Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-30

had he done, after all, to be treated
SO hardly? What right had she to
these imperial ways? Had he not Of
fered her what other women-why
deny q fact-had sought without dis
gufse Of their eagerness? Yet Moth
Ing, not q word!
His angry gaze turned toward the
mantel-she1 with memory OF the gift
rejected. He was not soothed to see
the French doll still there after these
months: still extending its bisque
arms as II to display q bracelet Of
pale blue ribbon around its left wrist.
But now he saw that in the dolls lap
lay some white bulk, half covered by
q small handkerchief. He had not
noticed that on his former visit. He
walked over, to see an odd pendant
to the ribbon bracelet. He stopped to
look.
Suspended from the silk band was a
child's ring-a cheap little ring set
with q bit Of %greenish, Indian-carved
turquoise.
With a sharp exclamation, Noel
wrenched the ribbon free. The ring
slipped off the silk into his palm and
lay, q most diminutive trile of orna-
ment.' Itfwas the ring he had bought
from a native at Bahia and given to
the princess.
But how came 1t here-here on
Rosalind's doll? Did she then know
Constance? Were they kin to each
other and could their resemblance be
so explained?
What was It that the Unsuitable
Anitra had in her lap? "A handker-
chief, with a rose embroidered in one
corner by way Of initial, and as
sweetly scented as a rose-leaf; and
undernao+h tha hopdkarrhio a mir of
wee. t~ime-yellowed shoes of white kid
as fine, as soft as satin.
The truth blazed upon Noel. a
binding and merciless light. Not the
unknown Constance was the lady OF
the royal heart. but Rosalind. Rosa
lind!
The long trail Of the little shoes
had led him straight back to the feet
Of the dancing princess. And he. fool,
idiot, dumb brute. had not known
her. Had insulted her, patronized
her. and condescended to her-had
lost her!
He covered his yes and leaned
against the wall, scorched and scared
by the flame Of his self -contempt. The
blue-bird Of happiness had flown to
his hand, and he had driven 1t away!
The afternoon was altogether spent.
before Noel emerged from the house.
and descended to the taxi.
Home" he said. and said no o
than that curt monosyllable Of defeat.
For a long time he had been too
situation could have come about. Lit
tie by little, his brain had cleared as
he leaned beside the doll in the grey
room. As a boy, he had inquired In
the neighborhood, asking who the lit.
tie girl a He had been told that
that was the old Bruce house, and the
little girl was Miss Constance. He
eve had thought that there might
be more than one little girl-a rela-
tive, or q guest. She had seemed so
much at home, or we'll established
back the shoes she had given away
had taken them into that same house.
AS hat fugitive recollection fitted
his mind, Noel exclaimed
aloud. Blind indeed and doubly
blind! For that dark-eyed, smiling
gentleman who had given David Noel
the ten dollars which lay at the base
Of high fortune. was Vasili Arloh-
Vasili Arloff in his splendid prime,
who yet had time to heed a shivering
boy on the street.
Oh, if the great House Of the Little
Shoes could have held those two
guests! Oh. shining mountain peak
that he himself had missed!
When the taxicab had almost
reached his " hotel. Noel abruptly
sat up and spoke to the driver.
T the Biltmore hotel" he chang
ed his direction. \
The car swung north.
He had remembered that he knew
the address of Mrs. Lancaster from
the newspaper. Since she and the
princess had once been children in the
same household, perhaps she. could
tell him something Of Roselind Arloff
now. There was still so much that he
did not understand.
At the Biltrnore, he received the In
formation that the Hon. Mrs. Lancas-
ter had gone to her permanent home
which had been redecorated and
made ready for her IN months ago.
The address was that Of the house
Noel knew so we'll, on Madison ave-
nue.. -
The taxicab turned south again.
It was strange t come again to
brownstone steps. The goldfish were
no longer in the window. Instead. a
nude statue cleaned whitley between
the curtains. A servant received his
card, and left Noel in a small >recep-
tion-room.
Mrs. Lancaster would see him. In
fact, she came to him. Noel guessed
from the sound of voices that guests
were assembled for dinner, in the
drawing-room.
Constance Lancaster vas a robust
and handsome young woman, wearing
a black dinner-gown that could be
scarcely called suggestive of grief OF
mourning. She greeted Noel with
practised eas and correctness, CIV
ing him his South American military