The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-11-09
CHAPTER xXI-continued.


according to you and all the rest of
you here, these things don't affect a
mans reputatlon-they are expected
Of him. See, have rung the bell for
breakfast. Now am going to tele-
phone down for messenger boy to
go for your clothes"
They breakfasted together, little
later, and she made him smoke. He
stood before the window, looking down
upon the river, with his pipe in his
mouth and an unfamiliar look upon
his face.
"Do you suppose that Louise knows
anythlng?" he asked at length.
81 should think not" she replied.
SIT Is for you to tell her. | rang up
the princes house while you were in
the bathroom. They say that he has
broken rib and some bad cuts, sus-
tained In n motor accident last night,
but that he Is in no danger. There
was nothing about the affair In the
newspapers, and the princes servants
have evidently been instructed to give
this account TO inquirers."
A gleam OF interest shOne in Johns
face.
"By the bye" he remarked, "the
prince is q Frenchman. He will very
likely expect me to fight with him.
"NO hope Of that, my belligerent
friend" Sophy declared, with an at
tempt at a smile. "The prince knows
that he is in England. He would not
be guilty of such an anachrOnlsm. Be
sides, he is person of wonderfully
wcll-balanced mind. When he is him,
self again, he will realize that what
happened to him Is exactly what he
asked for"
John took up his hat and gloves
tie past eleven.
81 am ready" he announced. LET
me drive you home .irst."
His motor was waiting at the door,
and he left Sophy at her rooms. Be
fore she got out, she held his arm for
moment
John" she said. remember that
Louise is very high-strung and very
sensitive. Be careful ~
"There is only one thing to do on
to say" he answered. "There is only
one way in which | can do it."
He drove the car down Piccadilly
like a man in a dream, steering as
carefully as usual through the traffic,
and gl0ncing every now and then with
unseelng eyes at the streams of peo- \
pie upon the pavements. Finally he
came to standstlll before Loulse's
house and stopped the engine with de-
lberate care. Then he rang the bell,
and was shown into her little draw
ing-roOm, which seemed to have become
perfect bower of pink and white
lilac.
He sat waiting as If in a dream,
unable to decide upon his words, un-
able even to sift his thoughts The
one purpose with which he had come,
the one question he designed to ask,
was burning in his brain. The min |
utes of her absence seemed tragically |
long.
Then at last the door opened and !
Louise entered. She came toward him
with little welcoming smile upon
her lips. Her manner was gay, al |
most affectiOnate.
"Have you come to take me for a |
ride before lunch?" she asked. "Do |
you know, think that should really |
like it! We might lunch at Ranelagh |
on our way home"
The words stuck in his throat. From |
where she was, she saw now the writ
ing on his face. She stopped short.
"What is it?' she exclaimed.
"Ever since l knew you" he said |
slowly, "there have been odd moments
when l haye lived in torture. During
tho last fortnight, those moments have
become hours. Last night the end
cane"
"Are you mad, John?" she demand
ed.
Perhaps" he replied. Listen. When
left you last night, l went to the
club in Adclphi Terrace. There was
welI-known critic there, comparing you
and Latrobe On the whole he ia
vorCd you. hut he gave Latrobe the
tirst place in certain parts. Latrobe,
l,e said, had had more experience in
FIFE She had had a dozen lovers
you, only one"
She WINGED. The glad freshness
seemed suddenly to fade from her
face. Her eyes became strained.
"Well?"
x found GraillOt. 1 cornered him.
asked him for the truth about you.
He put me off with an evasion.
came down here and looked at your
window. 1t was three o'clock in the
dared not come in. A very
demon of unrest was in my blood.
stopped at the night club on my way
hack. Sophy was there. / asked her
plainly to put me out of my agony
she was like Graillot. She fenced with
me. And then-the prince Gamer
"The prince was there?" she fall
tered.
"He came up to the table where
SOphy and / were sitting. / think
was half mad. poured him a glass of
wine. told him that you had prom
ised to become my wife. He raised !
his glass-I can see him now. He
told me, with smile, that it was the
of the day on which you T.
promised to become his"
Louise shrank back,
"He told you that?"
John was on his feet, The fever
was blazing once more.
"He told Inc that, face to facew {
"And you"
An1 ~ |