Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-05-24
CHAPTER v-tcontinued.)


Nc, have come at last. ! was
-.-y,,,s impatient. / was lonesome
,.n,ght and wanted some one to talk
!. ,e-preferably you. Do you know,
t,d been thinking Of you just be-
49, YOU called me up. Perhaps 1t
- thought transmission that made
von ring me q moment later. Who
srous7" She laughed unsteady as !
,.ot her fingers and bent my lips to
hem.
aMrs. Dace, thought transmission
4. rsmind me Of you would be grossly
unerduous. am going to be per-
,s,tly plain with you. 1t is barely pos
.,hIs that have thought Of something
.lse since saw you last, but IL l have
Al not now remember what 1t was.
poweyer, you fatter me-" She with
Anew her hand with a sudden avert
ne az her eyes, smiling again.
aNo II was not flattery. / also am
plain person and do not speak In
.ersbles. Besides, what harm to
sh,nk Of ones friends?" She half
trusd an easy chair for me and !
seated myself in 1t. my eyes running
crer the room. The quiet richness OF
~ furnishings was a revelation. Elk
cuis,te taste was in the very air.
Several of the darkly rich pictures
we're either original masterpieces or
comics SO cleverly executed that l
eorld not detect the difference. The
oriental vases were magnificent to-
kens Of barbaric art, and were over
soving with great clusters Of blood
nd roses. The furniture was Of the
handsomest and the tapestries heavy
and rich. AS to Mrs. Dace's income
I had no knowledge, but at least her
spsrtments were high of rental and
eouipped with extravaganza. For
some reason. Richard Mackay's name
came creeping through my mind like
an evil thing, and l squirmed inward
j ct the thought. l had never seen
the mans face outside of the papers
but that in itself was enough. While
4 was not unhandsome In a strong
snlmal way, the stamp Of vice was In
delibIe upon It. 1t seemed a sacri
lege to even mention his name in con
nection with that of this exquisite
woman, for his reputation was Al
contzminating as his personality was
poisonous. Furthermore, he wa:
married.
It Is not my intention to go further
INTO the particulars of my private af
fairs with Mrs. Dace than is neces
rsry for complete understanding o
the circumstances which surrounded
the mysterious crime against m.
uncls Briefly, will say that In tn
next month we were much together
and most Of the time alone. Sh'
seemed to prefer II that way; l cer
tainly did, and under those auspiciou
surroundings our friendship rapid,
thlckened. 1t was a delirious time t
ne, wherein during the days walke
Ike one In a trance when apart fror
her: dreamed rapturously of her b
night and was in a chafing fever @
discomfort when not by her side. O
Bruce's dragon ] saw nothing, Will
q for other would-be suitors, she tao
tally kept them at bay. Having o.
eesion to notice this, and Of cours
being secretly delighted by It, l me-
ertheless one day asked her why SD
summed those who wished to pay he
attentions. She stified a yawn b
hind her handkerchief.
Most men bore me-" she answers
quietly. leaned closer.
I wish you to tell me frankly
And DO II"
She swayed away from me slight,
not answering. her cheeks swept B
her falling lashes and her bcsol
swelling to its round fullness. ] DIRE
20 close that her soft hair brushed N
iace. 'Matie-4ell me-" pleaded.
Her eyes, In whose fathomlei
depths the soul of any man might we
have been drowned, looked up at m
she smiled and one hand fell feathe
light upon my own. setting evel
nerve to tingling as harp vibrat'
when swept broadcast by hand. Al
ss an earthwork is annihilated by
cioudburst. so was all my restrai
swept away by the food Of passi'
mat arose within me; my blood lea
ing like mountain torrent and q
heart fighting It's way to my thro'
Not stopping to think what ] said
aid. scarcely realizing; only KNOWN
nat | loved this creature with pa
mon that would no longer be &C
uoued, ! crushed her to me and he
her helpless as | rained kisses up
ner eyes and lips and cried out I
love Tor her in broken, half-cohere
sentences. She did not resist, and
coubt II | would have known 1t b
kne done so. such was the intensity
ny fervor. Nor did she respond
me least. and when my first ard
had exhausted itself and my arms
Mxed she quietly broke away frt
me Her face was flushed and
nalr disordered, but her voice was
MIN ~ the 6rst time she ever spo