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Show I I THE HILLMAN I By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM I JOHN HEARS MYSTERIOUS PHRASES WHICH TROUBLE HIM WITH GRAVE DOUBTS ABOUT LOUISE-AT TIMES HE WISHES HE WERE BACK IN THE HILLS. Synoptlt. Loulso Mnurcl, famous actress, making a motor tour of rural England, was obliged, when her car broko down, to spend tlio night at tho ancestral homo of Stephen and John Strnngowcy, bachelor woman-haters, In tho Cumberland district. Beforo sho left tho next dor slio had captivated John, Thrco months later ho went to London and looked her up1. Sho Introduced him to her friends, among them Grnlllot, a playwright, and Sophy Gerard, a llght-hcartod Uttlo actress. John, puritanical In his views, entered tho gay bohcmlan Ufa of tho city with enthusiasm. It was soon 'seen that John nnd tho prlnco of Scyro wcro rlvats for tho heart and hand of Louise. Sophy also loved John secretly. Tho prlnco tried to cntico John into ovll ways by sending fascinating women to charm and bcdavll him. S CHAPTER XIV Continued. I "Sometimes with Miss Maurcl, some- iK times with her Uttlo friend, Sophy Go- m rard, and somotlmes alone," John ro- m piled. "I havo bought a Baedeker, J taken a taxlcab by tho day, and dono V) all tho sights. I'vo spent weeks In tho mi National gallery, plcturo gazing, and I'vo dono all Uioso moro modern shows up round Bond street. I havo bought a Gracing car and learned to drlvo It X havo been to dinner parties that havo bored mo stiff. I havo been introduced fS to crowds of pooplo whom I novor wish to sco again, nnd mndo ono or two friends," ho added, smiling at his guest, for whom I hopo I am properly grateful." grate-ful." "Tho prlnco has been showing you I round a bit, hasn't ho?" Grnlllot grunt-d. grunt-d. "Tho prlnco has been extraordinarily "kind to me," John admitted slowly, ''for what reason I don't know. Ho lias Introduced mo to a grcnt many pleasant nnd Interesting people, and a great many whom I supposo ft young -Thar Is No 8crtt About It It Is Louise Maurel." ' man In my position should bo glad to know. lie has shown me ono side of Xondon llfo pretty thoroughly." "And what about It all!" QralUot -demanded. "You find yourself some- thing more of a cltiren of tho world, eh?" "Not a bit," John answered simply. "Tho moro I seo of tho llfo up here, tho smaller It seems to me. I mean, of i course, tho ordinary llfo of pleasure, tho life to be lived by a young man like myself, who hasn't any profession or work upon which ho can concentrate concen-trate his thoughts." "Then why do you stay J" John made no Immediate reply. Instead, In-stead, he walked to tho window of his. sitting room and stood looking across the Thames with a discontented frown upon his face. Between him end the I Frenchman a curious friendship tad sprung up during the last few months. "I gather," Gralllot continued, "that, to put It concisely and truthfully, you are the most bored man In London. There Is something behind all this cf-ft' cf-ft' fort of yours, my friend, to fit your- aelf, tho round human being, Into tho I square place. Speak the truth, now 1 ' Treat me as a father confessor." I John swung round upon his heel, In mi the clcor light It was obvious that he K'J htm a Uttlo thinner In the face and I that some of the tan had gone from bis r complexion. "I am staying up here, and going on, : -with It," he announced doggedly, "be-' "be-' cause of a woman." r Gralllot stopped eating, placed the ' remains of bis cake In tho saucer of his ; teacup, and laid It down. Then ho Mu opened his Hps to speak and abruptly f closed them. H!s face suddenly under-? under-? went nn extraordinary change. A few ' seconds ego his attitude had been that of a professor oxamlnlng some favorite .M 0bj8t.oi-uiuiyriOT.amaraj2creftPfsL v note had humanized hi expression. (Whatever thought or reflection It was Mt that had come Into hlu mind, It had plainly startled him. "Who Is the woman?" ho asked B' breathlessly. 'Thcro Is no secret about It, so far as I am concerned," John answered. "It Is Louise Maurcl. I thought you must havo guessed." Tho two men looked at each other In stlcnco for somo moments. Out on tho river n Uttlo tug was hooting vigorously. vig-orously. Tho roar of tho Strand camo faintly Into tho room. On tho mantel-plcco mantel-plcco a very ornato French clock was ticking lightly. All thesu sounds seemed suddenly accentuated. They beat tlmo to a sllcnca almost tragical In Its Intensity. Gralllot took out his handkerchief nnd dabbed his forehead, Ha had written writ-ten many plays, and tho dramatic Instinct In-stinct was strongly developed In him, "Loulsot" ho muttered under his breath. "Sho Is very different, I know," John went on, after n moment's hesitation. "Sho Is very clever nnd n great nrtlst, and sho Uves In an atmosphere of. which, n fow months ngo, I knew nothing. noth-ing. I hnvo como up hero to try to understand, to try to get a Uttlo nearer to her." Thcro was another stlcnco, this time almost an awkward one. Then Gralllot Grall-lot roso suddenly to his feet "I will respect your confidence," ho promised, holding out his band. "Havo no fear of Mint I am duo now at tho theater. Your tea Is excellent, and such Uttlo cakes I never tasted beforo." be-foro." "You will wish mo good luck?" "No I" "Why not?" John demanded, a" Uttlo startled. "Because," Gralllot pronounced, "from what I havo seen and know of you both, thcro nro no two pcoplo in this world less sultablo for each other." "Look hero," John expostulated, "I don't want you to go nwny thinking so. You don't understand what this means to me." "Perhaps not, my friend," Gralllot replied, "but remember that It Is at least my trade to understand men and women. I have known Louise Maurel Mau-rel since she was a child." "Then It Is I whom you don't understand." un-derstand." "That may bo so," Gralllot confessed. "One makes mistakes. Let us leave It at that You aro a young man of undeveloped temperament You may be capable of much which at present I do not And In you." "Tell me the one quality In which you consider me most lacking," John begged. "I want you on my side, Gralllot" Grall-lot" "And I," Gralllot replied, as he shook his friend's hand nnd hurried off, "want only to bo on tho sldo that will mean happiness for you both." lie left tho room a Uttlo abruptly. John walked back to tho window, oppressed op-pressed with n senso of something almost ominous In tho Frenchman's manner, something which ho could not fathom, against which bo struggled In vain. Side by eldo with It, there surged Into his memory the disquietude disquie-tude which his present relations with Loulso had developed. She was always charming when she bad any tlmo to spare sometimes almost affectionate. On tho other hand, he was profoundly conscious of her desire to keep him at arm's length for tho present . IIo hod accepted her decision without with-out a murmur. Ho mado but few efforts ef-forts to see her alone, and when they met ho made no special claim upon her notice. IIo was serving his apprenticeship appren-ticeship doggedly and faithfully. Yet there wero times Uko tho present when ho found his task both hateful and difficult. dif-ficult. He walked aimlessly backward and forward, chafing against the restraint of the narrow walls and the low celling. cell-ing. A sudden desire had seized htm to fly back to the hills, wreathed In mist though they might be; to struggle on his way through tho blinding rain, to drink down long gulps of his own purer, less civilized atmosphere. The telephone bell rang. He placed the receiver to his car almost mechanically. me-chanically. "Who is it?" he asked. "Lady nilda Mulloch is asking for youTsir7' thTEaTTpbrter announced Lady nilda peered around John's room through her lorgnotto, and did not hesitate to express her dissatisfaction. dissatisfac-tion. "My dear man," sho. exclaimed, "what makes you live In a hotel? Why don't you tnko rooms of your own and furnish them? Surroundings Uko theso oro destructive to one's Individuality." "Well, you soo," John explained, aa ho drow an easy chair up to tho flro for his guest "my stay In London Is only a temporary one, nnd It hasn't seemed worth whllo to settle anywhere." any-where." Sho stretched out her graceful bo7 In front of tho flro and raised her Yell. Sho was very smartly dressed, as usual, ncr white silk stockings, which sho seemed to hnvo no objection to displaying, dis-playing, wcro of tho latest vogue Tho chinchilla around her neck and In her Uttlo toque was most becoming. Sho seemed to bring with her an ntmos-phcro ntmos-phcro Indefinable, in its way, but distinctly dis-tinctly attractive. Brisk In her speech, a Uttlo commanding In her manner, she was still essentially feralnlno. John, at her direct Invitation, had called upon her onco or twice since their meeting at tho opera, and ho had found her, from tho first, more attractive at-tractive than any other society woman of his acquaintance None the less, ho was a Uttlo taken aback at her present pres-ent visit. "Exactly why aro you here, anyhow?" any-how?" sho demanded. "I feel sure that Eugcno told mo tho reason which had brought you from your wilds, but I havo forgotten It." "For ono thing," John replied, "I hnvo como because I don't want to appear ap-pear prejudiced, and tho fact that I never spent a month In London, or oven n week, seemed a Uttlo narrow-minded." "What's tho real attraction?" Lady Hilda asked. "It Is a woman, Isn't It?" "I am very fond of a woman who Is In London," John admitted. "Perhaps "Per-haps It Is true that I am here on her account." Lndy Hilda wlthdrow from her muff n gold cigarette case nnd n Uttlo box of matches. "Order somo mixed vermouth with lemon for mo, please," sho begged. "I have been shopping, and I hato tea. I don't know why I camo to see you. I suddenly thought of It when I was In Bond street" "It waa very kind of you," John said. "If I had known that you cared about seeing mo, I would havo come to you with pleasure." "What does It matter?" she answered. an-swered. "You aro thinking, perhaps, that I risk my reputation In coming to a young roan's rooms? Thoso things do not count for mo. Ever since I was a child I have done exactly as I liked, and people havo shrugged their shoulders and said, 'Ah, well, It Is only Lady Hilda I' I am qulto convinced con-vinced that If I chose to take you off to Monto Carlo with mo next week and spend a month with you there, I should get my pass to tho royal lnclc-suro lnclc-suro at Ascot when I returned, and my Invitation to tho next court ball, even In this era of starch. You see, they would say, It is only Lady Hilda I' " The waiter brought tho vermouth, which his visitor sipped contcntodly. "So thero Is a woman, Is there?" she went on, looking across tho. room at her companion, "nave you committed yourself already, then? Don't you remember re-member what I told you the first night wo met after tho opera that It Is well to wait?" "Yes, I remember," John admitted. "I meant it" Ho laughed good-humorcdly, yet not without some traco of self-conscious-ness. "Tho mischief was dono then," he said. "Couldn't It be undono?" sho asked lazily. "Or aro you one of those tedious tedi-ous people who ,aro faithful forever? Fidelity," she continued, knocking tho ash from her cigarette, "Is really, to my mind, the most bourgeois of vices. It comes from a want of elasticity In the emotional fibers. Nothing In life has bored me so much as the faithfulness faith-fulness of my lovers." "You ought to put all this. Into one of your books," John suggested. "I probably shall, when I write my reminiscences," sho replied. "Tell me about this woman. And don't stand about In that restless way at the other end of tho room. Bring a chair close to me thero, close to my sldel" John obeyed, and his visitor contemplated contem-plated him thoughtfully through a little cloud of tobacco smoko. "Yes," she decided, "thero Is no use denying It. You are hatefully good-looking, good-looking, and somehow or other I think your clothes have Improved you. You havp a little more air than when you first came to town. Aro you quite sure that you haven't mado up your mind about this woman In a hurry?" "Quito sure," John laughed. "I suppose sup-pose I am rather nn Idiot, but I am addicted to tho vice of which you wcro speaking." Sho nodded. "I Bhould Imagine," she said, "that you wero not an adept In tho art of nrrrJtionTTnt tFuetinn"airv5ifiTro- Is Louisa Maurcl?" "Quito true," John replied. "But don't you know " Sho broko off abruptly. She saw tho faco of tho man by. her Bide, suddenly chango, and her Instinct warned her of the danger Into which she was rushing. rush-ing. "You surprise mo very much," she said. "Loulso Maurel Is a very wonderful won-derful woman, but sho seems to spend the wholo of her tlmo with my cousin, the prince." "They are, without doubt very friendly," John assented. "Thoy have a good many Interests In common, nnd the prlnco Is connected with the syndicate syn-dicate which finances tho theater. I do not Imagine, however, that tho prince wishes to marry her, or she him." Lady Hilda began to laugh, softly, but as If genuinely amused. John sat nnd watched her In ominous silence. Not the flicker of n smllo parted his Hps. His visitor, however, was undisturbed. undis-turbed. Sho leaned over and patted his, hand. "Slmplo Simon I" sho murmured, leaning a Uttlo toward him. "If you go on looking Uko that, I shall pat your checks, too. You aro really much too nice looking to wear such thunder thun-der clouds I" "Perhaps If wo choso somo other subject of conversation" John said stiffly. "Oh, dear me I" sho Interrupted. "Very well I You really are n most 'trying person, you know. I put up with a great deal from you." John was silent Her face darkened a little, and an angry light flashed In her eyes. "Well, I'll lcavo you alone If you like," sho decided, tossing her cigarette Into the grate. "If my friendship Isn't worth having, let It go. It hasn't often been offered In vain. Thero are moro men In London than I could count who would go down on their kneos for such n visit as I am paying you. And you you," nho added, with a Uttlo tremble, of real anger In her tono, "you're too hatefully pollto and priggish prig-gish 1 Como nnd ring tho bell for tho lift. I nm going I" Sho slid gracefully to her feet, shook tho cigarette ash from her clothes, nnd picked up her muff. "Yon nro really an egregious, thickheaded, thick-headed, obstlnato countryman," sho declared, de-clared, as sho moved toward tho door. "You haven't cither manners or sensibility. sensi-bility. I am a perfect Idiot to waste my tlmo upon you. I wouldn't have dono It," sho added, as ho followed her dumbly down tho corridor, "If I hadn't rather liked youl" "I am very sorry," ho doclored. "I don't know qulto what I havo dono. I do apprcclato your friendship. You havo been very kind to mo Indeed." She hesitated as his flngor touched the bell of tho lift, nnd glanced at tho watch on her wrist Sho sighed, and watched the top of the lift as It lJfeK-up.- Then sho dropped her veil. CHAPTER XV. "This Is very nearly my Idea of perfect per-fect happiness," Sophy murmured, as she leaned across tho table nnd listened Idly while John ordered tho dinner. "Glvo mo very Uttlo to eat John, nnd talk a great deal to mo. I am depressed de-pressed about myself nnd worried about everything I" "And I," he declared, "am Just begin-nlng begin-nlng to brcatho again. I don't think I understand women, Sophy." "Wasn't your week-end party a success?" suc-cess?" sho asked. "Not altogether," ho confessed; "but don't let's talk about It Tell mo what la depressing you." "About myself, or things generally?" "Yourself first" "Well, the most respectablo young man you over know In your life, who Uvea In Bath, wants me to marry htm. I don't think I could. I don't think I could live In Bnth, and I don't think I could marry anyone. And I've Just thirteen shillings and fourpenco left I haven't paid my rent, and my dressmaker dress-maker Is calling for something on account on Monday morning." "There's only one thing to answer to that" John Insisted cheerfully. "I "You Really Aro an Egregious, Thick-Headed, Thick-Headed, Obstinate Country Man." am going to lend you fifty pounds while you make your mind up about the young man." Sho mado a faco at him. "I couldn't borrow monoy from n strange gentleman," she protested. "Bubblshl" ho exclaimed. "If you begin calling mo a strnngor but thcro, never mind I We'll seo about that din-TreTrn'nre'iiioTVirtnjan'DTn-'io fair, Sophy." "It Isn't a lovo affair at all I" she exclaimed, ex-claimed, almost Indignantly. "Why, I nm sorry. Your prospective OlUaace, then, shall I soil Itr t "Oh, It Isn't interesting" sho 'said. "It's Just a young man In Bath. .Ho Is a lawyer and moderately well off. Ho has wanted mo to marry him for years. Ho was a friend of my brother's. broth-er's. Lately he has been bothering n little moro than usual In fact, I sup-poso sup-poso I havo received what might bo called an ultimatum. He came up yesterday, yes-terday, and I wont out with htm last night He has gone back to Bath this morning, nnd I have promtsed to let him know In a month. I think that Is why I went out to Waterloo bridge in n mackintosh and got wet." "Do you Uko him?" John asked practically. prac-tically. "I Uko him, I suppose," Sophy sighed. 'That's tho worst of It If I didn't like him, thcro might bo some chance. I can't realize myself ever doing moro than liking him In a mild sort of way; and If ho expected moro, as of course ho would, then I should probably hato him. Ho tried to kiss mo on tho way to the station, and I nearly scratched htm. That isn't Uko mc, you know. I rather Uko being kissed sometimes." John burled himself In the wtne-ltst "Well," ho admitted, "It doesn't sound very hopbful. I'm no sort of Judgo In theso matters, but I havo heard lots of pooplo say that ono gets on nil right after marrlago without caring car-ing very much before- Yon don't seem to havo a very comfortable llfo now, do you?" "Comfortnble? No, but I am free," Sophy replied quickly. "I con come In and go out when I plenso, chooso my own friends. It's rather fine to be hero, you know to bo In tho atmosphere, atmos-phere, even If the Umellght misses ono." John sighed, nnd regarded her thoughtfully. "You'ro a queer Uttlo girl, Sophy," ho snld. "I don't know how to ndvtso you." "Of courso you don't," sho answered. "No ono could. As for you, I supposo you will marry Loulso. What will happen hap-pen to you after that, I don't know. Perhaps I shn'n't enro bo much about London then. You'vo made It very nice for me, you know." "You'vo made It bcarablo evon for mo," ho told her. "I often think how lonely I should hnvo been without you to tnlk to. Loulso sometimes Is delightfully de-lightfully cordpanlonablo, and kind enough to turn ono's head. Other days I scarcely understand her; overytlilng wo say to ono another seems wrong. I como nway and lcavo her simply bo-causo bo-causo I feel that thcro Is a wall between be-tween us that I can't got over." "Thero Isn't really," Sophy sighed. "Loulso is u uenr. Considering uvury-thing, uvury-thing, I think sho Is wonderful. But you aro utterly different Sho Is very complex, very emotional, and sho has her own standards of llfo. You, on tho other hand, nro very simple, very faithful faith-ful and honest, nnd you accept the standards which havo been mado for you very, very rigidly, John. What arc you looking at?" John's whole expression had suddenly sudden-ly changed. His eyes wcro fixed upon tho door, his faco was stern as a gran-Ito gran-Ito block. Sophy turned quickly around. Tho maltro d'hotel, with another an-other satelllto In his rear, was welcoming welcom-ing with much ceremony two latoly ad-rlvcd ad-rlvcd guests. Sophy clutched at tho tablecloth. Tho newcomers wcro Loulso Lou-lso and tho prlnco of Scyro. "I don't understand this t" John muttered, mut-tered, his lips twitching. Sophy Gerard said nothing. Her checks wero pink with excitement. Suddenly Louise saw John and Sophy. So-phy. -Sho stood quite still for a moment; mo-ment; then she came toward them, slowly and a Uttlo languidly. Tho prince was still studying through his eyeglass tho various tablos which tho head watter was offering for his consideration. con-sideration. "What an astonishing meeting I" Loulso remarked, as sho laid her band for a moment on Sophy's shoulder. "What Is going on behind my back?" John roso very slowly to his feet. Ho seemed taller than ever, and Louisa's smile remained unanswered. "The rain broke up my week-end party," he explained, "and I met Sophy In tho Strand. In any case, I Intended returning tonight I understood that you would not bo hero until tomorrow about cloven o'clock. 'Thoso wcro my plans," Loulso replied; re-plied; "But, as you seo, other things havo Intervened. Our Uttlo house party, too, was broken up by this abominable abom-inable weather, and we all motored up to town. Tho Faradays have gone homo. Tho prlnco heard from Miles that I was at home, and telephoned mo to dine. Me void I" John was struggling with a crowd of hateful thoughts. Louise was wearing a wonderful gown ; her hair was beautifully beau-tifully arranged; she bad tho air of a woman whose toilet was completo and perfect down to the slightest detail. de-tail. The prince's slow drawl reached them distinctly. "It was my servant's fault, I suppose," sup-pose," ho said. "I told him to ring up Inst night and order the table for two In that corner. However, wo will take the vacant one near your desk." Ho looked around and, as If for the first time, missed Louise. He camo toward them at onco. 'Tho prlnco seems to have ordered his tablo last night," John remarked, his tono, even to himself, sounding queer and strained. Loulso mado no reply. Tho prlnco was already shaking hands with Sophy. "X thought you wcro spending the week-end with my cousin, Strange-wey," Strange-wey," he remarked, turning to John. "Wo did spend part of It together," John rcpllc'd. 'Tho weather drove us -bak-thlsnftefoB.-!'- "I congratulate you both on your good tasto," said the prince. 'There Is nothing moro abomlnablo than a riverside river-side retreat out of season. We are taking, tak-ing, ths table on tho left, Loulso," He led her away, and they passed down the room. John slowly resumed his seat "Sophy," he demanded hoarsely, "tell mo tho truth. , Is there anything bo- - twecn tho prlnco and Louise?" HB Sopliy nervously crumbled up tho HB toast by her sldo. "Tho prlnco admires Louise, and ha . dono so for many years," sho answered. I HH "No ono knows anything else. Louise HH nover speaks of him to me. I cannot tell you." "But you must know," he persisted, with a Uttlo break In his voice. "For- HH give me, Sopliy, If I mado on ass of my- HH self. First Lady Hilda, and then Grnll- HH lot, and then well, I thought Louise HH might havo rung up to sco whether I was at home, If she camo back sooner HH than she expected ; and the prlnco took tho tablo last night I" Bbo leaned over and patted him on HS tho hand. "Don't worry" sho begged. "If, Lou-lse Lou-lse has to choose somo day bntwoen HH him and you, I don't think she'll host- HH She Leaned Over and Patted Him on HH the Hand. HH tato very long. Don't look so stem, plenso. You look very statuesque and HH porfect, but I don't want to dlno with HH a plcco of sculpturo. llcmcmbcr that HH I am finding you too attractive for my pcoco of mind. Thcro's your text I" HHJ He poured a glass of wlno nnd drnnlc Vfl It off. BJJH "I'll do my best." ho agreed. "If It HHJ sounds Uko rubbish, you can stUl be- HH Uovo that I apprcclato everything HH you'vo told mo. You nro pretty, nnd I HH nm lucky to have you here. Now 111 HH try to ninko you bcllcvo that I think - HH Sho leaned over so that her bead al-most al-most touched his. "Go on, please I" she murmured. HV "Even If It hurts afterward, It will be ' heavenly to listen to I" Tho noxt night Sophy acted as show-roan show-roan at tho first production of tho play, so long delayed because of Grnlllofs Insistence on a scene that promised to bo startling to English playgoers. Her part was over at the end of tho first act, and a few minutes later sho slipped Into u scat by John's sldo bo-hind bo-hind iho curtnln. "What do you think of It so far?" 1 sho asked a Uttlo anxiously. "It aoeins qulto good," John replied cheerfully. "Some very clover lines, and all that sort of thing; but I can't qulto seo what It's alt leading to." Sophy peered around tho house from behind tho curtain. "Thero Isn't standing room any-where," any-where," sho declared. "I don't sup-pose sup-pose thcro ever was a play In London that was more talked about; and then putting It off for moro than three months why, thcro have been all sorts of rumors about Do you want to know who tho people In the audience "Not particularly," John answered. "I shouldn't know them, If you told me. Thcro are Just a few familiar faces. I sco tho prlnco In the box opposite." "Did you telephono to Loulso to-day?" to-day?" Sophy asked. John shook his head. "No. I thought It better to leave her alono until after tonight" "You aro going to tho supper, of course?" "I have been asked," John replied, a Uttlo doubtfully. "I don't quite know whether I want to. Is It being given by the prlnco or by the management?" 'Tho management," Sophy assured him, "Do you come and tako mo I It's going to be rather fun." The curtain went up upon the sec-ond sec-ond act John, from the shadows of the box. listened attentively, The subject was not a particularly new one, but tho writing was brilliant. There was the old "Marquis de 'Guy," a roue, a degenerate, but still over- HI bearing and full of personality, from whoso Hps came somo of Gralllot's most brilliant sayings; Loulso, his wlfo; and Faraday, a friend of the old HI marquis, and obviously the Intended, lover of his wife, "I don't soo anything so terrible in this," John remarked, as tho crutuln went down onco moro and thunders HJ of applauso greeted somo wonderful HJ lines of Gralllot's. The mystery about the life of Louise further .troubles John -awnte-sets-rortn Tarner "tha act truth, no matter How tratjlo' for him It may be.- (TO Ua CONTINUED.! BJ fl |