The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-05-03
CHAPTER V.-(consinued.)

~'A
YOU have come at last. I was
growing impatient. l was lonesome
tonight and wanted some one to talk
TO me-preferably you. Do you know,
l had been thinking of you Just be-
fore you called me up. Perhaps 1t
was thought transmission that made
you ring me moment later. Who
knows" She laughed unsteady as
took her f1ngers and bent my lips to
them.
Mrs. Dace. thought transmission
to remind me Of you would be grossly
superfuous. am going to be per-
fectly plain with you. 1t is barely pos
sible that have thought Of something
else since saw you last, but II have
l do not now remember what 1t was.
However, you hatter me-" She with
drew her hand with sudden avert
ing Of her eyes, smiling again.
mo. 1t was not fattery. I alse am
. plain person and do not speak in
parallels Besides, what: harm to
think Of ones friends?" She half
turned an easy chair for me and /
seated myself in It, my eyes running
over the room. The quiet richness of
its furnishings was revelation. Ex-
quisite taste was in the very air.
Several Of the darkly rich pictures
we're either original masterpieces or
copies so cleverly executed that I
could not detect the difference. The
oriental vases were magnificent to-
kens OF barbaric art, and were over
flowing with great clusters Of blood
red 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
apartments were high of rental and
equipped with extravaganza. For
some reason, Richard Mackay's name
came creeping through my mind like
An evil thing, and squirrned inward
~ at the thought. l had never seen
the mans face outside of the papers,
but that In itself was enough. While
Il was not unhandsome In strong
animal way, the stamp Of vice was In
delible upon 1t. It seemed a sacri.
lege to even mention his name In con.
nection with that Of this exquisite
woman. for his reputation was as
communicating as his personality was
poisonous. Furthermore, he was
married.
1t is not my intention to go further
into the particulars Of my private at.
fairs with Mr.. Dace than is neces-
sary for a complete understanding Of
the circumstances which surrounded
the mysterious crime against my
uncle. Briefly, l will say that in the
next month we were much together.
and most Of the time alone. She
seemed to prefer 1t that way; GER
tainly did, and under those suspicious
surroundings our friendship rapidly
thickened. It was q delirious time to
me, wherein during the days walked
like one In trance when apart from
her; dreamed rapturously of her by
night and was In a chatting fever of
discomfort when not by her side. OF
Bruce's dragon I saw nothing, while
as for other would-be suffers, she tact
fully kept them at bay. Having &C.
casion to notice this, and Of course
being secretly delighted by it, l new.
ertheless one day asked her why she
Stunned those who wished to pay her
attentions. She stifed a yawn be-
hind her handkerchief.
Most men bore me-" she answered,
quietly. l leaned closer.
Il wish you to tell ne frankly
And do II"
She swayed away from me slightly,
not answering, her cheeks swept by
her falling lashes and her bosom
swelling to its round fullness. drew
so close that her soft hair brushed my
face. "Matie-tell me-" I pleaded.
Her eyes. In whose fathomless
depths the soul Of any man might we'll
have been drowned, looked up at me.
She smiled and one hand fell feather
light upon my own, setting every
nerve to tingling as harp vibrates
>-ho, e1yoDt hroadcas% nv A hand And
as an earthwork is annihilated by a
cloudburst, so was all my restraint
swept away by the food Of passion
that arose within me: my blood leap
ing like q mountain torrent and my
heart fighting It's way to my throat.
Not stopping to think what ! said or
did. scarcely realizing; only knowing
that / loved this creature with a pas
sion that would no longer be con-
trolled, / crushed her to me and held
her helpless as I rained kisses upon
her eyes and lips and cried out my
love for her in broken, haif.coherent
sentences. She did not resist, and
doubt Il I would have known 1t had
she done so, such was the intensity OF
nv ferv6r. Nor did she respond In
the least, and when my first ardor
had exhausted itself and my arms re-
faxed she quietly broke away from
me Her face was flushed and Eel
na,r disordered, but her voice was u