Mexico Missouri message., 1913-06-05

hand n sometimes she laughed ano
thus failed to receive his delicate gal
lantries In the mood in which they
were rendered. the marquis vanity
only allowed him to conclude that a
woman does not laugh II she is dis
pleased. II was enough that she found
him diverting; he served her; they
were friends AID had danced ana rid.
den through the spring days In ami
cable fashion.
"Good-by," he repeated. when
are you coming to court again7 The
queen is sure to ask understand
her majesty is planning all manner
OF brilliant entertainments. yet Yer
sailles-without you, Elise!"
"MeT arching her finely penciled
brows. "Oh, I'm thinking OF staying
here, becoming q nun, and restoring
the Mount TO Its old religious pres
tige."
Then I'll come back a monk" he
returned In the same tone.
''If you come back at ALI" provok-
ingly. There, gol The others will
soon be out Of sightl"
81, too-alas, Elise!"
He touched his horse; rode on, but
soon looked back to where, against
great, grim wall, stood q figure all
in white cleaning In the sunshine.
The marquis stopped; drew from his
breast deep red rose, and, gazing
upward, gracefully kissed the glowing
token. Beneath the aureole OF golden
hair my lady's proud face rewarded
him with a faint smile, and some
thing--a tiny Observation-Disclosures
like dove above the frowning, time
worn rock. At that, with the eloquent
gesture OF troubadour, he threw
his arm backward, as II to launch the
Impress on the rose to the crimson
lips OF the girl, and then. plying his
spurs, galloped OF.
And as he went at a pace. head
long II not dangerous and fitting the
exigencies OF the moment, my lord
smiled. Truly had he presented a per-
feet, dainty and gallant figure for any
woman's eyes, and the Lady Elise, he
fancied, was not the least discerning
Of her sex. And had he seen the girl,
when an unkind angle OF the wall hid
him from sight, his own nice estimate
Of the situation would have suffered
no change, The Mount, which for
merly had resounded to the life and
merriment OF the people from the
court, on a sudden to her looked cold,
barren, empty.
"Heigh-ho!" she murmured, stretch
ing her arms toward that point where
he-they-had vanished. Il shall die
of ennui, am surel" And thought
fully retraced her steps to her own
room.
But she did not long stay there;
by way OF makeshift for gaiety. sub
stituted activity. The Mount, full OF
early recollections and treasure-house
mystery, furnished an incentive for
exploration, and for several days she
devoted herself to its study; now
| pausing for an instant's contemplation
of sculptured thing of beauty, then
before some closed door that held her,
as at the threshold OF a Bluebeard's
forbidden chamber.
One day, such door stood open
and her curiosity became cured. She
had passed beneath machicoiated
gateway, and climbing a stairway
that began in a watch-tower, found
herself Unexpectedly on a great plat
form. Here several men, unkempt,
pale. like creatures from another
| world, we're Walking to and fro; but
at sight OF her. an order was Issued
and they vanished through a trap
all save one, a misshapen dwarf who
remained to shut the iron door, ad-
| just the fastening and turn a ponder
Gus key. For a moment she stood
| staring.
Gro BE coNTINUED)