The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-12-14

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"Monsieur, Your Nose Annoys Mel"
night, eliminating with his open in
vitation to a challenge from the most
desperate duelist in Europe, had in
spired a volatile vivacity such as not
even the excitement of the Casino had
been potent to create in him. OF all
mad conjectures imaginable the mad
dest was too weird for him to credit in
all else that had happened, in the
course of that short evening, his heart
had been stirred, his emotions played
upon by recrudesence Of a passion
which he had striven with all his
strength to put behind him for time:
he had first heard the voice of the one
woman to whom his love and faith and
honor were irretrievably pledged, he
had then seen her Cor another who re-
markedly resembled herr for the scant-
lest of instants; and finally he had
mysteriously received a letter which
could, he believed, have been convey
ed to him by no other hand but hers.
And now he was persuaded beyond
doubt that the person of the alcove,
the eavesdropper for whose fair repute
he had chosen to risk his life, was no
body in the world but that same one
woman.
But nore than all else, perhaps, he
expected and feared to find the room
deserted; for the balcony outside the
windows afforded a means of escape
too facile to be neglected by one who
wished not to be discovered.
His first definite impression was Of
CONSERVATION and despair; for the
lights had been shut off in his alb
sence. Then quickly he discerned,
with eyes dazed by the change from
the lighted hallway to the lightless
chamber, the shadowy shape of wom-
an, motionless between him and the
windows, waiting.
An electric switch was at his ell
bow. With single motion he could
have drenched the place with light.
For an instant tempted, some strange
scruple of delicacy, abetted it may be
by his native love of romantic mystery.
stayed his hand.
"Madame," said he, cor mademoi.
selle, whichever We may be-the win
dows are open, meself's not OBTAINING
We. II ye choose, We may go; but
ye'd favor me by going quickly. .
I give ye," he continued, seeing that
she neither moved nor replied, 'this
one chance. In thirty seconds I turn
on the lights"
The woman did not STIR; but he
thought he could detect in the still
ness her quickened breathing.
what we've taken," he amended
"I'd thank We to leave as ye go-if ye
came to steal. IT'S little l have to
lose. 5.
There was no answer.
He touched the switch with an i'm
patient hand, stepped forward single
pace, caught himself up and stopped
short, now pale and trembling who had
calm.
"Beatrix!" he cried thickly.
Dumbly his wife lifted her arms and
offered herself to him, unutterably
lovely, unspeakably radiant. =.
1t were worse than waste of time
to attempt a portrait of her as she
seemed to him. Seen through her hus
bands eyes, her beauty was incompar
able, immaculate, too rare and fine, toe
delicate thing to be bodied forth in
words, dependent upon the perfection
of no single feature. Not in her hair
fair as sunlight on the sea, not in hel
eyes of autumnal brown, not In thu
wonderful fineness Of her skin or in
the daintiness of her features, not IL
the graciousness Of her body, did hi
ind the beauty Of her that surpassed
expression, but in the love she borl
him, in the sweetness Of her inviolate
soul, in the steadfastness OF her im
pregnable heart.
But it's doubtful IL ever he had an
alyzed his passion for her SO minute
ly. Mostly, think, at that moment o.
her abrupt disclosure to him, he long
ed unutterably for her lips and thu
proffered wreath round his neck of hel
slim, round, white arms.
Yet he would not. Trembling though
he was, with every instinct and ever,
fiber of his being straining toward her
with the hunger for her q keen pain IL
his heart, he held himself back; or hi
conception Of honor held him back
That which he had voluntarily forfeit
ed and put away from him for his hon
or's sake. he would not take bacl
though it were offered freely to him
80" he said, after bit. shakilyi
then pulled himself together, an,
4 - a. a \ fAaNa .