Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1914-08-07
CHAPTER ii-Continued.


There was minute wrinkle above
the unknown's nose; the shadow OF a
Hrown. "She is very beautiful"
Bah! Did she send you after me?
Give me her address. 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 a smile to
neutraliZe the effect. Concerned with
her own defined conclusions, she lost
the fine ironic bitterness that was in
the mans voice.
AYE, indeed, to see her! Beautiful
as Venus, as alluring as Phryne, l
want nothing so much as to see her,
10 look into her eyes, to hear her
Soice!"
is II jealousy? I hear the tragic
note" The certainty of her ground
became as morass again. In his turn
he was puzzling her.
Tragedy? / am an American. We
do not kill opera singers. We turn
them over to the critics. l wish to see
the beautiful Flora, to ask her a few
questions. If she has sent you after
me. her address, my dear young lady,
her address" His eyes burned.
u am afraid" And she was so.
This wasn't the tone of man madly
in love. 1t was wild anger.
afraid of what2"
you"
II will give you hundred francs"
He produced crisp note. do you
want it?"
She did not answer at once. Pres
emily she opened her purse, found a
stubby pencil and slip Of paper. and
wrote. There it is, monsieur" She
held out her hand for the banknote
which, with sense Of baffiement, 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.
An, 1 understand. You copy music"
Eyes. monsieur"
This time the nervous flicker of her
eyes did not escape him. you are
studying for the opera. perhaps?"
Eyes, that is it,"
Good night" He rose.
eMonsieur is not gallant"
II was in my youth" be replied, put
ting on his hat.
The bald rudeness Of his departure
did not disturb her. She laughed soft
Iy and relievedly. Indeed, there was
in the laughter an essence of mischief.
However, If he carried away a mys-
terry. he left one behind.
The young woman waited five or ten
minutes, and, making sure that Court
IRndt 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
gtubbornness could be called such. But
70 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 a moment she had re-
belled, 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 a question openly. She
had accidentally seen photograph
one day, In trunk tray, with this
mans name scrawled across it, and
upon this fimsy 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 unsolyed. She had thrown the
name into the conversation many g
time, as one might throw q bomb into
"a crowd which had no chance to es
cape. F'izZles! The man had beer
calmly discussed and calmly dis
missed. At odd times an article in
the newspapers gave her an oppor
sunity; still the frank discussion, still
the calm dismissal She had learned
that the man was rich, irresponsible
vaciilating, a picturesque sort OF fool
But two years? What had kept hin
away that long? A weak man, in love
would not have made so tame a sur
render. Perhaps he had not sur
rendered; perhaps neither of then
had.
And yet, he sought the Calabrian
Here was another blind alley out O
which she had to retrace her steps
Bother! That Puck of Shakespear,
was right: What fools these mortal
hei She was very glad that she pos
sessed a true sense of humor, spice'
with harmless audacity. What drear.
world 1T must be to those who did no
bnow how and when to laugh! The,