The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-01-22

am" said Johh RaNA. You're az coot-
headed as I am, If | know women at
all. We think alike. You're young.
I'm young enough, Where'd you get
that gown?"
Il had it made-in an alley, in the
city back home. It cost Is much as l
could afford. Thirty dollars!" She
flung out the words scornfully.
ct looks three hundred; and I've
seen worse below tonight that prob
ably cost three thousand. But it's
not yet quite complete-your cos
tune"
"It was the best I had. You ought
not to taunt me. stood here facing
myself. ! felt disappointed, bitter!
Yes, I'll admit that"
"You needn't be-" said Rawn calm
ly. He nodded to her bare and un-
adorned neck, her hair which lacked
brilliants, her fingers left unjeweled.
The girl caught his meaning without
further speech, and 1t hurt her yet
more.
what could I do? Why did you
bring me here, Mr.. Rawn? You've
made me unhappy. I've seen 1t, and ]
can't be a part of it. 1t doesn't seem
can go back there to work and be
just the same any more, after seeing
the city here! | tell you, it's got in
my blood, all at once"
mo" he said evenly, mot again
just the same. We outgrow ourselves,
and can't go back. I'm not the same
man / once was" He ~half-uncon-
sciously shifted to get a glimpse of
himself in the mirror.
but now, my business proposition
is very simple. 1t holds good for one
evening, Miss Delaware. | was just
going to propose that We forget all
this unhappiness, and do a little pre-
tending for II night, say for n
hour or So"
He fumbled In his w~aistcoat pocket,
and drew out something which sudden
ly famed into dancing points and rays
in the light that fell upon 1t. She
stood motionless while he passed
about her neck a tiny thread, delicate
as If spun Of moonlight. She held out
her hand, and he slipped owe it a
cleaning ring of gems. She bent her
head, and he placed a sparkling III
ment in her hair. She had seen these
Jewels before. She turned to the
glass now, her bosom heaving as she
saw them CLEAN at her own neck, her
own hands, in her own hair. She held
out her hands to look at them now,
and the gems flashed back challenge
to her eyes, sparkling yet more bril-
liantly.
1T was nothing" said John Rawn
tersely. That's all that lacked. You're
good as the best now. I've seen no
woman In this city hat is your equal
in beauty. You were born for this
life. Now do you understand what !
mean? / say, you can carry it Off"
She turned to him, another woman,
changing on the instant, something in
her eyes he had never seen before.
But in his own eyes there was at the
time nothing save the original calm
and purposefulness.
"As / was saying, then, since we can
both carry it off, why not do so for an
hour or so? I've read somewhere of
ma~squerades. Why not try it?"
She turned to him, flushed, radiant,
but slightly frowning, puzzled, study
ing him. Rawn felt the query of her
look. felt also something stirring down
in his nature which he grappled at
once and was able to suppress. His
,,oyoo NC mol ond Iou ne ~ waa no
fore.
Its a big crowd below, and We'll
be lost in 1t. I've learned already that
you can be discreet. Well drop down
in there, where no one knows us.
Wen try ourselves out, and see
whether Wen do, here where the test
Is hardest. You're ambitious? So am
I. This is the heart of the world
the place of gratifled ambitions. What
do you say, Miss Delaware? I've been
looking around down there, and as
nearly as / can see, I'm the only man
in this avenue worth a million dollars
who at this precise moment of the
| day isn't talking to aoue good-looking
wananl"
"You fiatter mel" commented the
girl. He did not endeavor any analy-
sis.
Not in the least! I simply talk
sense and business to you. I covet
what you covet, love what you love.
want what you want. Things which
are equal to the same thing ought to
be equal to each other-for just a lit
tie while, Miss Delaware. Isn't it
true? If 1t is only play, why, let's play
at Ii.
Il forgot to tell YOU" he added.
that my %son-in-law, Mr.. Halsey, has
gone back to Chicago. He was sum-
moned by wire. No one else knows us
both. There wouldn't be one chance
In many of our being seen by anyone
here who knew either of US, and If SO,
what harm? Wen go and dine as well
as the best of them, In the main room.
What do you say, Miss Delaware?"
She stood facing him now, seeming
years older than she had a few mo
ments before. A very skilled OBJ