The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-11-16

I think you're perfect and I'll make
you the happiest woman in the world"
She said flush, hush. Listen,
dear; listen, little boy. am awfully
sorry, but it won't do. I never
thought it would. You'll get over it
all right, though you don't, you can't
believe me now. l can't be poor, you
know; l really couldn't be poor
He interrupted roughly: who says
you'll be? What are you talking
about? Why, I'll cover you with jew
els, sweetheart, if I have to rip the
earth open to get them out"
She understood that Dan believed
Rugg,es' story to have been cock
and-bull one.
"You talk as though you could buy
me, DAN Wait, listen" She put him
back from her. "Now, if you won't be
quiet, I'm going to stop my car
He repeated TELL me, are you
alone in Paris? Tell me. For three
days 1 have wandered and searched
for you everywhere; 1 have hardly
eaten a thing, l don't believe I have
slept a wink" And he told her of his
weary search.
She listened to him, part of the time
her white-Sioved hand giving itself up
to the boy; part of the time both
hands folded together and away from
him, her arms crossed on her breast,
her small shoes of coral kid tapping
the floor of the car. Thus they rolled
leisurely along the road by the Bots.
'Are you alone in Paris, Letty?"
And she said: ooh, what bore you
are! You're the most obstinate crea-
ture. Well, I am alone, but that has
nothing to do with you"
A glorious light broke over his
face; his relief was tremendous.
ooh, thank God!" he breathed.
"Poniotowsky''-an she said his
name with difficulty-"is coming to-
night from Carlsbad"
The boy threw back his bright head
and Laughter wildly.
Course him! The very name makes
me want to commit a crime. He will
go over my body to you. You hear
me, Lefty. l mean what 1 say"
People had already remarked them
as they passed. The actress was too
well known to pass unobserved, but
she was Indifferent to their curiosity
or to the existence of anyone but this
excited boy.
Blair, who had not opened a paper
since he came to Paris, did not know
that Lefty Lanes fight from London
had created a scandal in. the theatri-
cal world, that her manager was suing
her, and that to be seen with her driv-
ing in the Bots was conspicuous
thing indeed. She thought of it, how.
ever.
81 am going to tell the man to urlve
you to the gate on the other side of
the park where it's quieter, we won't
be stared at. and 1 want you to leave
me and let me go to the Meurice
alone. You must, Dan, you must let
ME go to the hotel alone"
He laughed again in the came
strained fashion and forced her hand
to remain in his.
Look here You don't suppose I
am going to let you go like this, now
that have seen you again You don't
that infamous scoundrel? You have
got to marry me"
Bringing all her strength of charac-
/ ter to bear, she exclaimed: Il expect
you think you are the only person who
! has asked me to marry him, Dan.
am going to marry Prince Ponio-
towsky. He is perfectly crazy about
me-
Until that moment she had not
made him think that she was indiffer-
ent to him, and the idea that such a
thing was possible, was too much for
his overstrained heart to bear. Dan
cried her name in a voice whose ap-
peal was like a hurt creatures. and
as the hurt creature in its suffering
sometimes springs upon its torturer,
he flung his arms around her as she
sat in the motor, held her and kissed
her, then set her free, and as the
motor flew along, tore open the door
to spring out or to throw himself out,
but clinging to him she prevented his
mad act. She stopped the car along
the edge of the quiet, wooded alice.
BlalT saw ludI lie udu l6IIluS0 nCl
She covered her beating heart with
her hands and gasped at him that he
was crazy, crazy" and perhaps lit
tie late his dignity and self-possession
returned
81 am mad" he acknowledged more
calmly, 'and l am sorry that fright
ened you. But you drive me mad
Without further word he got out
and left her agitated, leaning toward
him, and Blair, less pale and thor
oughly the man, lifted his hat to hel
and, with unusual grace, bowed good
night and good-by. Then, rushing as
he had come, he walked off down
through the alice, his gray figure in
his gray clothes disappearing through
the vista of meeting trees.
For a moment she stared after him
her eyes fastened on the tall, slender
beautiful young man. Blair's fire and
ardor, his fresh youthfulness, his pro
{. lection and his chivalry, his ardent de
votion, touched her profoundly. Tears
fell, and one splashed on her white
glove Was he really going to ruiz