The daily sentinel., 1914-07-08
CHAPTER xxxIII.
At the Wishing Wen.

| OW, rambling houses of Spanish architecture
dotted the great area which the curiously fan
tastic, wholly artistic fence enclosed. The
grounds We're laid out in orderly fashion, bloom
ing like the Garden of Eden with riotous pro-
fusion of flowers that rested their heavy per-
fumes lazily upon the ether, blending and har-
monizing yet never cloying and never oppressive,
Monstrous cacti, tiny hedgeTows, minute sword
palms, bayonet trees, everything seemed to have
sought this soil. Never suggestion of the lack
OF originality which the landscape gardner gives
an estate, but showing decided character that
would have told the most undiscerning something
of the owners character.
This Loubeque Always had she asso-
ciated him with the manner of her knowing him
Times he had been tender, other times he had
been cruel, always was he crafty, cunning cour-
ageous, a one-ideal man. But he seemed all
poet painter. She could hear the softened tones
of his voice as, with some of his companions, he
wandered about the grounds, tenderly explain
ing to them the history, the beauty of the flow
ers, the rare species he had imported for the
place. Always would he show a tender regard
for the beauty OF Nature which struck Lucille
as almost feminine. She feared this man more
than she did the OF the diary, feared him
because she was learning that the warm climate
was salpping her of her purpose forcing lethargy
upon her more powerful than bands OF iron
1t was after one of these ranbles that she
noticed signs OF some impending change about
the menage. 1t was while she watched the spy
wandering about the gardens OF n morning,
dering at the tenderness with which he would
bend to the flowers, inhaling the fragrance, ex-
amining their buds and blossoms that he sud
shortly enter her room.
81 am leaving today" he began abruptly. all
the nature-loyer gone from his cold, stern man
ner. Again L ask you 10 tell me where you put
the paper papers" 49,, -. 49,, ,, O.,
stopped abruptly, realizing that her delight had
revealed quite much his demand.
Loubeque shook his head, studying her face
lleenly, evidently recognizing the steel of
breakable nature. He held out his hand and
elasPed her own, his eyes steadily fastened upon
her face.
Il am sorry, Lucille, that you cannot see the
folly of this II is your last chance to tell me.
1t is your last chance to count friend. /
waiting"
She did not answer. Their eyes met and
held, both filed with an unaltered purpose. Then
Loubeque, without word, left the room.
Nor did she him again. That he had
gone she knew from the laxness about the
household, among his servants. 1t gave her food
for hope. She must escape. She must She must
escape before the iron grip of dreamy languor
about the place became unbreakable.
She had to fight against losing thought of
everything in this bower of content. Human
emotions seemed so far away from the spiritual
which reached out and grasped Mt her with
greedy fingers. She could close her eyes and.
lulled by the intoxicating perfumes, wander Off
into day dreams OF fancy than those
which had come to her maiden soul in the hours
when her sweetheart by her side and per-
feet happiness dwelt In her heart and shadows
dared not intrude
But always when she wandered thus, always
when her feet moved with her spirit, she would
encounter OF Loubeque's aides always
masked, always casually surprised at coming
upon her, always urbane and polite yet insistent
upon turning her in an opposite direction. The
Surveillance Of such nature never to be
obtrusive and to be out of her mind. 1t
seemed incongruous in this place. just the
appearance of horde of wild beasts might have
appeared neongruous.
II got upon her nerves to such an extent
that she finally took to the house and remained
there. She felt the prison atmosphere here and
there such startling contrast between the
dream and the reality to bring her from out the
clouds of her dream spirit. Every room was
grated and, though she knew they were not here
for the purpose they served it admirably ~.