The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-05-16

l I'll Ouc COuultlOu, bAiu
ITS granted. Name It."
''That you lie nice to him who sits
beside you ut supper tonight"
She looked at me moment. Masks
are very annoying when one wants to
see the face.
That will he an easy penance." she
said. and ! understood she had been
told who that man was to lie.
bent toward her. let him know
it, them" said earnestly.
Your highness likes him?' she ask
ed.
II do more than like him." said.
She threw u quick glance up at me.
Maybe l do, too" she laughed.
Good" said l. then began to speak
of something else. There il just Us
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 garden In
Florence" she said. "SOme one might
tell US a story"
Every good, my dear" said Lady
Vierle: 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.
II breathe easier" Mile. d 'EssOlde re-
marked.
I'VE all do" said l, then suddenly
replaced mine and arose.
Indulge me for a moment" I said,
and sauntered over to the path little
distance away, nor answered the chat
fng that was flung after me. had
seen woman in gypsy dress and
cavalier In white coming slowly down
the walk did not doubt 1t was Mrs.
Spencer and Lotzen. and I intended to
let them know they were recognized.
As we neared each other l halted
and stared ut them with the most Oh
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 II tell him his manners are afro
cious," he went on.
Again no answer
Though, Of course no one could
ever expect monsieur to understand
why" he continued.
OF sudden it 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
I saw no utility in obliGing him: so I
stood impassive, 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"
! 1 smiled at him addressing her as
| "mademoiselle."
'"rry signs on him." she suggested.
GOOD! I'll sign to him we want to
Gee his face"
"How. pray?"
"By pulling of his mask" he an
swered, and put out his hand az
though to do It, With his fingers al
most on 1t he paused.
1 stood quite still. felt perfectly
sure he would not touch me. But If
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. thought
Of better way. Observe"
He slowly drew the long. narrow
bladed sword that went with his cos
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.
| admit I was bit astonished.
Surely this was rushing things with
vengeance-to deliberately raise n sit
uatiOn that meant either fight or a
complete backdown by one Of us.
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 It was I that
fronted him, he had suddenly seen an
opportunity to accomplish In open
fight whnt his hired assassin had bun
gled. 1t Is notorious that American
officers know practically nothing Of
the nrt of fence? What easier than
to drive me into drawing on him and
then after n bit OF play to run me
neatly through the heart? What mat
tered 1t II he were the nggressor? 1t
would be easy to aver he had not
known me-that l had chosen to in