Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-07-28
CHAPTER VlI-Continued.

lie u1Ieu uer manu- 10 his lips, MS
eyes still on her face, and, returning
Arnaud's salute, strobe across the
sunlit courtyard and disappeared into
the shadows. Husband and wife
watched him in silence. Then Arnaud
gave a short, half-angry laugh.
when the devil goes abroad 1t is
usually to some purpose" he said.
allow did he come here?"
81 invited him."
"He had not called on you"
She shrugged her shoulders prettily.
"That was just what made me do it.
] was bored and lonely, and bored
and lonely people are bound to do
something mad"
"You are very often bored, Sylvia"
"Yes," she agreed But does that
mean l am very often mad"
He looked up at her, his pale eyes
full of moody usefulness. "How much
can happen in year where woman
is concerned. A year ago you would
not have been bored, Sylvia. You
thought then that there was no more
Abbes, and that there was no other
man for you than myself. Now you
are restless and discontinued. You
hate the place and-perhaps your hus-
band" The last words broke from him
with a petulant violence. 1t was the
irritable accusation of man who does
not believe what he is saying and ex-
Anfe fvnl 4atfA GxrI
via Arnaud's fair head was still bent
over her flowers. He sprang upright,
his face ashy with passion. "Do you
hate me- Sylvan" he stammered. She
lifted her eyes for a moment, but not
to him. In their brown, velvety depths
there were pathos and melancholy in
hnitely touching.
''Oh, no, l don't haze you, Desire"
she said in her soft voice. 81 have
never hated anyone. But you don't I'M
derstand. How should you? You are
man, and not even a man Of my own
race. Women are so different. They
live in such a narrow circle. Desire,
and their dreams are everything to
them. They hold up ideals for them
selves, and the whole world is glorified
IN their eyes How natural when a
man comes to them they should hail
him as the contamination of all they
hoped and fancied-how natural that
the glorious world a desert and their
idols shattered forever"
"Have l done that?" She made nc
answer, and he sprang at her and
seized her by the wrist in a paroxysm
of excitement. Have / done that
Am l the broken idol?'
She released herself with gentle de
cision from his desperate grasp.
'It's too late, Desire" she said sadly
"When a man breaks a woman's faitt
1t is always beyond repair"
She moved away from him to the
curtained door leading into the house
but he sprang after her, barring hei
path, his eyes pleading and full of 6
worship that might have touched her
"Sylvia, will do anything. l have
been thinking-the Second regiment IL
ordered to Tonkin. Shall l exchange
1t will give you fresh surroundings
fresh society. The climate isn't bat
now. Or shall l get leave-I shall
take you to England for a month-twt
months-or we shall travel"
She flushed suddenly.
at is not necessary. do not wan
to take you from your duty"
His hand dropped from the curtain
Beneath the half-closed eyelids Their
dickered two dangerous points of light
''In other words, you won't attemp
to bridge the gulf that has come be
tween us-at your wish, as 1 veril
believe. Very well, whatever happens
on your head be it,"
he turned away, and for a momen
she hesitated, looking back at him lik
a child endeavoring to penetrate tn
meaning OF some vague threat of tn
future. Then the curtains fell soft
behind her.
Sidi-bel-Abbes has two great street
running north to south and east I
west. In between are the little 70