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

Mollie struck me as so deliciously
nonsensical that could not refrain
from laughing
at is absurd, Clare. Certainly Mol
lie is strictly all right, but she would
look like a mouse beside Mrs. Dace."
She nodded spiritedly.
Now you are talking sense. Like
a nice little white mouse beside
leopardess, exactly" did not Ike
the comparison.
DO you mean to say that Mrs. Dace
is a leopardess?" / demanded with
some warmth. Clare was as cool as
a cucumber.
"Oh, / don't know. Anyway, she is
as beautiful as one. And viewing
her as l have only from distance,
have somehow gained the impression
that there are traits In common be-
tween them. She is so wonderfully
smooth and soft and quiet moving,
you know" She looked up at me side
ways, saw the displeasure that rested
upon my face and broke into laugh
as she gave my cheek pat.
"Of course you must not mind what
say, Tom, dear. l really know al
most nothing about your charmer'
and trust to your level head to take
care of you. Only please do be care
full" So we laughed together and
dropped that subject hard then and
there.
Up to this time the course of no
mans love ever ran smoother than
had mine for Mrs. Dace. Yet 1t was
only a few days after this conversa-
ton with Clare that there happened
a thing so awful to me at the time
that hades itself could have offered
no torture more exquisite. had never
been jealous Of Mrs. Dace for the sim
pie reason that 1 had seen no cause
to be; yet l knew that the fires OF
that passion slumbered within me like
those of latent volcano. The mere
thought of another making love to hei
, was a torment. She had told me thai
. Few men interested her, and the FIRE
quency Of my attendance upon bel
seemed to preclude the idea Of a riva
of consequence lurking in the back
ground. That I was being publicly
exhibited to attract attention ant
!. thus used as a sheep-skin to cloak
real wolf, had never entered my mine
until the thought in all its hideous
ness was forced upon me purely o.
: accident. 1 had spent the evening
7 downtownand was going home at abou
: eleven, when a circumstance occurre
|. to me. A few evenings before, whe
at Mrs. Dace's, she had requested m
!. to open a bottle Of wine, which ha
|. done by means of folding corkscre'
l carried upon my key ring. When
I. had reached my own door later in tn
, evening / had discovered that m
keys were missing, and remembers
at the time that had laid the rim
containing them and the corkscre
a upon the table after opening the DO
! tie. I had forgotten to replace thel
in my pocket, but knowing they wei
perfectly safe, felt no uneasinesi
= told myself that would recover the
- upon MY next visit, and ringing Il
= bell was admitted by Mrs. Tebbets.
: had not seen Mrs. Dace since. an
now on my way home decided to ste
:. of for q moment at the Arcadia, al
: If she or the maid were home wou
claim the keys in order to avoid ID
turbing the housekeeper, who retire
= early. 1 therefore stepped from Il
?, - car at the point where 1t crossed u
~ boulevard upon which she resided al
!, hurried towards her building.
:. CHANGED to be upon the opposite si'
= of the street from my destinatio
y and as / was about to cross the WI
= my steps were arrested by the wal
ing honk of q motor car. Pausing
l the curb 1 watched it's swift approaC
a. its lights glazing like the eyes Of Sol
Nc speeding monster. BY the sire
:. lamps saw that 1t was pondero
~ affair, and pang of regret stabb
me that / was not able to possess
like. Almost as huge as a locomoti
it looked as it rolled to a point OBJ
10 site me, and then suddenly swingi
81 in a close circle stopped in front