The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1913-11-14
oHApTgR xv.

time, 81 ieast, lost the intangible some
thing which I once possessed-that oc
cult right to dominate.
That morning, as / left the training
cage-wbers among Others Kelly Eyre
stood looking on-I suddenly remem
bered Sylvia ElYen and her message
to Eyre. which | had never delivered.
MY son." said /, politely, do you
think you have arrived at an age SUI
ticiently mature to warrant my deliv-
ering to you a message from a pretty
girlY
There's no harm in attempting it,
my venerable friend" he replied.
laughing.
This is the message" / said: "on
Sunday the book stores are closed in
Paris"
"Who gave you that message, Scar
lett?" he stammered.
He was go young, so manly, so I'M
spoiled, and so red. that on an Impulse
l said: Kelly, it was Mademoiselle
Elyen who sent you the message"
His face expressed troubled aston
ishment.
"Is that her name?" he asked.
"Well-it's n Of them, anyway" /
replied, beginning to feel troubled in
my turn. See here, Kelly, it's not
my business, but you won't mind II l
speak plainly, will you? know
Mademoiselle Elyen-slightly. / am
afraid OF her-and l have not yet de-
cided why. Don't talk to her"
But don't know her" he said;
"or, at least ! don't know her by that
name"
Then who do you believe sent you
that message, Kelly?"
His cheeks began 70 burn again, and
he gave me an uncomfortable look.
A silence, and he sat down in my
dressing room, his boyish head buried
In his hands. After a glance at him
l began changing my training suit for
riding clothes, whistling the while soft
ly to myself. AS ! buttoned a fresh
collar ne looked up.
mi. Scarlett | should like to tell
you about myself; / was a
clerk in the consHl's office In Paris
when Monsieur Tissandier took a
fancy to me, and | entered his balloon
eteliers to learn to assist him. Then
the government began to make much
Of US you remember2 We
started experiments for the army /.
l was intensely interested, and +.
there was not much talk about secrecy
then. made an invention-a
little electric screw which steered a
balloon sometimes ="
He laughed, a mirthful laugh, and
looked at me. All the color had gone
from his face.
There was a woman" 1 turned
partly towards him.
81 Know" l said.
Somehow we always talked about
military balloons. And that evening
she was SO interested in my
work l brought some little
sketches / had made"
II understand" / said.
He looked at me mieerably. "She
was to return the sketches to me at
Calman's-the fashionable book store,
next day. never
thought that the next day was to be
Sunday. The book stores OF
Paris are not open on Sunday-but the
war office ss."
81 began to put on my coat.
"And the sketches were asked for?"
I saggested-"snd you naturally told
what had become Of them?"
II refused to name her"
$50 they sent you to a fortress?"
asked.
! ITO New Caledonia, -four
years. , l was only twenty
Scarlet, and ruined.
/ joined Byram in Antwerp and rlskeC
the tour through France"
you never saw her again2"
Il was under arrest on Sunday. l d.
I, not know. / like to believ,
that she went to the book store OF
Monday, that she made an In
nocent mistake, but l nevei
: knew, Scarlet, 1 never knew.
Suppose you ask herr l said.
/, His firm hand frightened on mine
then he walked away, steadily, hea,
high. And I went out to saddle m,
horse for a canter across the moor Il
Point Paradise,
So, by strange ways and eccentri
circles, like the aerial paths Of hon
I ing sea-birds, / came at last to the spo
had set out for, consciously; yet ]
: surprised me to 1nd ] had come Their,
A boy took my horse; a servant 1
: full Breton costume admitted me; til
velvet humming Of Sylvia Elveus spin
; n~ing-wheel filled the silence, like tn
whirring of a great, soft moth imprii
' oned in a room.
The door swung open ~noiselessly
the whir Of the wheel and the sound {
the song filled the room for an ii
p slant, then was shut out as the Coui
9 tess de Vassart closed the door an
9 came forward TO greet me.
{ Are you troubled2p she asked, the
c%olored at her own question, as thong
2 deeming the Impulse to speak unwa.
ranted.
mo. not troubled. Happiness
often edged with g shadow. l am COZ
lsent to be here."