Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-07-17
CHAPTER II-contInued.

CHAP Elk II-ContIhueo.
There was a minute wrinkle above
the unknown's nose; the shadow of
frown. She is very beautiful"
Bah! Did she send you after me?
Give me her address. have come all
the way from Burma to see Flora
Desimone"
ITO see herr" She unguardedly
clothed the question with contempt,
but she instantly forced a smile to
neutrallze the effect. Concerned with
her own defined conclusions, she lost
the fine ironic bitterness that was In
the mans voice.
AYE. indeed, to see her! Beautiful
as Venus, as alluring as Phryne,
want nothing SO much as to see her,
to look into her eyes, to hear her
voice!"
''Is It jealousy? hear the tragic
note" The certainty of her ground
became as morass again. In his turn
he was puzzling her.
Tragedy? / am an American. We
do not kill opera singers. We turn
them over to the critics. wish to see
the beautiful Flora. to ask her few
questions. II she has sent you after
me. her address, my dear young lady
her address" His eyes burned.
81 am afraid" And she was SO.
This wasn't the tone of a man madly
in love. 1t was wild anger.
Afraid OF what?"
you"
81 will give you hundred francs"
He produced crisp note. do you
want it?"
She did not answer at once. Pres
emily she opened her purse, found a
stubby pencil and a slip Of paper. and
wrote. There 1t is. monsieur" She
held out her hand for the banknote
which, with sense of baflement, he
gave her. She folded the note and
slowed 1t away with the pencil.
Thank you" said Courtlandt. "Odd
paper, though" He turned It over.
"Ah. understand. You copy music"
"Yes, monsieur"
This time the nervous flicker OF her
eyes did not escape him. you are
studying for the opera. perhaps?"
"Yee. that is It."
Good night" He rose.
Monsieur is not gallant"
Il was in my YOUTH" he replied. put.
ting on his hat.
The bald rudeness OF his departure
did not disturb her. She laughed soft
ly and rellevedly. Indeed, there was
In the laughter an essence OF mischief
However, II he carried away a mys-
terry. he left one behind.
The young woman waited five or ten
minutes. and making sure that Court.
landt had been driven of, left the
restaurant. Round the corner she en-
gagged carriage. So that was Ed
ward Courtlandt? She liked his face;
there was not weak line in II, unless
stubbornness could be called such. But
to stay away for two yearsl To hide
himself In jungles. to be heard OF only
by his harebrained exploitsl Follow
him; see where he goes" had been tho
command. For a moment she had re.
belled, but her curiosity was not to
be denied. Besides, OF what use was
friendship II not to be tried? She
knew nothing OF the riddle, she had
never asked a question openly. She
had accidentally seen a photograph
one day. In a trunk tray, with this
mans name scrawled across II, and
upon this fiimsy base she had bullded
dozen romances. each OF which she
had ruthlessly torn down to make
room for another; but still the riddle
lay unsolved. She had thrown the
name into the conversation many a
time. as one might throw a bomb into
q crowd which had no. chance to es.
cape. Fizzlesi The man had been
calmly discussed and calmly dis.
missed. At odd times an article in
the newspapers gave her an oppor.
tunity; still the frank discussion, still
the calm dismissal. She had learned
that the man was rich, irresponsible.
vacillating, q picturesque sort OF fool.
But two years7 What had kept him
away that longl A weak man, In love,
would not have made 80 tame n sur.
render. Perhaps he had not sur.
rendered: perhaps neither OF them
had.
And yet, he sought the Calabrian
Here was another blind alley out OF
which she had TO retraco her steps
Botherl That Puck Of Shakespeare
was right: What fools these mortale
bo! She was very glad that she pos.
sessed a true sense OF humor. spiced
with harmless audacity. What dreary
world It must be to those who did not
know how and when to taught They