The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-11-02

4" iiitSlS VI oOlh dnSCWCy . OllQd
ton appealed to her powerfully. Be
sides, she had a weakness for hand
some men.
sat any rate" said Lady Hilda, 81
am glad to think that 1 shall be able
to watch you when you see Calavera
in her dances for your first time
The curtain rang up upon one of the
most gorgeous and sensuous of the
Russian ballots. John, who by their
joint insistence was occupying the
front chair in the box, leaned forward
in his place, his eyes steadfastly fixed
upon the stage. Both the prince and
Lady Hilda, in the background, al
though they occasionally glanced at
the performance, devoted most of their
attention to watching him.
AS the story progressed and the mu-
sic grew in passion and voluptuous-
ness, they distinctly saw his almost
militant protest. They saw the knit
ting of his firm mouth and the slight
contraction of his eyebrows. The
prince and his friend exchanged
glances. She drew her chair a little
farther back, and he followed her ex-
ample.
"Where did you find anything so
wonderful as this?" she murmured.
Lost among the hills of Cumber-
land" the prince replied. 81 have an
estate up therein fact, he and I are
joint lords of the manor of the viii
lage in which he has lived"
"And your she whispered, glancing
at John to be sure that she was not
overheard. "Where do you come in?
AS educator of the young? I don't
seem to see you in that role!"
A very rare and by no means pleas
ant smile twisted the corners of his
lips for moment.
SIT is long story"
"Can I be brought in?" she asked.
He nodded.
SIT rests with you. 1t would suit my
plans"
She toyed with her fan for a mo-
ment, looked restlessly at the stage
and back again at John. Then she rose
from her place and stood before the
lookingglass. From the greater obscur-
ity of the box she motioned to the
prince.
John remained entirely needless of
their movements. His eyes were
with the wonderful coloring, the reali-
cation of a new art.
"You and l." Lady Hilda whispered,
"do not need to play about with the
truth, Eugene. What are you doing
this for?'
"The idlest whim," the prince as
sured her quietly. 'Look at him.
Think for a moment of his position
absolutely without experience, entirely !
ignorant about women, with fortune |
one only dreams of, and probably the
animal in London. What |
is going to become of him?"
81 think I understand a little" she
confessed.
81 think you do" the prince assent
ed. "He has views, this young man.
1t is my humor to see them dissipated.
The modern Sir Galahad always irri-
tated me little"
She shrugged her shoulders.
They'll never give him a chance,
these women" she said. "Much better
hand him over to me-"
The prince smiled enigmatically, and
Lady Hilda returned to her seat. John
vas still leaning forward with his eyes
liked upon Calavera, who was dancing
alone now. The ballet was drawing
oward the end. The music had
cached it's climax of wild and passion
tie sensuousness, dominated and in
'pired by the woman whose every
and every glance seemed
,art of some occult, dimly understood
language.
When the curtain rang down, John, !.
Ike many others, was confused. New
rtheless, after that first breathless
'ause, he stood up and Joined in the
umultuous applause.
"Well?' the prince asked.
John shook his head.
81 don't KNOW" he answered. Z
Neither does anyone else" Lady '
Iilda said. "Don't try to analyze your
for our benefit, Mr..
am exactly in your po-
ition, and have been here a dozen
mes. Even to us hardened men and Z
-omen of the world, this Russian mu-
lie came as a surprise. There were
arts of it you did not like, though, =
-eren't there?"
"There were parts of it hated"
ohm agreed. sThere were passages
nat seemed to aim at discord in every Z
ense of the word"
She nodded alphabetically. They :
ere on their way down the broad .
.aircase. q
81 wonder" she murmured, whether >
am going to be asked out to sup = =
err" =
"Alas, not tonight, dear lady," the y
.ince regretted. II am having few >.
lends at Seyre House." !
She shot a glance at him and te
rugged her shoulders. She was evil a.
,ntly displeased.
"How much too bad !" she exclaimed. d
am not at all sure that it is right u
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