The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-04-22
CHAPTER XXI.
Into the Desert.

| OF Madame de la Maine at an early
morning hour. Madame de la Maine
saw her standing on the threshold Of
her bedroom door,
"Chere Madame" Julia said, IT an
leaving today with dragoman and
twenty servants to go into the desert
Madame de la Maine was still in
bed. At nine o'clock she read her pa
pers and her correspondence
Into the desert-alone!"
Julia, with her cravache in her
gloved hands, smiled sweetly though
she was very pale. II had not thought
of going alone, Madame" she replied
with charming assurance, II knew you
would go with me-"
On chair by her bed was a wrap
per Of blue silk and lace. The COM
tesse sprang up and then thrust her
feet into her slippers and stared at
Julia.
What are you going to do in the
desert?"
"Watch!"
Eyes. yes!" nodded Madame de Ia
Maine. And your aunt?'
Deep in bazaar for the hospital"
smiled Miss Redmond.
Madame de la Maine regarded her
slender friend with admiration and
envy. "Why hadn't thought of it,"
She rang for her maid.
Because your great-grandfather
was not a pioneer!" Miss Redmond
answered.
The sun which, all day long, held
the desert in it's burning embrace,
went westward in his own brilliant
caravan.
"The desert blossoms like a rose,
Theresa"
Like a rose?" questioned Madame
de la Maine.
She was sitting in the door CT her
tent; her white dress and her white
hat cleaned like touch of snow
upon the deserts face. Julia Red
mond, on rug at her feet, and in her
khaki riding-habit the color Of the
sand, blended with the desert as
though part of it. She sat up as she
spoke.
How divine! See!" She pointed
to the stretches of the Sahara before
her. On every side they spread away
as far as the eye could reach, suave,
mellow, black, undulating finally to
small hillocks with corrugated sides,
as group of little sandhills rose soft.
ly out of the sealike plain. Look,
Therese!"
Slowly, from ocher and gold the
color changed; faint wavelike blush
crept over the sands, which Redeemed,
paled, faded, warmed again, took
depth and grew intense like flame.
"The heart of rose! N'est-ce pas,
Therese?"
II understand now what you mean"
said madame. The comtesse was not
dreamer Partisan to the tips of
her fingers, elegant, fine, she had lived
a conventional life. Therese had been
taught to conceal her emotions. She
had been taught that our feelings
matter very little to any one but our
selves. She had been taught to 60
lightly, to avoid serious things. Her
great-grandmother had gone lightly to
the scaffold, exQuisitely courteous till
the last
81 ask your pardon if jostled you in
the tumbrel," the old comtesse had
said to her companion on the way to
the guillotine. "The springs Of the cart
are poor"-and she went up smiling.
In the companionship Of the Ameri-
can girl, Therese de la Maine had
thrown off restraint. If the Marquise
d'Esclignac had felt Julias influence,
Therese de la Maine, being near her
own age, echoed Julia's very feeling.
Except for their dragoman and their
servants, the two women were alone
in the desert.
Smiling at Julia, Madame de la
Maine said: II haven't been so far
from the Rue de la Paix IA IVY life"
"How can you speak Of the Rue de
Ia Paix, Therese?" -...>... .......
"Only to show you how completely
have left it behind" ... ..
Julia's eyes were fixed upon the lin.
itless sands, sea where q faint line
lost itself in the red west and the hori'
zon shut from her sight everything
that she believed to be her life.'
"This Is the seventh day, Therese!"
Already you are as brown as an
Arab, Julia!"
"You as we'll. ma chere amie!"
Robert does not like dark women
said the Comtesse de la Maine, and
rubbed her cheek. II must wear two
veils."
Look, Therese!"
Across the face Of the desert the
glow began to withdraw its curtain
The sands suffused an ineffable hue, q
shell.like pink took possession, and the
desert melted and then grew colder-it
waned before their eyes, withered like
q tea-rose.
Like rose!" Julia murmured
Smell its perfume!" She lifted hel
head. drinking in with delight thu