Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-04
Christophine Discovers America
Continued from page eleven
ed from page eleven

rules! Today we shall be our true
selves. Tomorrow is long way off,"
Night came with shower OF colored
lights and a maddening increase in the
tempo of the festival Somehow, quite
by accident l think, we found our
selves back at the Du Bots establish
ment. The house was ablaze with
lights and thronged with people
scarcely less wild than those on the
streets.
Marcia. in the flaming costume of
yellow feathers she had chosen, was
seated on one end of a long buffet,
surrounded by admirers. her red head
making her striking figure. If she
saw us. she gave no sign. All through
the halls and drawing-rooms dancers
crowded, swaying to the crash of a
very modern band. My partner drew
me into the whirl of it and then, as we
neared the stairs at the rear of the
house. he suddenly drew me from the
floor.
Lets get out of this~ he MUIR
INJURED. Come this wayv'
He started running up the stairs,
still holding my hand. fighting a pas
sage for me among the couples there.
On the upper floor, he turned down a
deserted corridor in far wing of the
house and pushed me in through a
door. There was no light inside except
that which was reflected dimly from
the lanterns in the garden below. but I
could see that it was the little boudoir
of the suite occupied by the Duchess
Urbitini. Prince Mario passed ahead
of me and opened the French windows,
which gave upon little balcony.
Come out here" he babe. Its
cool and quiet"
But l had caught sight of my wind
blown hair in the long mirror which
hung over the dressing table.
Just secondv' l called softly.
leaned closer and tucked in my
curls. Something lying on small tray
caught my eye. 1t was roll Of money.
and the outer bill was a thousand
dollar note!
My first instinct was to speak of it,
but on second thought / decided it
was none of my affair if the Duchess
lef young fortune lying about. After
all, despite the Carnival, Madame's
guests were carefully checked, and no
one would be admitted to the private
rooms. Besides. Mario called again,
and there was something in his voice
which made me forget everything else.
l stepped into the soft darkness of the
balcony. In another instant | was in
his arms and his mouth was on mine,
and nothing would have mattered, not
even the falling of the stars out of
Heaven because they would have
been only making room for us!
How long we stood like that. l can
not tell. Such periods have no real
measurement in time. Hell may have
clocks, but Heaven, never! And l
think we might have remained so all
night if the little lamp in the room
behind US had not suddenly been
switched on. Instinctively we drew
back into the shadow, silent and
tense.
Someone was moving about in the
boudoir. softly. cautiously. Then
there was a smothered exclamation,
and the light was snapped off. In a
moment more. we could hear the door
into the hall being closed.
Somehow this intrusion broke the
spell which had held us. There was
something uneasy. disquieting, about
the mysterious visitor.
Perhaps we'd better leave" said.
He took both my hands and kissed
them. Then without another word, he
crossed the room and opened the door
into the hall. followed. instinctively
looking at the dressing table as /
passed it. The roll of bills was gone
and where they had been, there lay
a hrokap hit of IA r,iy0 ,,aIlou foo hor