Show st udd by E PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM by little brown co THE CUT DIRECT SYNOPSIS fleeing from a brutal stepfather an unhappy home and a proposed husband he detests myrelle Myr young french girl stands in a country road on the verge of desperation halted by an exploded tire two young englishman lord gerald dom dombey youner e and christopher dent bent are re attracted by the girls distracted appearance she begs bega efem to tako take her away from her misery in a spirit of kd adventure venture they do so conveying her to monte carlo and leaving her with friends myrtile speaks english ier mother having been an edu fated woman gerald sees bees a young woman in the 0 gambling rooms and Is fascinated but cart can only learn that she Is called pauline do find and Is with her aunt ile he Is un able to secure an introduction christopher and gerald decide myrille shall not go BO mackto her boma bom lady mary geralds Oe ralda sister secretly in love with chris tochee disapproves of tile the young mens guardianship of myrelle lord dombey makes the acquaintance of pauline ile he Is puzzled by the stir air of mystery and condescension surrounding her falls in love with gerald chris would marry myrtile Myr gerald Is litte interested rested in Vaul pauline lne A mysterious russian wins a large sum at the gambling tables gerald learns he known the he do Pon leren but can got get no information from him CHAPTER VII continued A monsieur rose deliberately to tig big feet one realized then tits his extraordinary tra height lie ile must have teen been ut tit least six feet four indies inches and broad in proportion gerald although ie he himself was considerably over nv av era height seemed like a child by his hl side if you mention their again he threatened 1 I shall throw you out of the place gerald looked him over for a mo imo abent unmoved but intensely curious the mystery of madame and mademoiselle ie de had only been increased by tills this chance meeting pray sit down lie ile begged you are making every one uneasy I 1 have no wish to quarrel with you I 1 simply took you pu for an ordinary human being the russian resumed his sent seat ger ald ld called for his bill during their short walk to the sporting where the iwo wo young men had arranged to spend the rest of the alie evening christopher endeavored to bring the conversation round to the subject c t of 1 myrelle Myr it Is time he insisted that we lid did a little more decint 0 o about myrelle Myr you yon dont take her seriously enough gerald I 1 i in what way k she told me this afternoon that fou wu lind to her to one of f air supper parties gerald was not altogether at his nse it it was rether n rush rash promise tie lie i but after all why not shed 1 beld create q aulio ilare a sensation that avint c fillds childs am media tire I 1 Is a n hargo harga upon our honor onor laid you tou and I 1 know kno w I 1 the lass fass of young women you invite to four part lim she breathe the same atmosphere 11 are yu you in love with myrelle Myr gerald asked curiously r christopher loathed the question hut but he remained outwardly unperturbed myrtele Myr B s a child be said raid it falli ili be tinie time enough to think of such when are hns has become a woman the one deadly and pernicious certainty taint it Is that she iti Is in love with you he be cil careful reful gerald you dont want to valk on the floor of hell bell they had reached the steps of the sporting club gerald ran lightly up wy my dear chris lie he said bald turning ns as he prepared to divest dive 84 him hi telf of tits his overcoat dont he 11 melodramatic dra ass were lit in tile the wrong nt biosphere 1110 sphere for that sort of thing jupiter 1 liere here is the I 1 well you might appe appear at a d little wore pleased to see us mary declared lets find it a corner in the bar and have pat some coffee christopher sug ted gerald Is too electric to for a man of my staid tenil tempera pra tont im ill tot not BO an sure gurp of af your staid tem a i was enry v rejoined ti 1 i urn ani not nt at ail all sure chilt YOU ymer avii yo n g men ii anre re beh behaving avIna nic 17 in lil alonte carlo gerald aee us w to hnyp ks f I 1 uri an frn cruzo craze for tat tak 1 codr 3 ng or the bayst n loua yulin young woman axt tint 1 l mo aho vho ho is ID Dt storing oring every afternoon she g r 1 I T have tho faintest iden 11 chrls chris diat ed neither has lie how is 18 part of f the attract ala W lady ilary y with tile the pearls pearlo tr to y OM cpr pr pek blocs rious eave the elJe ct of our mys 1 in ending orr have anve you ya succeed Z 10 lo TV vinent for your I 1 tip P ark a h I 1 ir she inquired look ilon B it m t t 0 leiff jhc ir 1 I jo 1 T min of biln in 1 kin I in tir fr tufit ahn I 1 pay crt q of thing to see if she can him find tier her a post us its nursery governess the rhe girl Is altogether unus unusual nal tier her father and mother were more both school teachers sometimes I 1 feel inclined to regret that lint we ever discovered tier but so long is as we dad tint and brought tier her here we must try find start tier her properly 1 anil in the meantime the lie poor little littie too fool Is hopelessly in love with der gerald geraid well you both know what you tire lire doing I 1 suppose I 1 should he be sorry to aae have your responsibility I 1 think I 1 ought to go and see liow how dad la Is getting on oil with ills his anille ault vult one moment christopher begged laying tits his hand upon lier her arm ann 1 I 1 want you to watch this 11 1 she looked up tip curiously gerald tin and just entered the crowded little room nd nad nt at the same moment mademoiselle mol selle de find tier lier mint aunt up ill feared on the other threshold madame was lit in black clothes of old fashioned but distinctive cap cil A wonderful black lace ince shawl drooped from froin tier her shoulders her ears a and nd fingers blazed with gems she leaned as she elie ivnIk ed upon tin nn ivory topped stick find and tier lier eyes had their usual trick of wandering around tile the room as though she saw no one paulin wonderful figure seemed sheathed hea thed in a black not net gown which fitted her with almost magical perfection gerald who tin had been on ills his way to join his sister and christopher paused fit at their approach as aa though bent on challenging some recognition however slight blight from the lie girl in tills this however he be was disappointed without any ap rance of avoiding him without even turning her eyes away from ills direction she passed by na as though in complete unconsciousness of tits his presence and followed lier hei companion through the other door gerald stood for n moment in silent fury after t aliey 11 ey had deft ft the cigarette garette which he had but X 4 4 4 he presented himself every morning I 1 at about the same time been holding between ills his fingers slipped onto the carpet crushed to I 1 clece 01 ile he set ills his lice heel upon it and crossed tile rohm jonm lady alary recognized the sense of disturbance in him welcomed him with tile tactful simile of div who has bas noticed nothing it n u s afa 1 i I 1 tell T ell ma whether to itcy cilny rente brente et bt or roulet roulette tp tonight gerald she said or 1 I go find ploy bac baccarat caraO 1 if only the lie people there so alit alarming il gerald looked aiosi nt fit christopher lie he as an though he hild had scarcely heaird tits ills si sisters words did you see that lie he asked in a n low tone toile christopher nodded tile the girl Is extraordinarily attractive mary observed shail I 1 really be brave and rail call Cip gerald rold one do that sort of thing thine but she must be longly if they arent ant what they should iw be it wont hurt huri rile no good old dear gro groaned nned ive sugg suggested esteil something of the sort already hut bill slit only thre thred cold water on ill idea lady mury laughed softly 1 after nil all she decided there IP IF something humorous in afie situation I 1 always loolu upon geraid as being abeln tile the most woman spoilt man I 1 know quite it new nev for you dt dear it I 1 cant think how you ever pro progressed so si fi far ir as you yon liev done dime 1 j I should cheer up tip old fellow 1 christopher they wont hold bold tint nut you will probably find tint that tomorrow afternoon tilt tina young lady will shyly invite you in to ill meet tier her aunt you dont know v hol ing arnld growled growl pd thorel did you see aee that MO through the open doorway fie de and her younger compoc ion were vere plainly visible thelt way toward one of th roulette tallies tables they had corae come face to face lor forem nm n little ohp i stopped and bowed wl wh th everi t of pol both of the wo r tits his salutation graciously gerald sprang to his hh feet rii ntH alenri Alonsi monsieur cur manes blanc s representative herel lif lib exclaimed lie ile knows them I 1 thank heavens ive come coine across some one cue nt at last who lio bloesl he crossed the lie room in halt half it a doyen strides anti anil ab accosted Mons monsieur leur du dip hols boh in ill the private way lending leading to the lie hotel de parts paris the usual civilities were exchanged monsieur dubois you ou can do tile me I 1 n favor gerald confided ns as tie he drew him ailin towards tov ards the lie bar find aud ordered two MO liqueur brandies if it Is possible it Is done dubols dubois declared declare if it lg is 1111 impossible possIble it shall lie he done 1 I want vant you to 0 o tell me gerald con thil chilled led who the he two indies in black were to thoin you just bowed I 1 rada tue and mademoiselle tie de they call themselves what on oil earth Is tile the mystery mastery about them the alio frenchman looked at him lu in alanl I 1 land surprise mystery int milord lord tie he repented repeated Is ig there one look here old fellow gerald sold said 1 I will ask you one question find and ono one question only what tire are their real names monsieur dubols dubois smiled ills dim dlou cuttles were at tin an end milord lie ho declared evou vou wrong those very respectable ladli hulk I 1 in linni tiling ining that they would present eherd i pelves here under names to which they the had bad no right iloth both indies who are nd ad you have doubtless surmised related are entitled to the name of de Pon lere the first t christian name of the older lady la Is anastaseo Anas of the younger pauline I 1 am happy to be able to satisfy milord A th thousand 0 usand excuses they calline call me from the baccarat room gerald returned dejectedly to the room where here tits ills sister and christopher were waiting expectantly tt it appears that there Is no mys mya tery at ill all lie he announced dubois assures ns nire me that they are related and that hint their names are luneed DO de Pon lere 11 chapter vill myrtile rose in id the morning as i wits her custom at a little after beven carefully mode made tier her bed dressed and walked for an hour the terrace these early diurnal vin ole lerl rings were tempered with a certain sadness sad nesa although she ehe was waa always finding something new new beauties or new sores so resIn aln this am amazing izing spot to which she had been transported to myrtile Mir whose life as yet was composed mainly of externals everything was beautiful the sun warmed tier her with tile the promise of love she wigs was never tired of watching the little waves breaking upon biow the sandy strip and the million scintillating elgh lightal upon the bay she looked up with a glud glad smile ae nt the silent hotel where aher a gerald aas vas sleeping perhaps lie he wits vaa dreaming of tier her fit at that very moi nent love had crept into tier her life and found tier very ignorant As yet it wil win s a beautiful and simple thing that it 11 was capable of change and divi division ii never va even occurred to in tier her she loved gerald and although he sometimes disappointed her it must be that geraid loved her she tind had few about it all ills attitude often puzzled sometimes even distressed her but shit P put ut his vit vagaries garles down to b her er own licit litch of site she was convinced aliat ull 11 would he well when she SIUT more of him find and slie she harbored u dull sense or of resentment against chris copher who she believed was always working tot for some unknown reason to io keep thein spurt at luila otist enst eight she returned to tier her rooms and deliberately attacked a great anas mass s of coving which was amt to tier her dully dally from tile the hotel find th alin for ahl cli by bf arrangement provided tier with board and profit l roni that time ime onwards she ehe sat in die alie window with hut but one hape the hopp liepp of of seeing lerald ler uld once or twice lit ho had conie adine and taken aher out to luncheon but was i ani ni in ills his visits ile he premed pr fremed emed hiti him self pelf every in morning OrnIng ailt t about lie flie same time igind even it if gerald app appealed enrel lie he always him despite bor ir re resentment against him I 1 if if was laiva lM iva s a pleasure to hear his alrin trend find fo stitch ills his broad shouldered UK ag iii lire P and gomi intelligent fetn as lie crossed the rond she found anund fn an n evil counselor elor in Ai annette aminette inette tile the tit nt it the I 1 e hotel hoel wlm who occupied theother the other bedroom bedi alth in tile the little littie cownig cotti ige and ind gen erni ly looked in for n va tol minutes on hex hei wity to work annette Annc tie wo who wits wa thoroughly brench ilin completely tely puzzled hy by the situation slie site could account for it in tier her own d only from tile hie foice that the two youna jyoung men were emills and therefore fore presumably mod aind Is ii christopher ller going to mare make anya progress sj in his efforts to win in mati ile and how seriously Js Is gerald interested in pauline I 1 C TO ro BE CONTINUED I 1 I 1 I 1 1 I dipre la Is nothing more un on like it a battle than trie of 0 oua ou |