Evening star., 1926-04-25

| 81 know" she said. II know vera
vera mooch about you. You are mod
est. You have a fine sense of the arts
eh? All, and you understand ze
women"
How did you know that?" he ex
claimed. 1T is true, but sometimes
particular one-an exception
"Of course, my friend"' she ex
claimed. "Eet iss always like that
weeth re sensitive soul which is sc
lonely, eh?"
IMID-AFTERNooN had come; lunch
A'A con had receded into a whirlins
past of spiritual adventure and for
getfulness before he had succeeded IN
drawing from her some indication OF
vhy she had come to America.
''Eet was what made we weep,
she said, capitulating suddenly. You
believe grief But no! Eet was hu-
initiation. We Russians who have had
everything and have nothing
You need money!" he asked with
gasp. ~ +, :.
dignant protest. Il need no money.
You shall see. l am .reech. l nave
my husbands great villa near Napoh
Naples. AHu
She produced from her purse an
orange-colored paper. 1t looked like
a bill of lading. She opened it and 1t
was a bill of lading. with the words
"Duplicate-Void' stamped across Its
face. At the moment Appleby was
entranced by the length OF her black
eyelashes As she looked downward
into her lap they seemed to rest upon
the soft loveliness Of her cheeks.
"Well?" said he.
She blushed.
'Please do not think eet iss my lack
of modesty," she cautioned in her
cellolike tones. You have ask IT.
So l show you. You have heard of re
great Strogonoff collection. All. what
beautiful primitives of italian art,
eh? Well, then you have heard may
be of Ze Abelardi collection. eh? Eet
was my husbands. Eet iss mine
Van Dyck, Pietro, di Siena, Raphael,
F'ilippo Lippi, and SO and so and So
And these picture4-are they at
the-villa-in Naples?'
But no. she exclaimed. 'Theese
are mine. Most of all. Locke bill
of lading."
And the original of this duplicate?
You must have the origial to get the
pictures.
He had become the counselor. the
commercial expert.
"Ah, eet iss for that l have come
across the sea. My pictures l must
sell. They are in New York. But to
get them one moost have the bill Of
lading, eh?"
And who has it?"
'Eet iss my dead husbands brother.
You know heem-Leone Abelardi, eh?''
ar1oa xrnra6 tPn-
derly as possible, II never heard of
him.
"Ha: He iss one great rascal. My
husband he also" Her voice trem-
bled. He was not good, but he was
honest. Ze brother-he iss greatest
rascal. He claims re right to ze pic
lures. He knows Zis iss foolishness.
But he know I am alone. Have l
money for making legal causes? None.
l have three-quarter million dollars of
paintings. And not one centime. But
he say he will give me ze bill of lad
ing for five hundred dollars. There
fore. / come to Baltimore to meet
Leone at re hotel. Perhaps l beg him
to be merciful. You understand"
And you'll pay him this blackmail
this five hundred dollars?'
But no.'' She uttered little scorn-
dollars. To get five hundred dollars 1
moost wait three. four, five weeks"
Gould /" began Baron. He was
completely intoxicated by her. And.
after all. if she had a purpose to get
money from him now that purpose
would come to the surface.
Il would die, my friend. before l
would make such a suggestion she
said. How you have hurt me! I
promise you one thing. Eef l know
you one hundred years / would not
take one centime of money from YOU
not one. How you have hurt me-.
He was overcome. She had given
him the final great assurance. Yes.
luck had come to him at last.
Il am so afraid of heem"' she said.
trembling He knows I am so alone.
He has threatened to go to ze consul
to have taken away from me my
passport-to tell lies about me. Per
haps YOU think of me l am one great
coward, eh?"
Certainly not" he replied gravely.
You'd better let me get off with you
in Baltimore. 1 would do anything
gladly for-you."
She stared at him in childlike graft
tude.
Il could get a room for you in one
hotel" suggested Appleby. II could
stay in another"
unfortunate for me, cannot stay
in a hotel" She blushed. How
fun-ee! I who once could spend gold
roubles like water. Now j must find
a pension-what you call-lodging-
house"
Its outrageous" said he. 1--WE
have no way to know the good places
from the bad" He picked up a Balti-
more paper, looking for the Rooms
to Rent"
1--WE Russian emigres are quite
happy now with any place to rest a
head" she said with a laugh. Life
is an adventure. Ell? Well, then, this
iss re way to find lodgings"
She took a pin from the band of
her smart hat and thrust it through
the newspaper page.
She tore out the advertisement
pricked with the thrust Of the pin.