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Show I THE BAUBLE. H A Tale of Disenchantment. B "Elva, you know, has left her aunt. 1 always K thought that soul too Puritanic for the capricious Klva. What caused the final estrangement I do H not know, unless Well, Fe, If you haven't al- iady heard it, you will soon enough, and I'm go- nig to blurt the matter right out: there's a man B in the case, and a married man at that. B "Elva, when she left her amt, took a suite of B rooms at the fashionable Albemarle. There her B wealth allows her to live in luxury and freedom. B Her social position is still firm Elva always has B been a masterpiece of brilliancy. But I know B thereof I speak, Fe. I shall not mention the B man's name. Come back to E.va. Don't delay. B There is no time to spare. Africa does not B need you. Elva does. B "People are beginning to speak of Elva as B 'La Trento.' There must be reison for this." B "La Trento!" B Felix Darwen spoke the name. He thrust the B letter into his pocket. H He was coming back to Elva. He was almost B there. But how would he flnl her? When he H left for Africa two years before she was the B dearest girl in the world to him. Three years B from that time they were to have been mar- B ried. Now, at the end of two years B "La Trento." B Wherever he looked Felix saw the name writ- B ten in flaming colors. B No, his friend was wrong. Elva was true to B him Felix. E'va couldn't be anything but true. B Her letters teemed with honest affection. Did B they? Felix thought back tried to recall the con- Hj tents of Kthe later ones. But he was too un- B ngrved to do so. The words of his friend's letter K seemed seared into his brain B "Elva's letters were true, but what of 'Ira B Trento's'?" B After this soliloquy he reached for his suit K case, which held every written word he hadre- m celved from Elva Trent. Then he sat back in B? his seat in the railway coach. B "No, I won't judge from her letters," he B thought. "I won't judge from what Marsden tell3 B mo. I'll judge from Elva's own self." m No one knew he was coming back. He must B come upon Elva Trent unawares. If only on the Bi way he did not meet anyone he knew least of all his friend Marsden. Marsden had been his chum. But Marsden had maL'gned EIva. And should they meet he might malign her further. Then he, Felix Darwen, might "Marsden is all right; but K can't stand anything any-thing like that from him." Fate decreed that he shoull meet Marsden, and Fate decreed that Marsden should be the bearer of news, the purport of which was that Felix would not find Elva Trtjit alone. "Who'll be there?" The question was quickly put by Fe,lix. "Whom, do you suppose?" were the other's words. "He whom I " But before Marsden 'could finish, his friend t had whispered, hoarsely, "You lie!" and hurried on. He thrust his hands into his pockets. His fingers fin-gers touched a small package. He drew it forth. "The bauble!" he cried, half aloud. It was the little gift he had purchased on the way back the gift he was to present to Elva when they met. It was a small, but costly, bit of handiwork. Elva had never cared for show. She liked nice things; she never wished them gaudy. The clerk had given the piece of jewelry a name which Felix thought altogether too fantastical. fan-tastical. So he had called it 'the bauble." When he mounted the steps of the Albemarle he put the small package back into his pocket. Then, for a moment, he was almost blinded by the lights. And his mind was a blank until he beheld Elva Trent in a magnifcent gown in her library. "So, it is really you, Fe," she said, as she came toward him. Felix Darwen look her in his arms. His lips met hers in a kiss of welcome. And at that moment a faint sound came to them a sound that caused Felix to look steadily into Elva's eyes. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Oh, noth " he began. "I thought I heard a noise." His eyes rapidly took in the room. It was softly lighted. A large screen stood in gloom in the remotest corner. "You seem to think it's a .ghost," Elva said, smiling. "But tell me all about everything. Take that chair there, Fe. I'll sit here. Now, isn't this cosy?" Felix talked jerkily. His gaze was directed for the most part to the screen in the corner. But Elva's unconcern was strengthening his be- flH lief in her. H "Now tell me something in return for what I 1 have told you," Felix said, finally, the hard lines H leaving his face, and a smile suplanting them. H "Well, with me," she began, "it seems to have H beon a case of coming, seeing and conquering! I fl came to my griffln of an aunt. I saw. Then I -, H conquered. And that is why I am here." H "But why?" Felix began. H "She was intolerable. I had to give an" ac- H count of every move I made. A.nd she always H declared my hats cost too muuh." H Elva tossed back her head. Felix met her H smile with his. H "Imagine me with a cheap hat on!" she add- H ed, making the daintiest of grimaces. "And imag- H ine me with a great balloon of a skirt on when H they are woaring them almost skin-tight!" she H continued, her eyes turning with those of Felix H in the direction of the screen. H "But, Fe, why do you look so constantly into H that corner?" she asked. H "Don't I smell smoke?" he asked, half rising M and giving Elva a piercing lock. , H "I hardly think the house is afire," she said, M calmly. H "No, no, cigar smoke." H "Why do you act so queerly, Fe?" Elva asked. M "You are so rostless so uneasy. And why are you always looking into that corner?" . M "Because it seems a good hiding place," was M the reply, ,J'But why should you wish to hide, Fe?" M Elva's face held a startled look. Felix won- i M dered if it was for concern of him or someone M "Surely you have done no vrong, Felix?" she ' asked. H "Wrong? I? I?" he repeated. "No, Elva; ' ' . H but but " "I see you are troubled, Fq," she said. "Can ' H I help you in any way?" M "Yes, Elva, you can," he cried out, vehemently. H "No, you can't," and rising, he walked in the di- H rection of the screen. M He moved along slowly, awaiting her cry of H alarm. But Elva remained silent. H Felix struck a match and touched it to a gas H jet directly above the screen. , A.nd as he did so H Elva rose to her feet and Avent hurriedly toward j H him. I Continued on Page 14. H 1 , i I K 1 fi rJ : f THE BAUBLE. i I J J Continued from Page y. I 1 1 "Don't come any nearer!" Felix cried out, '-"i 1 II hoarsely. "I understand. You are frightened at ' J m i I f what I am doing. You are guilty, You are turn- Hf ' i I i ! nB pae" Don't come any nearer, I tell you! H ; ! Jj, j J I What I have been told is true. Oh, Elva, Blva!" Bp t' I I I She stood before him, a shimmering figure in m 1 1, , J I the gaslighi One hand was clasped above her 1 ' j J J I heart, the other clutched the folds of her gown. K i 'j iw I "Felix," she said, tremulously, "what do you ! ' j n J I mean? What have you heard! Tell mo." . 1 1 "I have heard I have heard " he stammered. ' j "Elva, deny it, if you can. There is a man be- ' i A , ill hind that screen!" HiHlS 111 ! For a moment sne remained motionless. Then, Bf1 I 1 without a word, she advanced, And with both Bi i h ' J j 1 vhands struck the screen and it fell on the floor. Bl ,j ,' f 1 Felix Darwen winced. He Vried to smile, but H f t i I his face remained distorted between the emo- B' "r 1 tions of pleasure and bewilderment. Bl it i j "Blva, you see you see " he began, but Bf j hit could not go on. BI J j 1 I He held out his trembling hands to her. f hi r 1 "It has all been a great, great mistake, Elva." d' i I m Felix sank to his knees beiore her. iB I ' I m "Irn sorry' Elva so sorry" he sai(1- "Will you H i 1 II forgive it all, and and me?" H '' , I Blva smiled at him. B ijv I IB "You poor, dear old misguiced Fe," she said, mW ! m f laughingly. B i 1 B I When Felix Darwen got out into the street he B i S sauntered along with a light heart. Blva was B rK I He thrust one hand into his pocket. It K i . touched something wrapped in craikling tissue pa- Hk 1 ' I I per. Kt b! ' I ' "The bauble!" he said to himself. "I forgot B ' I a I ' ! a11 al)0ut lfc- But Elva must navG ft tonight." Hlff 1 I1 Felix turned back. Bf I I The lights still burned in Blva's rooms. RBi rf 1 He decided to go up unannounced. B j, He took the bauble from its wrappings. And B j ' ', i as he put his hand to the door-knob he touched B i j i the cover of the box and the ,'ewel caught the B ,': light from above. Then he opened the door. Bh j , " Once more Felix Darwen was out in the glare Bj , ' of the street lights. Once more he breathed the H.; j ; J j , cool night air. B( 1 J His right hand was clenched, and within its E i'j t ) ' cold grasp he held "thebauble." Albert J. B'.. , ' j ! Klinck in Town Topics. |