Year: 1878

! A-AN " - SO-4O&sA~A eANi~ A<@OANI
! at stake upon the game which she
5 was watching, and as ii seemed TO
excite more interest than any of
) the dozen other games in the salon,


our party drew near and ordered
, refreshments, declining cards.
"It had probably become hab-
it with me to study physiognomy
and unconsciously watch people,
, aud | had not been sitting there
ten minutes before | found myself
covertly noting that woman's ev-
Iery movement. The first discov-
, cry | made was not particularly


remarkable, still it suggested a
disguise-she wore a wig. And


she also had her faculties on a


perpetual strain to prevent dis


play OF unnatural nervousness


with which she labored, as | could


see by the brilliancy of her eyes,


constantly on the alert. She was


nibbling fruit when we first enter
ed, but as the eager interest excl


ted in the game increased, she


took a tooth pick from the holder


at her side, and began to chew one
end of it, after biting the other


tapered end square off:


The game was eliminating in


breathless interest. | had taken


my eyes from her for an instant


to look at the calling hand, and
when | looked at her again she
was bending eagerly forward for


the same purpose, one hand rest
ing on the table, the other cropping
absently on her lap for the tooth
pick which she had dropped from
her mouth and lay on the dark
navy blue velvet OF her dress
the perfect counterpart OF that bit
Of wood clinging to the tress Of
brown hair had cut from that
barreled up head in Chicagol


professional caution teaches de |
liberation and coolness; but in
voluntarily my hand went to the
pocket containing my tooth-pick |
and It's curling tress, while a rush
ing system of stratagems present
ed themselves like lightning fash.
es to my mind, each Offering some
feasible flow Of surprising a symp-
tom Of guilt from a guilty party.
However, l restrained my impa
tience, and pretended any amount
of interest in the lucky winner of
the now terminated game, and
when we separated for the rest of
the night, or morning rather, at
the hotel | managed to get an
hours sleep, and then went abroad
and sought information in connec
tion with the history Of this wo
man. Iha.


"Msm.-Said to be the runa
way wife Of an Italian Count.
Deserted by the gambler with
whom she eloped. Been an ad
ventures for several years; fleec
ed enough money from various
victims to start on own hook /;
present establishment two years.
Quite safe house resort of first
class sports and gentlemen; said
to be under care of man high in
royal Office"


"This was the extent Of her
history. Her previous life and bis
tory were-blank.


II decided to have an interview
with her alone. | gained admit
tance the second night, having OBJ
tanned the same carriage aud dri-,
yer. But, to tell you the truth,
was vexed at myself for the sin
gular Importance attached by me
to so trifiing a coincidence as the
similarity of pair of tooth picks,
and anybody is liable to bite off
the end Of one. Still, l could not
conquer my suspicious that all
vas not clear on that woman
conscience.


81 found a gracious compliance
with ny request for private in
terYiew. We stepped into an al
cove and drew the curtains. Mad.
ame, said /, as if | were about
to ask permission to salute her
cheek, when | saw you two
years and three months ago in
Chicago, you did not wear
wig Scarcely were the words
out of my mouth before the
hand she had in her dress-pock-
ct was withdrawn, and a toy of
"a silver-mounted pistol flashed
in my face, and Kissing between
a