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

Mollle struck mo as so del1c1ousiy
nonsensical that ! could not refrain
from laughing. B
at is absurd, Clare. Certainly MOE
lie IS strictly all right, but she ~ou'u
look like a mouse beside Mrs Oace.
She nodded spiritedly.
"Now you are talking sense. LAKE,
nice little white mouse oesloe
leopardess, exactly" I did not IKE
the comparison.
"Do you mean to say that Mrs. Dace
is a leopardess?" I demanded WIN
some warmth. Clare was as cool as
cucumber.
"Oh. I don't know. Anyway, she Is
as beautiful as one. And viewing
her as I have only from distance
have somehow gained the impression
thnt there are traits in common De-
tween them. She is so wonderfully
smooth and soft and quiet moving
YOU know" She looked up at me SIDE
ways, saw the displeasure that rested
upon my face and broke into a laugh
as she gave my cheek a pat.
"Of course you must not mind What
say, Tom, dear. l really know al
most nothing about your charmer'
and l trust to your level head to take
care of you. Only please do be care
full" So we laughed together and
dropped that subject hard then ana
there.
Up to this time the course OF no
mans love ever ran smoother than
had mine for Mrs. Dace. Yet 1t was
only a few days after this converse
ton with Clare that there happened
thing so awful to me at the time
that hades itself could have offered
no torture more exquisite. ! had never
been jealous Of Mrs. Dace for the SIM
pie reason that I had seen no cause
to be: yet knew that the fires OF
that passion slumbered within me like
those of a latent volcano The mere
thought of another making love to her
was torment. She had told me that
few men interested her, and the ire
quency of my attendance upon her
seemed to preclude the idea OF a rival
Of consequence lurking In the back
ground. That l was being publicly
exhibited to attract attention and
thus used as sheep-skin to cloak a
real wolf, had never entered my mind
until the thought in all it's hideous-
ness was forced upon me purely by
accident. I had spent the evening
downtownand was going home at about
eleven, when a circumstance occurred
to me. A few evenings before, when
at Mrs. Dace's, she had requested me
to open a bottle Of wine, which ! had
done by means Of a folding corkscrew
l carried upon my key ring. When !
had reached my own door later in the
evening / had discovered that my
keys were missing, and remembered
at the time that I had laid the:fing
containing them and the torkscrew
upon the table after opening tie hQt.
tie. l had forgotten to replace them
in my pocket, but knowing they were
perfectly safe, felt no uneasiness;
told myself that would recover, them
upon my next visit. and ringing the
bell was admitted by Mrs. Te6hets
/ Had not seen MIS-. Race since, and
now on my way home decided to stop
of for a moment at the Arcadia, and
If she or the maid were home ! would
claim the keys in order to avoid dis
turbing the housekeeper, who retired
early. l therefore stepped from the
car at the point where it crossed the
boulevard upon which she resided and
hurried towards her building. /
CHANGED to be upon the opposite side
Of the street from my destination,
and as I was about to cross the way
my steps were arrested by the warn.
ing honk Of a motor car. Pausing at
the curb I watched its swift approach.
its lights glazing like the eyes of some
speeding monster. BY the street
lamps l saw that 1t was a ponderous
affair, and a pang Of regret stabbed
me that / was not able to possess its
like. Almost as huge as locomotive
1t looked as it rolled to a point oppo.
site me, and then suddenly swinging
| in a closo cirnla c&onnod Il, front al