Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-07
By BERTA RtJ(,K

ana good. If I don't Well and bad.
It's only ten francs"
he drew them from his note case.
Ten or those pathetically frayed and
orty franc notes which, that season.
mace UP 20 much of the currency of
a struggling nation.
=. AS he threw down the first of
tnem over the shoulder of a woman
IN jade green he thought. "How's
this for my fare to Concarneau ?"
The turn of tn. game swept it
the swollen brook.
'As usual" thought he. with .
laugh. Ass that I am"
he drew back. stood aside.
His franc note AGAINST the hanr
was against no more odds than he
nlmself-Archie Laverock, his strfv-
ings, his adventures. his ambitions
ms loves. his h0pes-against a world
that rolled on Rolled7 For
the last six years it had seemed not
20 much to roll ns to hurtle itself
from boulder to boulder down the
cosmc precipice.
He glanced at the polyglot crowd:
aaces awe. eyes bright. mouths
sreedy-For what? The whole place
scented. : He'd a good m,u OSe1 r.
get back to the clean night and old
Stick-It and the Dulcie before he
even risked the remaining nine
francs. He turned, instinctiye-
~ a-search for fresh air, toward the
long windows OF the noisy, crowded.
scented sale. Those windows omen,
ed on to the terrace overlookings the
pay and the cleaning arrows of
radiance shot from the lights at
sea: AS II drawn by something.
archie made his way through the
MOD toward the windows, then
drawn him.
They were the eyes, fastened upon
MIN. OF some one who had been
standing outside on the terrace and
gazing into the lighted. room.
Sne moved toward him. 1t was
selma. the Swedish girl. With her
ions easy stride she came UP on him
before he could pass the Intel.
Good evening"" said Archie with
Graveiy she returned his greeting
IN French. All those girls at Ker
Babel spoke French (variegatedl' in
ADDITION to their own tongue, what
ever that might be.
S.onuAHaNldu SOQQeSS, he
knew. understood English. also. So.
In that language Archie asked If she
were playing.
In French she replied: mo, Mon
sieur; l was taking coffee on the
message" ''N
Fluent enough. Selma's French.
but OF unfamiliar accent, The "r''
she achieved as no English speaker
does' but she said "che" for pie"
young Laverock noticed. Other
Things he found himself suddenly
snd swiftly noticing about this girl,
VINO lowered above the bearded
rrencnmen, the gaudy restaurant
crowd. VIC
What Sweetheart for Some Man"
by Jove, she's looking extra
ordinarily handsome tonight. That
Mock. l suppose. White and lots
OF yellow. and those amber beads
clever! She's on to it that a fair
girl ought to match her hair with
golds and yellows and things-not
for the brunette. = She is too
tall. though. - Huge! Must be
quite six foot. But it's a wonder
figure. What a sweetheart for some
man. ."
All this in a flash through the
Rovers mind, the while he returned
aloud "A message" He thought
that certainly this must be from
Genevieve Wilmot.
But Selma announced: "'Mamma'
says 1t would save her from writing
note to you. Mr.. Laverock, if Won
would tell me If you will lunch at
Mon Repos-tomorrow. VIII YOU ?"
II shall love to-"
lat q quarter past 1872" added
Selma.
alone?" 'ou
mo. Oh. no. I am with Mann
ma and Dorothy" the Swede girl
answered, with little turn of her
head toward the long windows. But
she stood as If held by something
from returning to her party. Archie
moment they made a still, wordless
group In the. restless throng, that
babble of voices cut by the
croupier's mechanical "Faites votre
Then Selma. in her correct
French: Have you peen lucky.
Monsieur Laverock?"
Who. II" He laughed. AT
cards? I have never won a sou in
my ine."
Internally"
Without looking at him. her darkly
blue eyes widened as though She
had just thought Of something.
Sweetly and gravely she spoke.
viii you let me bring you fortune ?"
Can your" he laughed. "You'd
have your work cut out, Miss Selma!
What's your idea--a system, a mas
This" She lifted her hands to
her nape. She unfastened the clasp
OF Der amber string.
Those honey-colored oval beads,
all warmed and scented from that
rnilk-white, milk-warm. sculptured
throat of hers. she put into the
Rover's hand.
Borrow these. Monsieur. of me-"
she suggested. evenly. From me-
from q woman--Enfln, they will be
fortunate to You. Hold them"
May I? May i really: Right"
lingual conversation. "Awfully sweet
OF you. Thanks, SO much. III try
this" His fingers, clasping the coil
OF warmed amber as though it were
another hand that he did not yet
wish to let go. slid into his jacket
pocket. II hold them, do I, while 1
play?"
mo. I shall play for you," she
told him. Nov, give me your
money"
"This IL all I've got" Ruefully he
pulled out and handed to her the
small tattered sheaf. "Nine francs
I say. they're horribly dirty for you
to touch, d'yOu mind
She gathered them together. 1T
will be enough" she said. mine is
a good number"