The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-02-14

| Wnat makes you I'VE In nOtelT Wn,
don't you take rooms of your own an,
furnish themf Surroundings like thes
are destructive to ones Individuality
swell, you see." John explained, a
he drew an easy chair up to the fir'
for his guest, my stay in London Il
only temporary one, and 1t hasn'
seemed worth while to settle any
where"
She stretched out her graceful body
in front Of the fire and raised her veil
She was very smartly dressed, as usual
Her white silk stockings, which SHE
seemed to have no objection to dis
playing. were Of the latest vogue. The
| chinchilla around her neck and In hel
little toQue was most becoming. She
seemed to bring with her an atmos'
phere indefinable. in its way. but dis
a little commanding in her manner. she
was still essentially feminine.
John, at her direct invitation, had
called upon her once or twice since
their meeting at the opera, and he had
found her, from the first, more at
tractive than any other society woman
of his acquaintance. None the less, he
was a little taken aback at her pres
ent visit.
Exactly why are you here. any
how?" she demanded. II feel sure that
Eugene told me the reason which had
brought You from your wilds, but I
have forgotten It."
For one thing" John replied, II
have come because don't want to ap-
pear prejudiced, and the fact that I
never spent month in London, or even
a week, seemed q little narrow-mind-
ed."
"What's the real attraction7" Lady
Hilda asked. 'It is a woman, isn't II"
II am very fond of a woman who
is In London" John admitted. "Per-
haps 1t is true that I am here on her
account"
Lady Hilda withdrew from her mum
a gold cigarette case and little box Of
matches.
"Order some mixed vermouth with
lemon for me, please" she begged. II
have been shopping, and hate tea.
I don't know why came to see you.
I suddenly thought Of it when I was
In Bond street."
ut was very kind Of you." John said.
"If had known that you cared about
seeing me. would have come to you
with pleasure"
"What does II matterT she an
swered. you are thinking, perhaps,
that risk my reputation in coming to
n young mans roomsf Those things
do not count for me. Ever since
was a child I have done exactly a. I
liked, and people have shrugged their
shoulders and said. All. well, 1t II
only Lady Hildar am quite con-
vinced that II chose to take you on
to Monte Carlo with me next week
and spend a month with you there.
should get my pass to the royal inclo-
sure at Ascot when I returned, and my
invitation to the next court ball, even
in this era Of starch. You see, they
would say, Tt is only Lady Hildar
The walter brought the vermouth,
which his visitor slipped contentedly.
$50 there is a woman, is there1" she
went on, looking across the room at her
companion. "Have you committed
yourself already, then3 Don't you re-
member what told you the first night
we met after the opera-that 1t Is
well to waltz
Eyes, I remember" John admitted.
~ meant it."
He laughed good-humoredly, yet not
without some trace of self-conscious-
ness.
1.-The mischief was done then," he
said.
Couldn't 1t be undone7" she asked
lazily. "Or are you one of those tedi-
GUS people who are faithful foreverf
Fidelity" she continued, knocking the
ash from her cigarette, sis really, to
my mind, the most bourgeois Of vices.
It comes from a want Of elasticity in
the emotional fbers. Nothing In life
has bored me SO much as the faith
fulness Of my lovers"
"You ought to put all this into one
Of your books" John suggested.
II probably shall, when write my
"reminiscences" she replied. Tell me
about this woman. And don't stand
about in that restless way at the other
end Of the room. Bring a chair close
to me-there, close to my sideI"
John obeyed, and his visitor contem-
plated him thoughtfully through a
little cloud of tobacco smoke.
"Yes," she decided. there is no use
denying 1t. You are hatefully good
looking, and somehow or other think
your clothes have improved you. You
have a little more air than when you
first came to town. Are you quite sure
that you haven't made up your mind
about this woman in a hurry"
"Quite sure" John laughed. II sup
pose / am rather an idiot, but am
addicted to the vice of which you were