The Detroit times., 1913-10-06

per again. l tell you, us no a0vor-
Using dodge. She's been abducted.
The hound!"
Courtlandt ceased boring into the
earth. The story says that she re-
fused to explain this blond chaps
presence In her room. What do you
make Of that?'
| Perhaps you think the fellow was
her press-agent?" was the retort.
Lord. no! But 1t proves that she
knew him, that she did not want the
police to find him. At least, not at
that moment. Who's the Italiany'
suddenly.
| II can vouch for him. He Is a gen.
tleman, honorable as the day is long.
even II he is hot-headed at times.
Count him out OF 1t. It's this un-
known, tell you. Revenge for some
imagined slight. It's as plain as tho
/, nose on your face"
| How long have you known herr
asked Courtlandt presently.
About two years. She's the gem
of the whole lot Gentle, kindly, un.
touched by hattery. Why. you
must have seen and heard her!'
II have" Courtlandt stared into
the hole he had dug. Voice like an
angels, with face like Bellinis don.
ma; and Irish all over. But for all
that, you will find that her disappear
ance will turn out to be diva's within.
Hang 1t, Suds, I've had some expe-
rience with singers
you are a blockhead!" exploded
the younger man.
"All right. am" Courtlandt laugh
ed.
Man, she wrote me that she would
sing Monday and tonight, and wanted
me to hear her. l couldn't get here
In time for La Boheme. but was
building on Faust And when she says
thing, she means 1t. As you said,
she's Irish"
And I'm Dutch
And the stubbornest Dutchman
ever met. Why don't you 60 home
and settle down and maryland
keep that phiz Of yours out Of the
newspapers? Sometimes think
you're as crazy as q bug"
IAN opinion shared by many. May
be I am. dash in where lunatics
fear to tread. Come On over to the
Soufflet and have a drink with me-"
I'm not drinking today" tersely.
There's too much ahead for me to
do
Going to start out to find herr
Oh. Sir Galahad!" ironically. ABBY,
you used to be q sport. I'll wager
hundred against bottle of pop that
tomorrow or next day she'll turn up
serenely. with the statement that she
was indisposed, sorry not to have no.
titled the directors, and all that. They
do 1t repeatedly every season.
But an errand of mercy the
strange automobile which can not be
found? The engagement to dine with
the Barone? Celeste Fournier's state
ment? You can't get around these
things. tell you, Nora isn't that kind.
She's too big in heart and mind to
stoop to any such Devices" vehe-
mently.
Mora! That looks pretty serious,
Abby. You haven't gone and made q
fool of yourself. have your"
What do you call making fool OF
myself?" trucculently.
you aren't sutton, are you? An
accepted suitor?" unruffled, rather
kindly.
mo, but would to heaven that ]
per into his pocket and slung the stool
over his arm. Come on over to the
studio until get some money"
You are really going to start a
search?"
II really am. I'd start one just as
quickly for you, II heard that you
had vanished under mysterious cir.
cumstances.'
81 believe you honestly would"
"You are an old misanthrope.
hope some woman puts the hook into
you some day. Where did you pick
up the crouch? Some OF your dusl1y
princesses give you the go.by?"
You, too, Abby"
ooh, rot! OF course I never be.
lieved any Of that twaddle. Only, rye
got a sore head today. II you knew
Nora as well as l do, you'd under
stand"
Courtlandt walked on.a little ahead
of the artist, who looked up and down
the athletic form, admiringly Some
times he loved the man, sometimes ne
hated him. He marched through trag.
edy and comedy and thrilling adven.
ture with no more concern than ne
evinced in striding through these gar
dens. Nearly every one had heard OF
his exploits; but who among them
knew anything Of the real man, so
adroitly hidden under unruffled ex-
ternals? That there was a man ne
did not know, hiding deep down with
In those powerful shoulders, he had
not the least doubt. He himself pos
sessed the quick mobile temperament
of the artist, and he could penetrate
but not understand the poise assumed
with such careless ease by his friend.
Dutch blood had something to do with
1t, and there was breeding, but there
was something more than these: he
was a reversiOn, perhaps, to the type
OF man which had made the rovers OF
the Lowlands feared on land and sea,
now hemmed in by convention, ham.
pered by the barriers Of progress. and
striving futilely tc flnd an outlet for
his peculiar enert;ies. One bit OF
knowledge gratihed him; he stood
nearer to Courtlsndt than any other
man. He had known the adventurer
as a boy. and lorg separations had in
nowise impaired the foundations of
this friendship.
Courtlandt continued toward the
exit his head bent forward, his gaze
bent on the path. He had the air OF
a man deep in thought. philosophic
thought, which leaves the brows un-
marred by those corrugations known
as frowns. Yet his thoughts were far
from philosophic Indeed. his soul was
In mad turmoil. He could have