, 1923-11-07

Something for you. leopardess." he
said-he had told her his first impress
sion of her.
She took the box haughtly and
walked with It over to her chair. But
he came and kissed her.
jealous Of my mail? You foolish
child. What a girl-thlng you are! 1t
doesn't matter, does It. how we train
you or leave you unframed, you're all
alike, you women, under your skins.
| Open your box and thank me prettily.
and leave matters you don't under
stand alone. That's the way to talk,
isn't it?"
She flushed and smiled rather doubt
fully, but, at sight Of his gift, she for
got everything else for n moment. 1t
was a collar of topaz and emerald
Get in heavy silver. She was awe
struck by Its beauty, and went, after
he had fastened It for her, to stand
a long while before the glass looking
at 1t. She wore her yellow dress cut
into a v at the neck and the Jewels
rested beautifully at the base Of her
long. round throat, family brown like
her face up to the brow. The yellow
and the green brought u all the
value of her grave scarlet lips, the
soft. even tints Of her skin. the dark
lights and shadows Of hair and eyes.
"It's beautiful" she said. 'It's o
derful. I love It."
All the time very grave and still. she
took 1t off. put 1t on Its box, and laid
1t on the mantel. Then she went out
of doors.
Prosper hurried to the window and
saw her walk out to the garden they
had made and begin her work. He
was puzzled by her manner, but pres
emily shrugged the problem of her
mood away and went back to his mail.
That night he finished his novel and
got 1t ready for the publisher.
Again wen Ho, calm and uncom-
planning, was sent out over the hill,
and again the idyll was renewed, m
Joan wore the collar and was almost
as happy as before. Only n night
she startled Prosper.
ct asked Pierre" she said slowly,
after a silence, In her low-pitched
voice, "when he was taking me away
home, I asked. Where are you goingT
and he said to me. Don't you savvy
the answer to that question. Joan?'
And, Prosper, I didn't savvy, SO he
told me and he looked at me sort Of
hard and stern, We're a-goin' to be
married, JOAN"
Prosper and Joan were sitting be-
fore the fire, Joan on the bearskin at
his feet, he ~lounging back, long-legged,
smoke-veiled In one of the l%acquered
chairs. She had been lingering her
collar and she kept On lingering II as
she spoke and staring straight into
the flames, but. Mt the last, quoting
Pierre's words and tone, her voice and
lace quivered and she looked at him
with eyes of mysterious pain, In them
n sort of uncomprehended anguish.
"why was that, Prosper" she
asked; 81 mean, why did he say 1t that
way? And what-what does It stand
for, marrying or MOTT"
Prosper jerked a little in his chair.
swell, Joan. I'll go into the subject
with you one Of these days, when the
weather Isn't so beautiful. It's really
n matter of law, property rights, and
so forth. Come out and look at the
moon"
Listen" They stood side by side
at the door. "Some silly bird thinks
that is the dawn. Look at me. Joan!"
She lifted obedient eyes.
'Therel That's better. Don't get
49, zthar lool- can't hpar III
love you"
A moment later they went out into
the sweet, silver silence down to the
silver lake.
Four months later the name of Pros
per Gael began to be on everyone's
lips. and before everyone's eyes; the
world, his world, began to clamor for
him. Even Wen Ho grumbled at this
going out on tremendous journeys
after the mail for which Prosper grew
more and more greedy and impatient.
His novel, "The Canyon" had been
accented, was enormously advertised,
had made an extraordinary success.
All this he explained to Joan. who
tried to rejoice because she saw that
1t was exquisite delight to Prosper.
He was by way Ct thinking now that
his exile, his Wyoming adventure. was
TO thank for his success, but when n
woman ever such n woman MS joan,
begins to feel that she has been a
useful emotional experience, there be
gins pain. For Joan pain began and
daily It increased. 1t was suffering
for her to watch Prosper reading his
letters, forwarded to him from the
western town where his friends and
his secretary believed him to be re-
covering from some nervous Illness; to
watch him smoking and thinking OF
himself, his fame, his talents, his fu-