Evening times-Republican., 1920-12-20
III
The Palace
Of Darkened
Windows

e "ill join YOU he said shortly. Il
Rcuilt let it go. YOU know. If there's
Is;t chance iof its being Miss Beecher.'
s 't.ood!'' said Billy, hoiaing out ms
h Sand and the two young men claspea
|! slent,9. cyeing each other With a
certain mutual respect tho with no
Il treat increase OF liking.
/, mon, this is my iaea,' Billy went
IN. and proceeded To develop 1t.
| Ehile taeoner carefully stnaied the
slams and made u snrewd suggestion
stre and there.
| IL WAS late III the morning when
| shly parted
| |ifr.Non must muzzle that Baroff
| sirr' Mas Falconers parting caution.
| |TsAte must keep this thing deuced
|EHuiet, YOU know
"Of course. He.shan't get wind of
| it head"
"Not only that. We mustn't have
zt:glk afterwards. II would Kill the
fairl, YOU know
I:illy nodded. "She would hate it,
VI expect
.Hate it? My word. it wo,lld1inish
her.. tale of that kind going the
rounds. . She could never live it
doWn."
"Live it down? ltlmonld set her M
in conversation for the rest of her
life.s Billy ch,scklcd softly. THAT is.
Esirsi it comes out all right--and that's
the only way | can imagine its COM
ing out"
s. With one hand on the door Falcon
Il
don't mean she'd want to tell about
sit. he calculated with nnplumbed
horror.
& Billy was suddenly sobered. well,
q nobody but you and i and the Baroff
know it NOE lie said. "anl think
1--WE can keep the BaY.offs mouth shut
as. . III see her in the morning
Il sYolfd better get in, nap tomorrow,
sg9and / will, too, for we'll want steady
NERVES. Good night Tn glad you're
i going with me-
. I'm damned if I'm glad,'' said the
honest Englisman. with wry grin
s.lf we get our tlnoats cut, hope
Miss BeeGher will return from the
4 desert in time for our obsequies."
Something in that red-headed
chap / Like after ALL" soliloquized
#slsilly B. Hill. as he turned toward
X his long deferred repose Hanged il
Ii he hasn't gkit to go into thing on
s an off chance! Now, as for me-
I'm sure
CHAPTER MIL.
Late as he went to sleep, Billy b.
Il Hill was up inigood season that sun
day morning. The need for caution
Ting Fritz Baroff haunted him. and he
mas not satisfied until he had had
q Tr'rvINrdsr WITH lInaT lively young lady
y and laid down the law to her upon
the situation.
II She was very ,1oath not to talk
L about herself at first. She wanted
4 TO tell her tale to,the papers and see
5s1f one of them would be hardy
i enough to publish the story of the
sEolltrageonsl incar rceTation; she wanted
ITO cable the Viennese theater where
The had played of her sensational de-
! tention-in short, She wanted to get
sall the possible publicity out of her
dllrance vile and to advertise her
small person FRONT Cairo to the Con-
L tinent.
But Billy was urgent ''You lust
bide wee on this publicity stunt" j"
he demanded. Gable your mana ger
and press agent all. you want~t ~to-but
don't talk around the hotel here
land whatever you do and whatever
& you say, keep Miss Beecher's name
and mine out of it,
He was very decided about that.
ana because she was very grateful
to him and because she liked him
and because she lacked other friends
and other pocketbooks, the litxIe
Niehnese heldohel tongue as directed
And she borrowed as much money
as Billy would lend her, and drove
Off to the small shops which were
open that day, and found frock or
Two and hat which she declared
8 passable, and returned transfigured
TO the hotel and rendered the table
where she lunched with Billy, with
the air of possessing. him, quite the
most conspicuous in the room. The
siadles gazed past them with chill
I eyes; the men stared covertly, with
the surreptitious envy with which
even the most virtuo,Is of men sur-
Neys lucky devil. And Billy sadly
perceived that he was acquiring n
reputation.
lie did not blame Miss Falconer
Tor turning haughtily aside as he
|npnd his vivid companion went past
an in the veranda. But he did
hes her disdaiEful lack of memory
botle overdone.
tbs cheeks were still red as he
f<ed away from her and encounter
the direct eyes, of the girl who
bllowed her.
Oh, now do you do, Mr.. Hill?" said
14ady Claire, as clear as bell. "Jt,s
such a nice day, isn't it?' she added
little breathlessly, as she went by.
It's much better than 1t was, said
Billy, and he turned back to open the
& door for her.
Claire" said Miss Falconer from
within.
Coming. dear" snid Lady Claire.
ana With little smile of defiant
fliendliness at the young American
\ She was gone ~
Bht the memory of that plucky lit
8 lie smile stayed right with Billy. The
girl liked him. she liked him in spite
ofFhis unknown antecedents, his pre-
posterons picture, his conspicuous
companion. She had a mind of her
own, that tall English girl with the
lovely eyes and the proud mouth. In
"a warm surge of friendliness his
thoughts went out to her, and he
wished vaguely that he could let her
Know how fine he thought she was.
Within an hour that vague wish
came true. He had packed FRITZ