Evening star., 1922-08-13

not go in. lie Fe1Hhiheu iN'he
In the foyer. a cigarette in his nngers'
his manner and air well-bred. ooreo
indifference. The whole house was
crowded. There was not 3 vacant
seat It was the last performance in
Paris of Nine Zirtenzoff's "Salome.
A few belated persons passed NJ
Jonouelle and entered the doors to
tho boxes. Some of these persons
addressed him-all regarded him. He
was a well known figure in Paris.
His friendship was worth something
and whether one knew him. or cared
TO know him, all were curious about
the man.
The vast music assembled and ex-
tended itself.
The foyer became empty and still
NJ Jonuuelle did not go in. Perhaps
i, was because Nine Zirtenzoff had
not gone on She was famous
beauty; her Salome had the abandon
which stimulated even the jaded
nerves of France. 1t had been on at
the opera for fifty days and Paris
was still keen to see it.
The woman was Russian exotic,
one OF those alluring creatures that
always assemble a fabulous legend.
There was IL wild passion in her
Salome. and her conqucsts We're the
gossip of Paris.
The opera had continued for per-
haps thirty minutes. Nine. lirtcnzoh
had come on: her voice. like a silver
bell, reached NJ Jonqueue clearly
where he sauntered in the foyer
Presently the door to box opened
and one Of the pages of the theater
appeared with an immense bouquet
of orchids. The flowers were worth
1000 francs. They could have oeen
grown in Paris only with extreme
care and under every perfection or
light and temperature. 1t was mass
of flowers that would have drawn the
attention of anybody, exquisite Or
chids of the genus Oncidium hram-
erii, called the mottled butterfly.
1t seemed to have drawn the at
tentiou of NJ. JonGuelle. He stopped
the page as he passed him.
"Garcon." he said. handing him a
niece of gold, And me box of Gig
arettes before you go on with those
flowers. Quckly-run: l will hold
them until you return.
The boy knew the great chief OIL
the service de la surete. For mo-
ment he was uncertain what to do'
he had been sent to deliver these
flowers to Nine ZirtenZoff. There
was generous sratuity behind the
hut
NJ. Jonauelle's gold piece. and. be-
sides. one does not disobey the pre-
feet of police Of Paris
He gave NJ. Jonqueile the bouquet
of orchids and disappeared down the
stairway. He was gone hardly mo-
mept. When he returned NJ JON
oueIle had not moved from his posi-
ton by a pillar of the foyer. He
handed back the orchids to the page
and received the box of cigarettes.
He paused a moment, fingered the
box. but did not open it. Instead he
walked a few steps down the foyer
and entered the box from which the
mage had come out with the orchids
oNE looking on would have won
" dered why the prefect OF police
required a pack Of cigarettes. at the
cost of a ten-franc gold-piece-espe-
cially as, after having turned 1t in his
hand, he had put 1t carelessly into his
pocket and entered box.
1t would appear that he waited for
these cigarettes before entering the
box. But to what end? One could
no OF
it's most expensive point in the ultra
fashionable audience of Paris.
Although the great opera house was
packed with people-not vacant
seat visible to the eye-there was but
one person in the box which NJ. JON
ouelle had entered.
He was a person that any one would
pause almost anywhere to observe. He
was young; was exauisitely dressed-a
dress in which there was some or the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of detail. that sugges-
tion Of elegance which the Partisan can
not avoid The severity Of the English
tailor he must always modify: he must
he permitted to add a jewel, bracelet
some feminine touch.
He was extremely handsome. a blond
French type, with a dainty mustache
and regular Italian features. and thick
soft, yellow hair presenting the gloss
Of the seals coat. In his physical
aspect, for perfection Of detail, the man
had no equal on the Paris boulevards.
1t had got him a rich American wife
and lifted him, as by q fairy lamp. out
OF the sordid environments OF an old
family in decay. The thing seemed a
piece of the design of a Providence,
with an esthetic sense.
This exquisite person would have
been incongruous except in an atmos-
phere Of wealth. He had an apartment
now beyond the Arc de Triompha. one
OF those wonderful apartments >that the
American invasion after the great war
had set up in Paris.
The marquis was the envy OF the
boulevardier. But it was rumored that
he had not the freedom Of his wife's
moneysacks. He got what she allowed
him. but it ought to be written here.
. in justice to the marquis. that 1t was
not he who complained. Why should
he? The allowance was evidently
enough for any reasonable man. He had
the best Of everything. II he felt any
sense Of stint, there was no sign either
by word or act.
In form the marquis was above re-
proach There could be no surprise
to the fashionable audience of Paris
in the fact that the marquis was alone
in the box. His wife was on visit
20 Ap,artco and II woa hnffAr AftinU