The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-09-12

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, if he carried away mys-
terry, he left one behind.
The young woman waited five or ten
minutes, and, making sure that Court
landt had been driven off. 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 it, 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 moment she had re-
beiled, but her curiosity was not to
be denied. Besides of what use was
friendship if not to be tried? She
knew nothing Of the riddle, she had
never asked question osenly. She
had accidentally seen photograph
one day, in a trunk tray, with this
mans name scrawled across 1t, and
upon this flimsy base she had builded
a 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
a crowd which had no chance to es-
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. Shit had learned
that the man was rich, irresponsible,
vacillating, picturesque sort Of fool.
But two years? What had kept him
away that long? A weak man, in love,
would not have made so tame 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 retrace her steps.
Bother! That Puck of Shakespeare
was right: What fools these mortals
be! 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 laugh! They
talked of the daring of the American
woman; who but a Frenchwoman
would have dared what she had this
night? The taxicab! She laughed.
And this man was wax in the hands of
any pretty woman who came along.
So rumor had it. But she knew that
rumor was only the attenuated ghost
of Ananias, doomed forever to remain
on earth for the propagation of mac
curate whispers. Wax! Why. she
would have trusted herself in any sit
uation with a man with those eyes and
that angle of jaw. 1t was all very
mystifying. Follow him; see where
he goes" The frank discussion, then.
and the calm dismissal were but a
woman's Discrimination. And he mad
gone to Flora Desimone's.
The carriage stopped before hand
some apartment house in the Avenue
de Wagram The unknown got out,
gave the driver his fare, and rang the
concierge's bell The sleepy guardian
opened the door, touched his gold
braided cap in recognition. and led the
way to the small electric lift. The
young woman entered and Familiarity
pushed the button. The apartment IN
which she lived was on the second
floor; and there was luxury every
where, but luxury subdued and
charmed by taste.
/! She threw aside her hat and wraps
with that manner Of inconseQuence
which distinguishes the artistic tenn
permanent from the thrifty one, and