The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-02-07

fetch me some, and bring 1t 10 me
yourselfr
She sank back upon q divan n she
spoke John turned to leave the room,
but she called him back
Come here. she invited. .c2oee to
my side! I can wait for the cham
pagnA- Tell me. why you are 80 alent7
And my dancins-thAt pleased your
He felt the words stick In his throat
your dancing was indeed wonderful :
he stammefed
TT was for you r she whispered, hef
voice growing softer and lower. IT
was for you danced Did you not feel
itF
Her arms stole toward him. The un-
natural calm with which she had I'M
Ished her dance seemed suddenly to
pass Her bosom was rixng and fall
ing more quickly. There was Q faint
spot Of color In her cheek
TT was wonderful he told her. Z
will get you the champagne"
Her lips were parted She smiled
up at him
-Go quickly" she whispered, and
come back quicklyI wait for you
He left the room and passed ont
again into the picture gallery before
he had the least idea where he was.
The band was playing q waltz, and
one or two couples were daDcins- The
people seemed suddenly to have be-
come like puppets in some strange,
unreal dream. He felt an almost fever
ish longing for the open air. for 4
long draft Of the fresh sweetness OF
the night, far away from this over
heated atmosphere charged with un-
namable things-
As he passed through the farther
doorway he came face to face with
the prince
Where are you goinsr the latter
asked
'Nademoiseile Calavera has asked
me to get her some champagne" he an
swered-
The prince smiled
Il viii see that II In sent to her at
once" he promised You are in my
sanctum, are you mott You can pursue
your tete-a-tete there without inter
ruption- You are very much envied."
dademoiselle Calavera II there"
John replied. AZ for me. am afraid
shall have to 90 now"
The smile faded from the princes
lips. HIS eyebrows came slowly to-
gether.
You are leavingr' he repeated
Il mustr" John insisted. Il can't
help 1t. Forgive my behaving like q
boor. but I must go. Good nightw
The prince stretched out his hand,
but he was too late.
John found himself. after q few
minutes' hurried walking. in Pfcca-
dilly. He turned abruptly down Duke
street and made his way to St James
park. From here he walked slowly
eastward. When he reached the
Strand, however, the storm in his soul
was still unabated. He turned away
from the Milan. The turmoil Of his
passions drove him to the thoughts
OF flight. Half an hour later he en-
tered st. Pancras station
what time IL the next train north
to Kendall or Carlisler" he inquired.
The porter stared at him. Johns
evening clothes were spattered with
mud. the raindrops were glistening on
his coat and face, and his silk hat was
ruined. It was not only his clothes,
however, which attracted the mans at
tention. There was the strained look
of fugitive in Johns face. fugitive
flying from some threatened fate.
49,
Is the earliest. sir" he said. II don't
know whether you can get to Kendall
by II, but 1t stops at Carlisle"
John looked Mt the clock. There was
IN hour to wait. He wandered about
the station, gloomy, chill, deserted.
The place sickened him. and he strolled
out into the streets again. By chance
he left the station by the same exit
as on the day Of his arrival in London.
He stopped short
How could he have forgotten, even
for moment7 This was not the world
which he had come to discover. This
was just some plague-s2ot upon which
he had stumbled. Through the murky
dawn and across the ugly streets he
looked into Louise's drawipS-room. She
would be there waiting for him on
the morrowi
Louisel The thought of her was
like a sweet, purifying stimulant He
felt the throbbing Of his nerves
soothed. He felt himself growing calm.
The terror Of the last few hours was
like nightmare which had passed. he
summoned a taxicab and was driven to
the Milan. His wanderings for the
night were over.