The Ordway new era., 1918-01-18
A Story About an Ex-
pertinent With Life

4 Ietcn me bOIue, duu DTiu6 H. W mO
yourselfT
She sank back upon a dlvan as she
spoke. John turned to leave the room,
but she called him back.
"Come here" she invited, "close to
my sidel I can wait for the cham
pagne. Tell me, why you are SO silent?
And my dancing-that pleased your
He felt the words stick in his throat.
"Your dancing was indeed wonderful"
he stammered.
'It was for you'll" she whispered, her
voice growing softer and lower. "It
was for you danced. Did you not feel
it?
Her arms stole toward him. The un-
natural calm with which she had fin
ished her dance seemed suddenly to
pass. Her bosom was rising and fall
ing more quickly. There was q faint
spot Of color in her cheek.
at was wonderful" he told her. II
will get you the champagne"
Her lips were parted. She smiled
up at him.
| "Go quickly" she whispered, "and
come back quicklyl wait for you"
/
again into the picture gallery before
he had the least idea where he was.
The band was playing a waltz, and
one or two couples were dancing. 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 a
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 going?" the latter
asked.
"Mademoiselle Calavera has asked
me to get her some champagne" he an
swered.
The prince smiled.
"I will see that 1t is sent to her at
once" he promised. you are In my
sanctum, are you not? You can pursue
your tete-a-tete there without inter
ruption. "You are very much envied."
"Mademoiselle Calavera is there"
I shall have to go now."
The smile faded from the princes
lips. His eyebrows came slowly to-
gether.
"You are leaving7" he repeated.
II must I" John insisted. II can't
help 1t. Forgive my behaving like
boor, but 1 must go. Good nightI''
The prince stretched out his hand,
but he was too late.
John found himself, after a few
minutes hurried walking. in Picca-
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 Is the next train north
to Kendall or Carlisle?" 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.
"The newspaper train at FIVE thirty
is the earliest. sir" Ne said. II don't
know whether you can get to Kendall
by 1t. but 1t stops at Carlisle"
John looked at the clock. There was
an 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
us on the day of his arrival In London.
He stopped short.
How could he have forgotten, even
for moment? This was not the world
which he had come to discover. This
was just some plague-spot upon which
he had stumbled. Through the murky
dawn and across the ugly streets he
looked Into Louise's drawing-room. She
would be there waiting for him on
the morrowl
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.
CHAPTER XIII.