New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-11-09
CHAPTER xxi-Continued.

qutnrc, DuI TeHnpiilHtr Iitl YOU HNt
here, and"
'DOn't be- silly :" he Interrupted
what does that matter? And besides
according 10 you and all the rest OF
you here, these things don't affect 4
mans rcputntiOn-they are expected
Of him. See. ! nave rung the bell fo'
breakfast. Now | am going to tele
phone down for II messenger hoy to
90 for your clothes"
They breukfnsted together. II little
later. and she made him smoke. lie
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
,nythingf' hG asked at length.
II should think not" she replied.
1t is for you 10 tell her. | rang up
the princes house while you were in
the bathroom. They say that he has
Il broken rib and some bad cuts, sus-
tanned in IL motor accident last night,
hut 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 CLEAN of interest shonr in Johns
free.
"By the bye" he remarked, "thc
prince is n Frenchman. He will very
likely expect me to fight with him."
"No hope of that, my belligerent
friend" Sophy declared, with an at
tempt mt n smile. THE prince knows
that he is in England. He would not
be guilty of such an n~nachronislm. Be
sides, he is n person of wonderfully
we'll Unbalanced 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.
He glanced ut the clock-it was IL lit
tie past eleven.
~ am ready" he announced. Let
me drive you home first"
His motor was waiting at the door,
and he left Sophy mt her rooms Be
fore she got out, she held his arm for
II moment.
'John,' She, said, "remcmber that
Louise is very high-strung and very
sensitive. Be careful !"
"There is only one thing to do Oh
to say" he answered. ''There Is only
one way in which l can do it,"
He drove the car down Piccndilly
like II man in II dream, steering as
carefully as usual through the traffic,
n glancing every now ana then with
unsecing eyes mt the streams of pco-
pie upon the pavements. Finally h"
came to n standstill before Iouise's
house and stopped the engine with de-
1ibernte care. Then he ran the bell,
and was shown into her little draw
ing-room, which seemed to have become
a perfect bower of pink and white
lilac.
He sa: waiting rs if in n dream,
unable to decide upon his words. I'M
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 trngically
long.
Then ut last the door opened and
Louise entered. She came toward him
with a little welcoming smile upon
her lips. Her manner was gay, al
most affectionatc.
"IIave you come to take me for n
ride before lunch?" she asked. "Do
YOU know, | think that | should really
like it, We might lunch at Ranclagh
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 | knew YOU" he said
slowly. "there have been odd moments
when | have lived in torture. During
the last fortnight. those moments have
become hours. Last night the end
came"
"Are you mad. John?" She demand
ed.
"Perhnps," he replied. Listen. When
1 left you last night. | went to the
club in Adelphi Terrace. There was Il
well-known critic there. comparing you
and Latrobc. on the whole he ia
vored YOU. bur he gave Latrohe the
first place in certain parts. Latrobe,
he said. had had more experience In
life. She had had a dozen lovers
only ONE"
She WINGED. The glad freshness
seemed suddenly to fade from her
Her eyes became strained.
'Well?'
"I found Graillot. I cornpred him.
I asked him for the truth about you.
lie put me off with an evasion. I
came down here and looked at your
window. 1t was three o'clock in the
morning. / dared not come I'm. A very
demon of unrest was In my blood. 7
stopped at the night club on my way
back. Sophy vas there. | asked her
to put me out of my agony.
She was like Graillot. She fenced with
And then-the prince came"
THE prince vas there?" she fall
"He came up to the table where
and I were sitting. l think I
was half mad. I poured him a glass Of
wine. / told him that you had prom.
Ised to become my wife. He raised
Pc: glass; can see him now. He
sid me. with a smile, that 1t was the
anniversary of the day on which you
promised to become his"
Louise shrank back.
HE told you that?'
John was on his feet. The fever
hl,1;nr onna vaaro