The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-11-27

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 one night. say for one
hour or So"
He fumbled in his waistcoat 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 over 1t a
cleaning ring OF gems. She BENT her
head, n he placed a sparkling orna-
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
WI 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 that 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 W eyes there was at the
time nothing save the original calm
and purposefulness.
las | was saying, then, since we can
both carry 1t off, why not do SO for an,
hour or SO? I've read somewhere OF
masquerades. 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
voice was cool and low as it was be-
fore.
Its a big crowd below, and we'll
DS lOSl IL IL. Il VIC rear piiCodJ ShoS
you can be discreet. Well drop down
In there, where no one knows us.
Well try ourselves out, and see
whether we'll do, here where the test
is hardest. You're ambitious? So IN
l.. This is the heart of the world
the place Of gratiied ambitions. What
do you say, Miss Delaware? I've been
looI;.- ,,0r-A 1Duyn Yhara nnd 90
nearly as l car 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 some good-looking
womani"
You fiatter mel" commented the
girl. He did not endeavor any analy-
sis.
Not in the least! l simply talk
sense and business to you. ! 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 1t
true? If it is only play. why. let's play
at 1t.
Il forgot to tell you" he added.
that my so~n-in-law, Mr.. Halsey, has
gone back to Chicago. He was sum
moned by wire. No n else knows US
both. There wouldn't be one chance
in many of our being seer by anyone
here who knew either of us. and II so.
what harm? Well 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
server might possibly have suspected
a certain new quality in the calrnness
of her eye. Beautiful she certainly
was; alluring, irresistible in the an
cient appeal OF woman, she certainly
ought TO have been, and would have
been to any but this particular man
who now stood facing her, half smil-
ing; a mar of middle age, gray about
the temples, Of heavy-browed eyes,
strongly lined face, of strong and bony
frame: not an Unlocking or unraanly
man one might have said. though
years older than this young woman
who stood now threading between her
fingers the 1lmy moonshine chain
which suspended the points of flame
that rose and fell upon her bosom.
At last she said, ~hesitating. and
holding up the flaming pendant, I'm
not to keep them?"
mo, Marguerite!" he smiled. This
particular Papa Faust retains a string
on those jewels. They have been seer
elsewhere. my dear girl. No. one
nights use Of them is all this business
proposition carries, my dear"
(TO BE CONTINUEDJ