The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-30
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And so, you find me cruel?" Gil
meme challenged him at length.
Andre-Louis looked at her with a
half-smi1e
You have grown weary. Of your
part of cruel madam dull part,
believe me, and unworthy of your
talents. Were 1 a woman and had
l your loneliness and your grace,
Climene, should disdain to use
them as weapons Of offense"
LONELINESS and grace!" she
echoed, feigning amused surprise.
But the vain baggage was Modified.
When was it that you discovered
this beauty and this grace, NJ
Scaramouche."
One morning when l beheld you
rehearsing love-scene with Lee
andre"
why, that was the first time you
saw me-"
Il had nosearlier occasion to re-
mark your charms"
You ask me to believe too much,
said she, but her tone was softer
than he had ever known it yet.
Then you'll refuse to believe me
if l confess that it was this grace
and beauty that determined my des-
tiny that day by urging me to join
your fathers troups"
At that she became little out OF
breath. There was no longer any
question Of finding an outlet for re-
sentiment. Resentment was all for
gotten.
But why? With what object?"
one day to be my wife"
You go very fast, don't you?"
she asked him, with heat
y do. Haven't you observed it? 1
am a man of sudden impulses I
/ have curbed and repressed myself
not to scare you by precipitancy. l
have waited-oh! so patiently
until you should tire of that mood
| Of cruelty"
Mechanically, and as if by tacit
consent, they resumed their walk
And 1 ask you to observe" he
said. when yos complain that I go
very fast, that, after all, 1 have so
far asked you for nothing"
How" quoted she, frowning.
81 have merely told you of my
hopes"
1t was his self-possessi0n that ex-
| asperated her; for after that she
walked the short remainder of the
way in silence, and so, for the mo-
ment, the matter was left just there
But that night, after they had
supped, it CHANGED that when Gil
meme was about to retire, he and
| she were alone together in the
! room abovestairs that her father
kept exclusively for his company.
| AS Climene now rose to withdraw
for the night, Scaramouche rose
with her to light her candle. Hold
| ing it in her left hand, she offered
him her right, a long, tapering,
white hand at the end of a softly
| rounded arm that was bare to the
elbow.
Thus a moment, then he took the
tips of her fingers in his grasp, and
bowling over the hand, pressed his
lips upon it. Then he looked at her
again. The intense femininity of
her lured him on, invited him, sur
rendered to him.
BY the hand he continued to hold,
he drew her toward him She came
unresisting He took the candle
from her, and set 1t down ON the
sideboard by which she stood. The
next moment her slight, 1.-the body
was in his arms, and he was kiss
ing her. murmuring her name as if
it were a prayer.
Am l cruel now?" she asked
him, painting. He kissed her again
for only answer. "You made me
cruel because you would not see"
she told him next IN a whisper.
And then the door opened, and
NJ. Binet came in TO have his pa
ternai eyes RECALLED by this highly
indecorous behavior of his daugh-
ter.
And what may be the meaning
of this?" demanded NJ Binet, be-