Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1914-08-28

ers- with roubles n IRE tia francs
and shillings and dollars; and taose
who finally escaped her enchantment
did SO inYoluntarily, for lack of further
funds. They called her villas Circe's
| isles. She hated but two things in the
world; the man she could have loved
and the woman she could not surpass.
Some one was at the speaking-tube.
The singer crossed the room impa-
| tiently. what is it?" she asked In
French.
The voice below answered with a
query In English. rs this the Signo-
rina Desimone?"
Yes. And now that my identity is
established, who are you and what do
you want at this time of night?"
Il am Edward Courtlandt."
well, what is it you wish? 2" amiably.
you once did me an i'll turn" came
up the tube. 81 desire that you make
some re~paration."
"Sainted Mother! But it has taken
you a long time to find III that l have
injured you," she Knocked.
will you give me her address.
please? Your messenger gave me
your address, inferring that you
wished to see me-"
III" There was no impeaching her
establishment.
Yes, madame"
my dear Mr.. Courtlandt, you are
the last man in all the wide world I
wish to see. And l do not quite like,
the way you are making your request"
do you not think, madame. that
you owe me s~omething?"
mo What 1--WE l pay. Think. Mr..
Courtlandt; think WELL"
II do not understand" impatieltly.
"Ebbene, / owe you nothing. Once
/ heard you say-I do not like to see
you with the Calabrian; she is-well,
you know / stood behind you at an
other time when you said that l was o
fool"
Madame, I do not forget that. that
is pure invention. You are mistaken"
mo. You were. I am no fool" A
light laugh drifted down the tube.
Madame, l begin to see."
"Ah!"
you believe what you wish to be-
lieve."
Il think not"
81 never even noticed you." care
lessly.
ut is easy to forget" cried the diva,
furiously. at is easy for you to for
get, but not for me-"
Madame, 4 do not forget that you
entered my room that night. . :"
Il shall give you her address," In
%terrupted the diva, hastily. The play
had gone far enough, much as she
would have liked to continue it. This
was going deeper than she cared to
go. She gave the address and added:
Tonight she sings at the Austrian am.
bassador's. l give you this information
gladly because l know that it will be
of no use to you"
Then shall dispense with the for
mality of thanking you. l add that
wish you two-fold the misery you have
carelessly and g~ratuitously cost me
Good night" Click! went the little
covering of the tube.
With the same inward bitterness
that attends the mental processes of q
performing tiger on being sent back to
its cage, CORTLAND: returned to his
taxicab. He wanted to oar and lash
and devour something. Instead, be
could only twist the ends of his mus
tache ~savagely. 1t did not seem pos
sible that any could be SO full
of malice. He simply could not under
stand. 1t was essentially the Italian
spirit: doubtless, till she heard his
voice, she had forgotten all about the
episode that had foundered his ship
of happiness.
Her statement as to the primal cause
was purely inventive. There was moi
a grain of truth in it. He could moi
possibly have been so rude. He hat
been too Indifferent. Too Indifferent
The repetition of the phrase made him
sit s~traighter. Pshaw! 1t could no
be that. He possessed a little vanity
if he had not, his history would no
have been worth a scrawl. But he de
MED the possession vehemently. al
men are wont to do.
Too Indifferent! Was it possibl,
that he had reused her enmity simpl.
because he had made it evident tina
her charms did not interest him? Be
; yond lifting his hat to her, perhaps ex
changing a comment on the weather
his courtesies had not been extended
Courtlandt was peculiar in some re
spects. A woman attracted him. o.
she did not. In the one case he wa'
affable, winning. pleasant, full Of thcs'
agreeable little surprises that in turl
attract a woman. In the other case
he passed on, for his impressions wer
instant and did not require tho usua
diminishing.
:. ITO BE CoNTINUED.)