Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-12-25
Epening Story
DIvERTlNo LEONE.
BY Ellis Browne.
Copyright, 1915, by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)

|
Marjory tried her best not to listen.
but the conversation foated across the
table to her ears with almost hendfsh
clearness. Mrs. Fanshaw's voice was
bit high pitched, and just now she
was radiant with excitement, contra
dieting Tommy fatty about Willard.
'My dear child. I was there. He was
simply mad over her. He can say
what he pleases now, but know and
so does everybody else who saw them
together. She was just as much in
love with him as he was with her.
That's three years ago, and she hasn't
changed one bit. Prettiest little thing
ever was anyway"
Tommy tried to divert her. catching
sight covertly Of Marjory's face, the
expression in her clear blue eyes, the
hurt, close lines around her lips"
ooh, I don't know, Mrs. Fanshaw.
Will was just a cub. don't think he
ever really cared for her"
'*Well, he certainly did, and If you
could have seen her face last night at
the box party Airline gave, when she
heard he was in town, oh, my dear, my
dear! Women are far more faithful
than men, Hasn't she the most beau
tiful red hair you ever saw in all your
life?"
II can't bear red hair" said Tommy
blithely. Marjorie knew she meant
Leonie Raleigh. She had met her at
a tea that week and had noticed what
an unusual type she was. And VIII,
her Will, had been in love with her
only three years ago. She fingered her
engagement ring absently. he was
really very nice, q gentle voiced, well
hammered, middle aged Frenchman.
And suddenly something he was say
ing caught her attention.
"You know, SO few artists have ever
been able to catch Titian's tone. Red
hair has always exerted an extraordi-
nary effect on artists, yet 1t Is rare.
MY friend the marquis is quite wild
over young Californian he met at tea
yesterday"
Miss Raleigh" suggested Marjorie.
OF course it was Leonie. The men had
focked around her like bees at the
tea. She had made complete picture
in the fading sunset light Of the studio.
Eyes. He cannot get the inspiration
for his work until he has the divine
thrill for his subject - you see? And
he has sought for model for his
Francesca. She must be this same
F'lorentine type that Titan loved to
paint, ali, the Florentine women with
their dark eyes and red hair and faces
like whitest pearls
Marjory listened to him ramble on.
And she even smiled, laying a plan in
her mind to divert all danger from
Will when it came to red hair. Not a
blessed word did she say to him about
Miss Raleigh, but the next day she had
coaxed Mamie Eaton to bring them to-
gether at dinner, Leonie and the i'm
questionable marquis. Tommy took
her in to dinner, as Will was west for
few days, and he noticed her look OF
content
"You know expect you to purr any
moment. What have you been up to-"
Tommy" Marjorie answered, 'has
the marquis any money!"
"Not much. But he's a really fine
sort of chap and his title is o. K. An
cient regime, you know. Some Of his
people lost their heads in the same
basket with Louis, believe. Why?"
Nothing" Marjorie changed the
subject. The count kept her posted.
Both he and the marquis belonged to
the little group Of marooned conttnen-
tails in New York, too old to go to war,
marking time in the new world. And
it appeared that the red haired Califor-
MIA girl was a splendid success. She
had enough money in her own right to
make the attentions of the marquis &C.
ceptable. Even before Wills return
every one was mating the two and
talking of their romantic meeting.
Marjorie smiled and said nothing, not
until the night when Will came back.
She was at the opera with her mother,
and two boxes away on the same tier
were Leonie and the marquis.
"You know her, don't you, dear?"
she asked very impersonally. Tommy
eyed her from the back Of the box
alertly. 'Leonie Raleigh from Santa
Barbara
Willard sat up, his eyes suddenly
keen with interest.
Where is she?"
Right over there in the Seward
box. Isn't she lovely, Will? Such won
dorf,l rod l,oir -