New-York tribune., 1912-02-25

lCS-EtS.
T ILL., come here" 1t was Victors voice.
Il turned faint and i'll with vcXatlon; put What
could do? He advanced toward me with little boat
model in his hand "Lili, sec this junk. Ism 1t peach;
Let's have made tor our wedding tHp' hISIcdu Vi
the BrInhda, shall we; m
Victor was in great spirits So much was plain Ine
champagne he had drunk the thought OF his approach
ing independence, Miss CARROTS beauty ana oDnslls s
hattcrcs all these influences had combined to cNalI
him and make him very ready TO claim me as ms prop
crty before this roomful OF people On the unn"Pp-
ness the degradation Of that moment, as realized aU
TO his words as ohS glance, had no choiCc Du 10 SUI
mil and smile submSSivClv. La Belle Steherd2dde tey
called me- did they? Never Schchcrazadc hali so
much slave as l. and by no rccountng OF thousand
tales or a million either, could hope ever, ever to be
free, -.
Bt what after ALL was Henry on the point Of telling
me- burned with impatencc | could have killed
Door Victor at that moment as he went on making his
silly Jokes about the junk and our Chinese honeymoon
and the ragout Of mouse we'd eat dlsguStlng
But finally Miss Carroll in response to an lmponng
glance from Henry had the happy thought OF proposing
that Victor delight the company with song.
"Ivc heard YOU sing the costcr songs most dcbCouSy,
Mr.. Cobb. And I'll play your accompaniment. IS II
a bargain?'
SURE Victor, always ready show off his voice,
bcamcd with gratifcd vanity. Then, turning, you
come, Lih;
It was his Sultan look and tone. | stood confused,
daring neither 10 follow stay behind But Miss
Carroll the dear angel showed herself champion not
easily defeated She poutcd cnchantingly.
NO. Mr.. Cobb. you've promised to sing Dear Lizer
for mc-and this time its TO be for me and not for your
fancGc don't care if YOU are Jealous Madcmoisclc.
Reside, we are sometimes said 70 look alike though
perhaps | hattcr myself too horribly. Would 1t be too
much of a strain TO make the illusion for five minutes,
dear Mr.. Cobb;
Carroll had already borne him off, hypnotizcd.
AND in a moment. the dolcul strains Of one Of those
"A abominablc London songs came floating cndIcSSIy
from a distant room. The other people one by one
melted away Henry leaned toward me.
Listen Lii, have TO tell YOU: such a compact as
Won entered into with Mrs. Cobb and by which you
fancy yourself bound, is by the laws OF these United
States entirely null and void!
The room swan around me. | was conscious OF
Hcnrvs han1 upon my arm, holding me up "What!'
gaspcd. I'm free; You mcan my promise docSn t
hold me, You mcan-what do YOU mean:
Il mean" he answered slowly and distinctly, 50 that
| might understand every word, that such agree
cn as YOU describe is by American law utterly illegal;
as Mrs Cobb. the widow of a business and first
rate business woman herself, they say ought to have
known indeed, probably did know Did YOU never
hear Iii Of the Contract Labor Law
"No" | answered shaking my head But Cung to
the impressive sounding word on Hcnry'S lips, the
other day in the water had clung To his arm NO,
never did
~To be sure, how should you, But here in this ccun
try Lili We have a law forbiiding alien before his
arrival here from entering into any contract whatsoever
providing for his employment after he lands That
law. Lii. YOU broke
~Ah" | shuddcrcd. In the very thought Of the law
in any country but especially in strange one, there
is something awful and imposing; and the idea that
one has broken it Was |. Lii, lawbrcakcr? In
proposing keep my word and carrying out obliga
ton more rcplusivc than death, was it possible that
was offending the laws Of this country where
found myself, which already | loved so much? Oh
dear and blessed country where they make such laws
Oh dear and happy thought, which perhaps to set
me free, The idea glanced through my brain Mrs
Stuart was right right than Mrs Cobb about her
son. when she said to me that Henry "cxtraordina
rv clever. | began to speak incohcrcnty.
"What? Is it true? The law is ike that, is it? \