The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-04-09
CHAPTER w

He was reckoned q shrewd player OF
life. Men who knew Peter DeWolfe
best say that If ne left his travelling
bag on the sidewalk on Fifth avenue
while he did some shopping within
some store, it was only because ne had
estimated carefully the psychology OF
any thief and concluded that one could
depend upon human nature to belleVe
that luggage sitting alone on the pave
ment was placed there as Il trap. Peter
always found his bag where he had
left it.
This is said because, unless some
complex reasoning and calculation OF
the same kind can be applied to his
conduct, it is necessary to say ne went
blind into love of woman,
"a few-a very few-men-and
fewer women" Peter said once in a
letter, "know just how rear the top OF
the world can be reached by the ad-
venture of free days together where
there are no hours, and time springs
in magic jumps from noon to next day
light perhaps, and the world is a play
ground and a city is your toy and man
kind is the ultimate friend of boil OF
YOU. Unfortunately" he added, the
men who have the quality of greatness
to see that such a companionship over
a span of hours is a greater accom-
plfshment than a life in a law ONCE
or the presidency of some blooming
bank, are few. Those who ever find
the girl are fewer. And those who can
prove some essential quality OF a gen
tleman and a whole man needed TO
walk that delicious tightrope up above
the moon, without taking a vulgar step
into space with a nasty crash ON land
ing, are fewest of all"
He may have been demonstrating
these words. But apparently he had
abandoned his inquiry into the mystery
of past and future. He had abandoned
suspicion of her or curiosity about hel
life, though ever and again he found
her glancing around with the uneN'
planned fear in her dark eyes, as II she
expected to meet the eyes of recognl
ton or find some fiend walking softly
along behind. Outwardly he had giyeI
over all but one inquiry, and that was
the exploration of the heart and mine
and soul of Brena Selcoss.
Just when he had shelved his frs
purpose, awakened by Benham's- chal
lenge, and when he wiped from hi
mind the memory of his one momen
Of dread of this girl, which, Of course
might be traceable to Muriers ex
t%raordinary and tragic warning, per
haps Peter himself could not nave told
It might have been at the momen
when. after their first evening o
strolling aimlessly through the mys
tery of the symbolic fog with thel
selves reaching toward one another
they had perched like two ravens O
the pediment of Trafalgar monumen'
supperless, content and watching tn
blurred lights of one motor omnibu
after another move like luminous fs
in cloudy water.
"What time is it2" Peter had asked
listening IN vain LoI liS SAS"' ~
ST. Pauls.
Brena Selcoss, sitting on her oW
coat, drew back the loose sleeve {
her white silk waist from her rOunde
cream-eolored wrist and, after a glanC
at her watch, had said, 1T is aftt
two. am hungry and am cold"
Peter had said quickly, perhaps
is my fault. But you wouldn't go
the theater or the cafes. How could
deal with any one who stubbornly i
sists upon exploring alleys and arcade
and the banking district and HyC
park until an old campaigner's LEI
are almost worn out?'
"You couldn't"
81 shall find a place now and 1 sha
like to see you eat he had sal
jumping up. There are some person
after all, who give us delight WIN
they eat. Did you ever see an 0
French peasant woman who was real
fond of animals feeding them? WI
her brown wrinkled face has a smi
like a lighthouse! And I can imagil
wearing that smile when ones oy
children are over their bowls of CRU
vas 7 shall like TO see You eat. Ia