Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-02-05


At heart an arrant egoist, she saw
herself primitively as she had seen
other women, in her excursions into
the haunts Of the well-to-do, radiantly
begowned and furred and jeweled, loll-
ing insolently in a limousine car Mario
at her side dressed like a gentleman"
But this vision was swiftly dissipat-
ed by recrudescence of that fear which
Red inspired, In honest conviction that
no earthly power could save her from
his vengeance.
"You don't know Red" She shook
her head solemnIy in a spirit of fatal
prophecy. He'd croak you, too; he'd
croak US both"
Mario smiled family. 81 am not
afraid"
You're not afraid Of dying?"
"What is life without your lover
He had thoughtful moment. "Who
knows but death may prove infinitely
more wonderful than this life of ours?
There Is but one way of finding out
She heard him in stare. The wom-
an in her could hardly be unaffected
by the handsome gravity of that ex-
traordinary countenance, whose salient
features gained so much through that
Rembrandtesque play of deep shadows
and dull light, Under the spell of his
mentality she acknowledged now for
the first time that he was essential !;
all else was nothing. And Of sudden
care fastened cruel claws upon her
heart and wrung from it cry of self
betrayal
Maybe you're not afraid, Mario. |
don't believe you are. But l am
afraid for you. wish you'd go away"
you love mel" Her hands lifted in
protest; he caught and inclosed them
both In his own. His Swallowed face
and eyes grew luminous, his sonorous
accents vibrated with emotion. "You
love me, Leonora-at last"
He was drawing her steadily toward
him, all her strength seemed to have
ebbed from her limbs. There was
madness in the beating of her heart,
madness mounting like mist into her
brain. Now she was In his arms, and
glad His lips closed on hers. For
long breath she was a mere thing of
reeling senses.
"You love me?"
81 don't know" she murmured-
maybe E. ;"
Tomorrow you will marry me, and
we will go away"
Stung by realization of what had
happened, she struggled to be free.
Il don't know--perhaps-yes, I will.
But not tomorrow-not' right away"
"Why-"
"Let me go-Tll tell you" He re-
leased her. She stepped back, shaken
with love and fright, looking fearfully
up and down the street.
II can't marry you just yet. I've got
to break with Red SOS he won't know
1t wasn't him that broke with me. And
I've got other things to do-things /
can't tell you about, Mario-things I've
got to tend to before | can marry you.
But you can trust me: I've promised,
and ! will, as soon as ever can :"
Her voice quavered, and she thrust
out her hands, Tending off his arms.
"Please don't kiss me again, please let
me go now. If anybody saw US and
told Red :"
He made sign of submission. "As
you will, so be it, Leonora. / will see
you again-whenW
Tomorrow. I'll give you a ring
about noon and fix to meet you--up-
town somewheres, l guess. Now-Pve
got to run. Goodnight DEAR,
He uttered In resignation: "Good-
night" With a Pickering smile Of
fondness she turned and left him, her
slight young figure fitting swiftly
through the shadows. Beneath the
lamp at the far street corner, she
turned, looked back, saw him motion
less where she had left him, surmised
his look Of longing and, waving a
hand, ran on, wild joy In her heart
contending with cold fear.
For now she had done it, and
there'd be the devil to pay. But 1t
couldn't be helped. Though hell and
heaven were leagued against them,
she would 90 through. She always did,
once she got started. And with Mario,
she knew, 1t was as with her; he too
would go through, now he knew she
loved him, though Red and all the
world besides should try to stop him
At length, well out of her course,
she stopped, imposed conference upon
her thoughts, got her bearings, and
started on anew, In a cooling mood
constraining herself to forget Mario
and concentrate upon the business that
waited for her at her destination.
But the Self outside herself, Of
whose constant company she was
wholly ignorant, never ceased to yearn
back toward that gallant, lonely figure
they two had left behind in the quiet
by-street.
~. RlsTofI's.
She turned sharply, halfway down a
block In the shadow of the Elevated,