The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-05-16

like limpid pools OF darkness touched
by dim starlight.
Inhamed, he leaned toward her.
whist, darling" he stammered.
whist! tbs myself-'tis Terence
But she was gone. A low. stiiled
laugh was all his answer-that and
the silken whisper OF her skirts as she
scurrled from the window. He flush.
ed crimson waited an instant, then
| flung discretion to the winds, and
| found himself scrambling out upon tho
balcony. Heaven only knows to what
lengths the man would have gone had
not the slam OF door brought him up
standing. she had left her room!
So she thought to escape him so
easily! He swore between hts teeth
with excitement and tumbled back
whence he had come. Regardless OF
sleeves he rushed madly for the door.
| On the way shooting Jacket on the
door perhaps in revenge for neglect
and ill.treatment. maliclously wound 1t
self around his feet and all but threw
him headlong; only n frantic clutch at
the footrail of the bed saved him.
Kicking the thing savagcly of he
| flung himself upon the door AID threw
II open. His jaw dropped
The lift shaft was directly opposite.
Before 1t. In more or less patient wait
| ing, stood very young and beautiful
woman In a gown whose extreme can.
dor was surpassed only by the peTfec.
ton of its design and appointment
| both blatant of the Rue de la Paix;
type as common to the cognoscenti
| of Monte Carlo as the Swiss hotel por.
tiers. But O'Rourke did not know her
| from Eve.
The divvle!" said he beneath his
breath
lie was mistaken: but the young
woman, at first startled by his uncer.
emonious appearance. on instantan.
eous second thought decided to per.
NIT him to discover that twin lmps,
at least, resided in her eyes. And
when his disappointment prevented
him from recognizing them. her dawn.
Ing smile was swiftly erased and her
ascending eyebrows spoke eloquently
enough OF her naughty displeasure.
Spontaneously the lift hesitated at
that landing and the gate changed
wide; the .-oung woman wound her
skirt about fer and showed him q
back which at any other time would
| Int saI I'm ra
Then the gate shot TO with a rattle
and bang and the lift dropped out of
sight, leaving the man with mouth
agape and eyes as wide.
A beaming but elderly femme de
chambre on duty in the corridor. re-
marking O'Rourke's pause OF stupeiied
ehagrin. hoped and believed he need.
ed her services She bore down upon
him accordingly
M sieu' Is DESTROYS of"
He came out OF his trance Moth.
ing" he told her with acid brevity
But. yes" he RECONSTRUCTED with
haste. That lady who but this mo
ment took the lft-her Nance"
Her name. m'sieu'? Mam'selle Vol
taIre.",
'Impossible!" he told himself aloud,
utterly unable to forge any connecting
link between the lady in the lift and
her whose voice had bewitched him.
But assuredly. m'sIeu'. Do | not
know-l who have waited upon her
hand and foot these three days and to
whom she has not given as much as
that" The woman licked finger.
nail against her strong white
teeth. "Ma'm'se Victorine Vol
talre," she asserted stubbornly.
ORourke fumbled In his pocket and
found golden ten.franc piece, surren.
dering 1t to the woman as heedlessly
as though 1t had been as many eel.
times. I'm be leaving me room In Ave
minutes. now. And do ye for the lows
OF Heaven, me dear. try to set me
things the least trile to rights. VIII
ye now. like the best little girl In
the world?"
The best little girl In the world.
who was forty.five II day. promised
miracles-with 4 bob OF courtesy
But so disgruntled was O'Rourke that
he shut his door In her face.
"'Tis meself that's the fool" he
said savagely enough. ito think for
moment that ever again I'll set me
eyes on her pretty face-Goj bless It,
wherever she may be! For
why should | deserve to-, the pen.
niess adventurer?"