The Elbert County tribune., 1912-02-16


by dim starlight
Infamed. he leaned toward her.
whist. darling!" he stammered.
Whist! 'Tis myself-'tis Terence"
But she was gone. A low. stihed
laugh was all his answer-that and
the silken whisper OF her skirts as she
scurried from the window. He flush
ed crimson, waited an instant, then
flung discretion to the winds, and
found himself scrambling out upon the
! 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 his teeth
with excitement and tumbled back
whence he had come. Regardless of
the fact that he was still in his shirt
sleeves he rushed madly for the door.
On the way shooting-jacket on the
door, perhaps in revenge for neglect
and ill-treatment. maliciously wound IT.
self around his feet and all but threw
him headlong; only a frantic clutch at
the footrail of the bed saved him.
Kicking the thing savagely off he
flung himself upon the door and threw
1t open. His jaw dropped.
The lift shaft was directly opposite.
Before 1t, in more or less patient walt
ing. stood very young and beautiful
woman in gown whose extreme can
dor was surpassed only by the perfec-
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-
ters. But O'Rourke did not know her
from Eve.
The divvle!" said he beneath his
breath.
He 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 imps,
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.
Synchronously the lift hesitated at
that landing and the gate changed
wide: the young woman wound her
skirt about her and showed him a
back which at any other time would
have evoked his unstinted admiration.
Then the gate shot to with 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 stupefied
chagrin. hoped and believed he need
ed her services. She bore down upon
him accordingly.
"M'sieu' is desirous Off"
He came out OF his trance. Moth
ing" he told her with acid brevity.
But, yes." he reconsidered with
haste. That lady who but this mo-
ment took the lift--her name?
Her name. m'sieu'? Ma'm'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 l not
KNOW 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'selle victorine Vol
taire," she asserted stubbornly.
O'Rourke fumbled In his pocket and
found golden ten-franc piece. surren-
dering it to the woman as heedlessly
as though 1t had been as many CEN
times. 'T'll be leaving me room in five
minutes. now. And do ye, for the love
OF Heaven, me dear. try to set me
things the least trifie 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 a bob OF a courtesy.
But SO disgruntled was O'Rourke that
he shut his door In her face.
Tis meseif that's the fool" he
said savagely enough. ito think for a
moment that ever again I'll set me
eyes on her pretty face-God bless it.
wherever she may be! For
why should / deserve to-I. the pen.
niless adventurer?"
(TO BE coNTINUED)