The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1922-04-26
The Lady of the Night Wind
Copyright 1919 by Public Ledger Co.
Copyright, 1919, by the Macaulay Co.
BETWEEN THE PORTIERES

WORD is QSeQ dQFlSeOly74nIO the
smaller room, and-the thing that she
discovered was so amazing, so as
founding, so paralyzing in its effect
upon her that for an interval she
stood perfectly still, without moving,
barely breathing; indeed, it seemed
to her as if her heart had stopped
beating.
There had been no sound OF her ap-
proach, although she had not intended
it to be silent or stealthy. She had
assembled the stairs swiftly, passed
through the open doorway into the
den, crossed it to the curtains, parted
them-and had come upon that stup-
efying knowledge-that hideously I'M
thinkable monstrosity-a cheat at a
~gentleman's game of cards. A cheat
"a swindleri for the man could be
nothing else-and he was one of her
accepted guests.
Very gently, indeed, she permitted
the curtains to fall together. She
moved backward, away from them,
eXerting the utmost care to avoid the
slightest sound that might betray her
presence. She reiterated to the door
way and halted at the threshold. From
there, after a moment, she called
aloud, using the given name of n of
the players-her intimate friend, and
Bingham's.
"Tom! Oh, Toni she said. Are you
men still playing cards-spoiling the
afternoon for the others by your
selfishness ?"
Then, while at least three of the
five responded, she crossed to the
curtains and drew them wide open.
Tom Clancy was already on his
feet.
"All through, Lady Kate" he an
nounced, with the easy formality of
an old and intimate friend. Lucky
thing, too. I'd have been a bankrupt
in" He stopped shamefully, and
.grinned.
Katherine shook a finger at him,
playfully, yet reprovingly, pretend
ing not to notice the perfectly ap-
parent evidences of high play that
were all about her, in the expressions
of the faces of the five men, and upon
the table.
"You have been breaking my rule,
Tom, haven't you 2" she asked; and
plainly did not expect an answer.
Then she turned to the mar whose
back had been directly toward her
when she parted the curtains the
first time, and said smilingly-even
ingenuously:
you are almost a stranger, Mr.,
Belknap, so, Of course, you could not
have known that l strongly object to
gambling, particularly among my
guests at inquest. But the others
all of them, did know-so, / will sug-
gest"-she turned a smiling face to-
ward the others, permitting her
glance TO rest upon each n of them
for an instant at a time-'that the
winner, Or winners, make restitution
to the losers. Of course you will al
agree to that, to please me? How.
ever, l did not come here to child,
you. | want you to come down to tn,
veranda at once; really; as o a.
the winners have made good to tn,
losers. And, please, no more gamb
ling"
She left them then still smiling
leaving behind her the impression
that she had no idea that they nigh
not obey her suggestion, which ha,
IN fact, amounted to a mandate.
-Four of the erstwhile players mad
no comment whatever after RATHER
inc had gone. The fifth-Conral
Befknap, so-called-smiled coldly,
slow, ha~lf-sneering smile that wa
not pleasant to see, and which nigh
have been ingratiating, submissive {
circumstance, or insulting, accordin
as n wished to take it.
"Of course" he said, Struggling h;
shoulders significantly, eff you ger
tlemen wish to take advantage q
Mrs. Harvard's dictum and-er-r,
ceive back what you have lost, / WI
obey her, and return"
Don't be an ass, Belknap," Clanc
PSSo oHaAPaJ- SOilc OH, al
you. We're wanted below and out {
the lawn. We will write our checl
for you a little later, Belknap; and
l n the meantime, Mrs. Harva,
should ask questions, which she
not likely to do, it can truthfully
said that not a dollar in O h
changed hands. Get me? Now, lie,
join the others downstairs"
The five descended the stairs I
gether, and separated as they car
out upon the veranda. Belkn,
dropped upon a vacant chair best
Betty Clancy, Toms wife, whe W
chatting with the small group of
dies around her and painstaking
manipulating silk floss, needle be
kin, and embroidery frame with abu
dant skill at the same time. Arch,
Sears, and Demming wandered wi
%uare aimIesSnass fovvard fho r.