
anne. "Ernestine' 1t Is of al things
the worst, | have guarded that so
it might not give a wrong impress
sion to Messieurs'
you have a portrait?" | asked
with interest.
Such little one" replied Mad
anne deprecating, and it shows not
/ the blue of the eyes, nor the eX-
preston of the mouth | am ashamed
of it,"
But you must show it," | cried,
1T is at least something to go by"
And then | broke off, for | had
nearly disclosed the fact that Gay
les ana were Stdl ulllS,
1t Was enough, however Madame
Leboisegnet saw that we wished to
see the picture, and our desire was
in itself almcst equivalent to
command Ernestine returned carry
ing little daguerrotype, which she
laid in my hand.
II represented a young girl rest
ing gracefully against an artificial
rock, a beautiful girl in the flush
OF youth.
After an interval, | commanded
myself, and passed ii to Gay,ey He
did not recognize it. and so did the
talking for both of us. When We
were again in our room | told him
what knew of the picture, and
when it WAS taken, and OF the girl
who called herself Gabrielle.
Hence, the fifty francs a month";
concluded Gayley bitterly.
We've at least something to go
on said |
"Oh, We can find her now. The
Ques ion is, do We want to-"
We discussed the question, and
concluded finally that We did. for
our discovery of her need not he
communicated to the Leboisegnets
unless circumstances warranted.
Il, is not dinicuit to discover the
whereabouts Of a file entretenue,"
said Gayley. Paris is large, but the
coterie of such a girl is small
think | know just where to GO
1T may take a little time" he
replied, in answer to my question.
but you know there's Maxim's, the
Jardin de Paris, Ambassadeurs. Mou-
lin Rouge. and the theatres. If she's
at all well-known, she'll be at one of
those places sooner or later, or I'll
find some one who has seen her
there"
"All right" said Gayley.
| do not know whether or not
Madame Leboisegnet OWNED the OBJ
ject of Gayley's visit to Paris.
think she did; for all at once she
became quiet, and ceased talking
of her absent daughter altogether.
In the interval, employed my
time in looking up the state OF
affairs in regard to the man who
had lent Madame Leboisegnet the
money 1t was as suspected. He
had presumed, at first a little. then
more, on the credulity of the mex.
perienced women. until at the last
he had brought himself well within
the workings of the Usurv Law
| had with him the usual stormy
interview. 1t began with an aston
ishinS flow of words on his part
and ended by the terse statement
OF uncompromising conditions on
mine AS a result. | was shortly en-
W NlNsiA Aht utDN tullTpIN.
This was a matter of the utmost
importance to Madame. 1t made all
the difference between poverty and
at least an ability to get along com
iortably. And yet she said little. ana
| noticed that fact less.
Gayley's continued absence did not
perpleX me. He is one of those men
who never put pen to paper mere
ly for the sake OF explaining that
they have nothing to impart. 1 un.
derstood that news was lacking.
Our little household settled back
into something like routine again. |
The great yellow sun climbed the |
heavens toward the north. One by
one the birds became silent in the |
of the stiller Joys OF |
paternity. The noon-day shadows
rrept close under the motionless
trees and nut in tho IittI, ,o,.I,,,