The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1914-02-21

| himself in the mirror.
But now. my business proposition
Is very simple. 1t holds good for one
evening. Miss Delaware. l was just
going to propose that we forget all
this unhappiness. and do little pre-
tending for one night. say for one
hour or So"
He fumbled IN his waistcoat pocket,
and drew out something which sudden
ly famed into dancing points and rays
in the light that fell upon It. She
stood motionless while he passed
about her neck a tiny thread. delicate
as If spun OF moonlight. She held out
her hand and he slipped over 1t
cleaning ring of gems. She bent her
head. and he placed a sparkling orna-
ment in her hair She had seen these
jewels before. She turned to the
glass now, her bosom heaving as she
saw them CLEAN at her own neck. her
own hands, in her own hair. She held
out her hands to look at them now.
and the gems flashed back challenge
to her eyes. sparkling yet more bril-
liantly.
"lt was nothing" said John Rawn
tersely. That's all that lacked. You're
| good as the best now. I've seen no
woman in this city that il your equal
in beauty. You were born for this
life. Now do you understand what
mean? | say. you can carry it off!"
She turned to him, another woman.
changing on the instant, something in
her eyes he had never seen before
But In his own eyes there was at the
time nothing save the original calm
and purposefulness.
"As | was saying. then. since We can
both carry it off, why not do so for an
hour or so? I've read somewhere of
masquerades. Why not try it?"
She turned to him. flushed. radiant.
but slightly frownins, puzzled. study
ing him, Rawn felt the query OF her
| look, felt also something stirring down
in his nature which he grappled at
once aud was able to suppress. His
voice was cool and low as it was be-
| fore
It's big crowd below, and We'll
be lost in it, I've learned already that
you can be discreet. Well drop down
in there, where no one knows US
|
whether we'll do. here where the test
is hardest You're ambitious? So am
l. This is the heart Of the world
the place of gratified ambitions. What
do you say, Miss Delaware? I've been
looking around down there. and as
nearly as can see, I'm the only man
in this avenue worth a million dollars
who at this precise moment Of the
day isn't talking to some good-looking
woman"
You natter mel" commented the
girl. He did not endeavor any analy-
| sis.
"Not in the least! simply talk
sense and business to you. l covet
what you covet, love what you love.
want what you want. Things which
are equal to the same thing ought to
be equal to each other--for just a lit
tie while. Miss Delaware. Isn't 1t
true Ii it is only play. why. let's play
at it.
Il forgot to tell YOU" he added.
"that my son-n-law. Mr.. Halsey. has
gone back to Chicago. He was sum-
moued by wire. No one else knows US
both There wouldn't be one chance
in many of our being seen by anyone
here who knew either OF us, and II SO.
what harm? Well go and dine as well
as the best Of them. in the main room.
What do you say, Miss Delaware?"
She stood facing him now. seeming
years older than she had few mo-
ments before. A very skilled OBJ
server might possibly have suspected
certain new quality in the calmness
of her eye Beautiful she certainly
was: alluring, irresistible in the an
cient appeal of woman. she certainly
ought to have been, and would have
been to any but this particular man
who now stood facing her. half smil.
ing: a man Of middle age, gray about
the temples, of heavy browed eyes.
strongly lined face. OF strong and bony
frame; not an Unlocking or unmanly
man one might have said, though
wears older than this young woman
who stood now threading between her
fingers the flmy moonshine chain
which suspended the points of flame
that rose and fell upon her bosom.
At last she said. hesitating. and
holding up the flaming pendant. I'm
not to keep them?"
NO, Marguerite!" he smiled. This
particular Papa Faust retains string
on those jewels. They have been seen
elsewhere. my dear girl No. one
nights use of them is all this business
proposition carries. my dear"
(TO BE CONTINUED
| l<