Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-08-28
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Eleanora dc Toscana was singing in
ward courtisnds's appearances there. Null
timillionaire. he wandered about where
fancy dictated. He might be In Paris one
the opera he goes to q cafe and Il ac-
CHAPTER ll-contlnued.
There was Q minute wrinkle above
the unknOwn's nose: the shadow Of q
frown. 'she Is very beautiful"
Bah! Did she send you after me?
Give me her address. l 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 q smile to
neutralize the effect. Concerned with
her own defined conclusions, she lost
the fne ironic bitterness that was in
the mans voice.
AYE, indeed, to see her! Beautiful
az Venus. a. alluring as Phryne,
want nothing 30 much a. to see her.
to look into her eyes. to hear her
voice!"
lis 1t jealousy? l hear the tragic
note" Tho certainty Of her ground
became ~ morass again. In his turn
he was pushing her.
Tragedy? am an American. We
do not kin opera singers. We turn
them over to the critics. l wish to see
the beautiful Flora. to ask her few
questions. II she has sent you. after
me. her iress. my dear young lady.
her add .ss." His eyes burned.
II am afraid" And she was 20.
This wasn't the tone Of . man madly
I'm love. II was wild anger.
Afraid Of what!"
"You."
T will give you . hundred francs"
He produced crisp note. do you
want itf''
She did not answer at once. Pres
emily she opened her purse, found .
stubby pencil and slip Of paper. and
wrote. There 1t II. monsieur" She
held out her hand for the banknote
which. with sense Of baflement. he
gave her. She folded the note and
slowed It 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. perhapsr'
"Yes. that Is It,"
Good night" He rose.
Monsieur II 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
~ and relievedly. 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 q carriage. So that was Ed
ward COurtlandt? She liked his face:
there was not weak line in 1t, unless
stubbornness could be called such. But
to stay away for two years! To hide
himself IN jungles. to be heard Of only
by his harebrained exploits! Follow
him; see where he goes" had been the
command. For q 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 question openly. She
had accidentally seen q photograph
one day. In a trunk tray, with this
mans name scrawled across It. and
upon this flimsy case she had builded
dosen 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 4
time. % one might throw . bomb into
p crowd which had no chance to e.
cape. Fizzles! 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,
validating. . picturesque sort of fool.
But two years? What had kept him
away that long? A weak man. in love.
would not have made 20 tame q 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 ahA had IN Pofpa A hAe .x>>.