The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-12-07

"that these French actresses get al
us little more completely even thar
Louise Maurel. Do you know the rea
son? I'll tell you 1t is because they
live the life. They have a dozen new
emotions in season. They make
cult of feeling. They use their brains
to dissect their passions. They cut
their own life into small pieces anC
give us the result without conceal
ment. That is where they score, II
anywhere. This Nine. Latrobe, who
opens over here tomorrow night, is In
love at the present moment with Jean
TOurbet. She had an affair with that
Italian poet in the summer, so they
tell me. She was certainly in Madrid
in October with Bretoldi, the sculp.
tor. These men are all great artists
Think what she must have learned
from associating with them! Now
Louise Maurel, SO far as we know
has never had but one affair, the prince
of Seyre. and has been faithful to him
all the time"
1t was out at last! John had heard
1t spoken in plain words. The black
demon upon which his hand had lain
so heavily, was alive now, without q
| doubt, jeering at him, hooking at him
| -alive and self-assertive in the sober
words of the elderly, well-bred man
who lounged upon the table.
| For a moment or two John was
stunned. A wild impulse assailed him
to leap up and confront them all, to
choke the lie back down the throat
Of the man who had uttered it. Every
nerve in his body was tingling with
the desire for action. The stupOr of
his senses alone kept him mOtiOnleSS,
and strange, incomprehensible clar-
ity of thought. He realized exactly
how things were. This man had not
spoken idly, or as scandalmOnger.
He had spoken what he had accepted
as fact, what other people believed.
John rose to his feet and made his
way toward the door. His face showed
little sign of disturbance. He even
nodded to some men whom he knew
slightly. AS he passed down the stairs,
he met Graillot. Then once more his
self-cOntrol became in danger. He
seized the Frenchman savagely by the
arm.
"Come this way" he said, leading
him toward the card-room. Come In
here! I want to speak to YOU"
He locked the dOOr-a most I'M
heard-of and irregular proceeding.
Graillot felt the coming of the storm.
"Wellw he exclaimed grimly. "TrOu-
BILE already, Ell? see it in your face,
young man. Out with it!'
II was sitting in the smoking room
there, few moments ago." he began,
jerking his head toward the door.
'There were some men talking-de-
cent fellows, not dirty scandal-mon-
gers. They spoke of Louise Maurel."
Graillot nodded gravely. He knew
very well what was coming.
John felt his throat suddenly dry.
The words he would have spoken
choked him. He banged his fist upon
the table by the side of which they
were standing.
'Look, here, Graillot," he cried, al
most piteOusly, "you know it is not
true, nor likely to be true! Can't
you say so?"
"Stop, my young friend!" the
Frenchman interrupted. II know moth
ing. 1t is a habit of mine to know
nothing when people make suggestions
of that sort. I make no inquiries. I
accept life and people as 1 find them"
"But you don't believe that such a
thing could be possible?"
"Why not?" Graillot asked steadily.
John could do no more than num-
BILE repetition Of his words. The
world was falling away from him.
II will not discuss this matter with
you, my friend. will only ask you
to remember the views of the world in
which we live. Louise Maurel is an
artist, a great artist. If there has
been such an affair as you suggest, be-
tween her and any man, if it were
something which appealed to her af-
fections, it is my opinion that she
would not hesitate. You seem to think
it an outrageous thing that the prince
should have been her lover. To be
perfectly frank. I do not. should be
very much more surprised at her mar
rage"
John made his escape somehow. He
remembered opening the door, but he
had no recollection Of reaching the
street. A few minutes later, however,
he found himself striding down Pic
cadilly toward Hyde Park corner.
He found taxicab and was driven
toward the Milan. He was conscious
of wild desire to keep away from
his rooms. Every pulse in his body
was tingling. He was f1ercely awake,
eager for motion. action, excitement
of any sort. Suddenly he remembered
the night club to which he had been
introduced by Sophy on the first night
of his arrival in London. The adj
dress, too, was there quite clearly In
his diSordered brain. He leaned out
of the cab and repeated it to the driv-
er.
The little place was Unexpectedly
crowded when he entered, after hav-
ing handed his hat and coat to q
vestiaire. A large supper party was
going on at the farther end, and the
dancing space was smaller than usu-
al. The maitre d'hotel was escorting
John to small table In a distant
corner, which had just been vacated,
when the latter heard his name sud-
denly called by familiar voice. So
ply, who had been dancing, aban-
dOned her partner precipitately and
came hurrying up to John with out
stretched hands.