The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-12

indefinitely.
 She suggested to Marthe that the Picardy coast was particularly pleasant during the summer time. and Marine, tired of the garret, its airlessness and jts heat, its drab dinginess, and its at mosphere of despair, eagerly assented to the change, especially when Elise was able to arrange that she should have the company of the grandmotherly old woman who had occasionally tended her, and who, being alone in the world and in straitened circumstances, was more than pleased at the prospect. So little cottage was rented outside one of the smaller North Coast resorts, and thither Marthe and the old, woman were transported, Elise experimenting the whole affair, and conducting it with that new-found aplomb wkich had come to her so swiftly after her momentous decision was once taken.
 Her practicing and rehearsals now went on without Interruption. She was allowed to use the Joyeuse' for the per fecting of her dances, and she invented and staged four, two of which were to be selected by Brunei when the great full-dress rehearsal arrived, and her part in the show allotted to her. The rehearsal came at last. It was in an afternoon-for the mornings were devoted to the production of the rest of the revue--and Brunei alone sat in the stalls and watched her, while the orchestra played for her the music the famous composed had written in consul tation with herself. Brunei said very little. She had never before seen him judging perform ance, and his attitude frightened her lit seemed so cold and uninterested, condemnatory rather than approving, destructively, critical.
 When it was finished he came up on to the stage.
 There are alterations I want" he said. Come into my office when you've dressed"
 She went. He was smiling, and, with the door closed, he held out both hands to her.
 "La Phalene p he said gently, T sa- lute you!" And kissed both her hands. She was excited, tremendously so, for she knew she had at least won his ap- proval. He retained his grip of her fingers and drew her towards him. His face was bent over hers and his eyes looked into hers. s
 There are some things we must dis cuss," he said quietly Things con nected with your dance. One of the dresses is, in my opinion, wrong, and one of your girls in that valley dance is not well chosen. But for the rest. the contract stands, and from now you receive your salary-little girl"
 She tried to smile, though her heart was thumping with fright; for in his eyes was that look she had seen when he put his proposal before her, that hint of the beast, lurking in their far shadows. This was the hour when he was fulfilling his bond. Was it tho hour when he would expect her to full fill that part of her. bond which, though unspoken, he understood to have been tsealed and signed?
 His fingers gripped hers closer.
 Little girl" he repeated; and, "MJ little girl. Mine ="
 He kissed her hair where 1t dropped over her forehead.
 And then let her so.
 She stood back while, with his ten derness gone, he spoke briskly, watch ing her coyertly.
 We must remember that there i, yet work to do--lots of work--and that afterwards can come the leisure. Nov today you dine with me. No! Thert will be no refusal. For the rest of tn, afternoon 1 am busy with various peo pie, and tonight I must be at the in ternationale. So over dinner we car discuss our little changes and set al the things to rights. The Cafe de Paris ] I will reseryefa table, and will call fol you soon, after seven"
 She could not protest, forl the. propo sition was perfectly reasonables and having bid him goodbye, she left him So she had succeeded. Brunei wal to make her a dancer.
 She was throbbing with excitement and under the excitement was an acht 50 dreadful that it threatened to breal her heart and her spirit.
 "Marthe will be saved Marthe will be saYed!" She repeated it again and again. sss9F "s.e
 And as she repeated it she thought of Kendrick. fe',1
 Surely he must come back to Paris one day Suppose he came and found her as La Phalene Suppose he came back to see her-discovered her-and learned that he had lost her and that she had lost himl
 Yet-that would not be. He had for gotten. He must have forgotten. For men forget so easily. It is only the woman who remembers and the mem Ory sometimes bears her down to de- struction.
 I She went back to her little suite of rooms near the opera, and there she found a visitor awaiting her, visitor who her rather uneasy maid informed her had insisted on waiting no matter how long it might be before she re- turned.
 The visitor was, Dr. Lapierre.
 CHAPTER 1s-THE LAST BOND
 When she saw him, dressed more carefully than usual, sitting in the lit. tie drawing-room, with its tasteful fur nishings, Elise realized that in imagin. ing the closing of her old room above the Rue Jacques to be the severance of the tie in her old life, she had been wrong. For this man was the last this man who had pronounced the doom upon her-tkis man whose love for her showed in his face as he got to his feet to greet her on her entry.
 "Elise," he said, and was silent.
 She invited him to sit. ."I am, ever so glad to see you, doctor. You know Marthe has gone away to the seag'
 "Yes. I went round and heard it from Froquin, the concierage. It was he who gave ; me your address. Elise What are you doing with yourself?"
 q! have become a dancer" She strove desperately to be lightly indif- ferent to the accusation in his gaze.
 For, Brunel?" he asked quietly.
 For Brnnelp