Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-06-30

hected. smiling to herself, ana heltnei
have II So we're all agreed, except
Bob"
"Columbine !" A hand fell upon her
r,,,s+ "~Columbinel Turn and confess
thy sins! !"
She had come to the foot of the
wide. old-fashioned stairway that leu
to the floors above, and beside her nae
suddenly appeared a franciscan monh'
co,vlad and gOwned in sober brown
from head to foot.
"You frightened me, holy mani! she
cried. gaily. Confess to you, indeed!
Not l."
"Never a better chance, butterfly OF
the world. Haste not to the dance,
fair sister-tarry a while and invite
the soul in speech of import! Having
passed he dragon at the gate, tarry
a momen with this man of VOWS
"Shriye me quickly, them" she said,
laughing.
snow, without confession? Would
vou have me read your thoughts and
give penance?
eff YOU can do that, holy man, l may
confess so prove it quickly!
The Franciscan leaned forward. HIS
voice came bow, distinct, elear-cut, and
he smoke in the French which Lucie
understood as another mother-tongue,
as do most of the older families OF
New Orleans.
"See how / read them, mademol-
selle! One thought is of uneasy sus-
picion; :. it is typified by a hard-llpped,
grasping man. One thought is of pro-
found regret it is typified by a darkly
yelling stream of oil. One thought
Suddenly Lucie had shrunk away
from him. "Who-whO are your h
breathed, with a gasp that was almost
of fear. "Who are you, monsieur
"a humble brother of minor ORDERS"
and he bowed. "Shall l not continue
with my reading? The third, mademoi-
selle, is n of hope it is typihed by a
small man who is dressed all in
gray"
Lucie turned away from him quickly.
81 think that you have made some
grave error, monsieur" she said. Her
voice was cold, charged with dismissal
and offended dignity. II pray you, ex-
cuse me-"
Not waiting any response, she has
tily ran up the stairs. After her, for
q moment, gazed the Franciscan, then
shrugged his wide shoulders and
plunged into the crowd.
While she danced, while she chat
tered and laughed and entered into the
mad gaiety of the evening, Lucie Lee
danois could not Danish from her mind
that ominous Franciscan. How could
he have known? How could he have
guessed what only she and n other
barely suspected? There was no proof,
of course the very breath of suSpi-
cion seemed a calumny against an up
right mani
Joseph MaiIlard had sold that Terre-
bonnie land six months before any gas
or oil had been discovered there, and
eight months before Lucie had come
into the management of her own af-
fairs. He had not known about the
minerals, of course; it was a case only
of bad judgment. Yet, Individually, he
was now a shareholder and officer in
the Bayou Oil company, the concern
which had bought that strip of land.
Lucie strove angrily to Danish the
dark thoughts from her mind. Why,
Maillard was a rich man, a banker, an
honorable gentleman! To doubt his
honor, although he vas a harsh and
a stern man, was impossible. Lucie
knew him better than most, and could
not believe
MAY l crave pardon for my error?"
to see the Franciscan again beside
her. "With q thousand apologies for
tmpertinence, mademoiselle l am very
sorry for my faults. Will not that
admission obtain for me one little
dance, one hint of forgiveness from
fair ColumbineT"
Something in his voice spelt sin
cerity. Lucie, smiling, held out her
hand.
"You are pardoned, holy man. If
lOu Ndl uulCe III that lIldI , lOUS,
then try it,"
Could he dance, indeed! Who could
not dance with Columbine for partner?
So saying, the monk proved his word
by the deed and proved it well. Nor
did he again hint that he had recog-
nized her; until, as they parted, he
one more left her astonished and
perturbed. AS he bowed he muir
INJURED:
Beware, sweet Columbinel Beware
Of the gay Aramis! Beware of his
proposals."
He was gone upon the word.
Aramis? Why, that must be the
Musketeer, of course-Bob Maillard.
The name, with its implications, was
a clever hit. But who was this brown
monk, who seemed to know so much,
who danced so divinely, whose French
was like music? A vague suspicion was