The Spectator. (Ozark, Ark.) 1911-1916, 1914-08-14
CHAPTER ~.


C6Ap En- ".
Captive Or Runaway.
At the age OF twenty-six Donald Alb
lott had become = prosperous and dis
tinguished painter In water colors.
His work was Individual. and at the
Same time 1t was delicate and charm
ang. One saw hs Italian landscapes
as through . filmy gause: the almond
blossoms Of Sicily. the roseladen walls
Of Florence. the vineyards of Chianti,
the poppy-glowing Campagna out Of
Rome. His Italian lakes had brought
grind and hunger that attended the
careers of his whilom associates. His
father had left him come valuable pat
euts-wash-tubs. carpet-cleaners and
other labor-saving devices-and the
royalties from these were quite SUI
ncient to keep him pleasantly housed.
His earnings (not Uncomfortable.
Tor tourists found much to admire in
both the pictures and the artist) he
spent In gratifying his mild extrava-
gances. SO there were no lines In his
handsome. boyish. beardless face: and
his eyes were unusually clear and
happy. Perhaps once or twice. since
his majority. he had returned to Amer
lea to prove that he was not an ex-
patriate. though certainly he WAC one.
the only tie existing between him and
his native land being the bankers who
regularly honored his drafts And who
shsll condepn him for preferring Italy
70 the desolate center Of New York
state. where good servants and good
weather are ~ rare as are fiawless
emeralds?
Half after three. on Wednesday aft.
ernoon. Abbott stared moodily at the
wcather-tarnished group by Dalou in
the Luxembourg gardens-the Tri-
umph OF Silenus. His gaze was de-
ceptve. for the rollicking old bibulous
scoundrel had not stirred his critical
sense nor impressed the delicate films
Of thought. He was looking through
the bronze, into the far-away things.
He had arrived early that morning. all
the way from Como. to ind q thunder
bolt driven In at HE feet Across his
knees fluttered an open newspaper.
the Paris edition of tho New York
Herald. All that kept 1t from blowing
away was the tense II sprawling I'm
gers OF his right hand: his left hung
Imply at his side.
4 was not possible Such things did
not happen these unromantic days to
musical celebrities. She had written
that on Monday night she would sing
In La Boheme and on Wednesday.
Faust She had since vanished, van
ished - completely as though she had
taken wings and Aown away. 1t was
unreal. She had left the apartment
In the Avenue de Wagram ON Satur-
day afternoon. and nothing had been
oeen or heard Of her since. At the
hast moment they had had to find a
substitute for her part In the Puccini
opera The maid testified that her
mistress had gone on an errand OF
mercy. She had not mentioned where,
but she had said that she would return
In time to, dress for dinner, which
proved conclusively that something
out Of the ordinary had befallen her.
The automobile that had carried her
away had not been her own. and the
chauffeur was unknown. None Of the
directors at the opera had been mott
ned OF any change In the singers
plans. She had disappeared. and they
were deeply concerned. Singers were
generally erratic. full of sudden indis.
positions. unaccountable whims; but
the Signorins do ToscanA was one In
. thousand. She never broke an en-.
gAgemeat II she was Ill che said 90
ct once: she never left them In doubt
until the last moment. Indscision was
not one Of her characteristics. She
was ~ reliable ~ the sun. II the di.
sectors did not hear definitely from
hor by noon today. they would have to
Ind another Marguerite.
The police began to move. and they
stirred up some curious bits Of infor-
nation. A man had tried TO bribe the
singers chauffeur. while she was sing
lng at the Austrian ambassadors. The
chauffeur was able to describe the
stranger with some accuracy. Then
came the bewildesinS episode In the
spartment:s the pistoLshot. the Night
Of the man. the astonished concierge
20 whom the beautiful American would
o1Ier NO explanations. The man (who
4AIlasd with the description given ~