Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-14
By STEPHEN McKENKA

querulous and brought that golden red light
into Gaunts restless eyes; and the fact that l
had interrupted their scene filed me with ms
gvings for its end. Gaunt, at little over 40.
and Blanca at l suppose, II, had this In COM
mon that sex had played little part in their con-
scious life Gaunt, l believe, had experienced
a romance in boyhood and had lived faithful to
it's memory for 20 years; Blanca. dare swear
had never before been kissed. II they had been
overwrought all day, that broken moment or
embrace had maddened them.
Until I could some hope of avoiding
disaster it impossible to Danish the mseN-
ings. Even If Gaunt recovered his senses in
time to pack up for England before any more
harm was done he still could not undo the harm
of having unsettled the foundations of this little
savage's mind; it was likely enough that he had
given her dstaste for the simpler appeal or
her scowlng sweetheart; 1t was even possible
that, by lighting fire in her and not feeding
it, he would compel the flames to lick their
way. in tentative exploration until they found
something else to consume
IT, on the other hand, Gaunt allowed him
self to be swept away blind and mad, realizing
his madness and rushing Indifferent to it.
there would be bodily disaster and sord;d TRACE
dy for Bianca's portion, spiritual disaster and
remorse for his own; that he could protect him
self from the vengeance of the girls family by
carrying her to distant security, was ready to
assume, though any general survey or his risks
could not overlook the hundredth chance that
he might be followed across Europe and left
with a knife between his ribs
If ever it were worth mans while to break
head or heart against such obstacles. it was not
worth while with poor little Blanca as sole
prize. AS / grew to know her better l did
realize that beauty Of ugliness which had first
excited Gaunt's artistic interest; l am prepared
to go further and to say that l discovered In 1t
a sinister attraction.
In the portrait-and it is the sole merit of
that unsatisfactory work-Gaunt contrived to
bring out what thought then and believe more
strongly now to have been the essence OF Blan-
ca; the pure animal in the guise Of woman which
led him to christen her daughter of Pan
Religion and some rudmentary education af-
fected, indeed, to bind her at least with ropes
Of sand; but l always felt that these conven-
tions in which at heart she did not believe, OBJ
scured the essential Blanca as her conventional
clothes blurred the outline of her animal body
When first I saw her, voraciously gobbling
chocolates and suspicously cutching the box.
I likened her to a wolf in the early stages of
domestication by food; but as l observed her
day after day for month, she seemed, in every
movement that revealed her nature, to shed
domestication like halftamed dog that from
afar hears the forgotten, ancestral pack in cry
until in the tense, thunderous atmosphere or
the day and moment when Marshall Gaunts
lips met hers she stood forth bare and unin-
numbered by the animal spirit.
1t was only by naSn OF NRntHlng, as IL were,
that l saw her BY the time that had set the
able with flask Of wine and glasses she had
reverted to the guarded friendness which she
reserved for these repasts at the end of the days
work, and it in Gaunt that the change OF
manner fingered Excited and boisteIous from
the beginning, with glittering eyes and flush
on his long, white face, he seemed to be atoning
for his moment of harshness by extravagant
affection When he was not filling Biancas glass
or pressing her favorite sweetmeats upon her
he was pattng her cheek, stroking her hand,
or playing with her hair. Both were drinking
more wine than usual, drinking it, too without
water.
I had stood up to fetch another flask and.
while my back was turned and my head half
inside the cupboard l heard scuffie. Gaunt
had been sitting with his arm round Bancas
shoulders; when I came back he had drawn he,
to his knees. In moment he was bending
to kiss her again, and I was fortunate in reach
ing the divan in time to grasp the brown. power
full little hand that was grasping long knife
and had already pricked Gaunt's chest till his
shirt showed widening circle Of blood.
remember wondering before all else, to the
exclusion Of all else, where she had concealed
ungainly weapon and how she could move
supplely with 10 inches Of steel and four
inches of wooden haft disposed among her
clothing. Then tried to make her drop it with
out cutting my fingers off; and, when it had
clattered to the floor and I had my foot it,
1 could attend to Gaunt who was looking from
the stain of blood to his would-be murderess
with such amazement as would have moved me
to laughter at moment less grave.
"rhe little devil. . You that Ban
don? She actually tried to stab me-" The
prick of the knife had sobered him and de-
stroyed all desire to continue his caresses.
whats she jabbering about?"
"She says her body is sacred" Il translated.
At secure distance Gaunt dabbed at his
chest with reddening handkerchief and kept
MI
well, know that" he muttered II wasn't
going to harm her. She didn't mind the
time before when kissed her. You saw"
Perhaps she didn't realize what was hap
pening-then or now. You may be thankful it's
worse Brightly, through all the confu
sion Of shocked excitement. seemed to see
unexpected escape for Gaunt from this entan-
clement You'd better pay what you owe her
and get rid of her. And I'll put the fear of
God into her so that she doesn't go about tell
ing Antonio and the rest that you insulted her"
l was just turning to impress Blanca with
the enormity Of trying to stab overdemonstra-
tive Englishmen when 1 was astonished to see
her crumple up and fall to her knees, burying
her face in her hands and then stretching them
IN entreaty to Gaunt
She says she's mad She's asking you to
kill her now" / interpreted.
He stared at her and then broke into
laugh.
What a bloodthirsty little rutfian it is" he
mmented. Look here, explain to her that
my intentions strictly honorable and say
that if she feels took any liberties with her,
l apologize from the bottom of my heart
don't want to kill her, and she mustn't try to
kill me. By the token, think We'll put
this little toy out of harms way"
Drawing the knife from under my foot he
drove the point of it into the woodwork of the
wall yard above Bianca's reach. The girl
looked from the uuiyering haft to the stain on