Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-05-16
SCOTT

ION one condition" l said.
cts granted. Name 1T
THAT you be nice to him who sits
beside you at supper tonight"
She looked at me 81 moment Masks
are very annoying when one wants to
see the face
THAT will be an easy penance," she
said, and understood she had been
told who that man was to be.
i bent toward her. Let him know
it. them, l said earnestly.
!. your highness likes him?" she ask
ed
~ do more than like him." said.
She threw a quick glance up at me.
Maybe l do. too" she laughed.
Good" said 1, then began to speak
Of something else There is just rs
proper point to quit subject as to
start 1t.
The grass on the bank Of the lake
was quite dry, and Lady Helen sug-
gested that we sit down.
This reminds me of a garden in
| Florence" she said. Some one might
tell us story"
Very good, my dear" said Lady
Niere; you tell the first story. We
will take our cue from YOU
Lady Helen removed her mask
"Then. that is your first cue" she said.
IL breathe easier" Mile. dtEssode re-
marked
I'VE all do" said l. then suddenly
replaced mine and arose.
Indulge me for moment l said,
and sauntered over to the path a little
distance away, nor answered the chat
fing that was flung after me- had
seen woman in gypsy dress and a
cavalier in white coming slowly down
the walk. l did not doubt 1t was Mrs
Spencer and Lotzen. and I intended to
let them know they We're recognized.
AS we neared each other | halted
and stared at them with the most OBJ
vious deliberation. The gypsy made
some remark to her companion, to
| which he nodded Then Lotzen gave
me another surprise. He paused in
front Of me and looked me over from
head to foot.
monsieur seems Interested" he said,
making no effort to disguise his tones
! made no answer.
"And l hope monsieur will pardon
me if tell him his manners are afro
cions." he went on.
Again no answer.
Though, Of course, no one could
ever expectn monsieur to understand
why" he continued.
or sudden 1t dawned on my slow
brain that LotZen did not know wheth.
er 1t was Moore or ! that confronted
him. and he wanted TO hear my voice.
| saw no utility In obliging him: so
stood impressive, staring calmly at
| them.
| Lotzen turned to his companion.
Speak to him, mademoiselle," he
said. "Perchance the dulcet tones Of
beauty may move the beast to
speech"
"mademoiselle."
"rry signs on him." she suggested.
"Good! I'll sign to him we want to
see his face"
How. prayy"
by pulling Off his mask" he an
swered, and put out his hand as
though to do 1t. With his fingers al
most on 1t he paused.
I stood quite still. I felt perfectly
sure he would not touch me. But IL
he did intended to knock him down.
] And I was not mistaken. After mo-
ment he dropped his arm.
The woman laughed. "Your nerve
failed; his didn't she said dryly.
mot at all, mademoiselle. I thought
Of better way. Observe"
| IIe slowly drew the long. narrow
bladed sword that went with his CO.'S
tune and. taking the point in his left
hand. bowed over it in mock courtesy.
"Will monsieur have the extreme
kindness to remove his mask?' he
said.
I admit I was bit astonished
Surely this was rushing things with a
vengeance-to deliberately raise sit
uation that meant either a fight or
complete backdown by one of MS.
and AS he, would scarcely imagine I
would do the latter he must have in
tended to force duel
There might have been another rea-
son, assuming that he was interested
only in my Identity. This procedure
would have told him, for Moore would
not have dared draw sword on the
heir presumptive
Being convinced that 1t was / that
| fronted him, he had suddenly saen an
opportunity to accomplish in open
light what his hired assassin had bun
gled. It is notorious that American
officers know practically nothing Of
the art Of fence? What easier than
to drive me into drawing on him and
then after a bit Of play to run me
neatly through the heart? What mat
tered 1t II he were the aggressor? It
would be easy to aver he had not
known me that had chosen to In