Show The Mystery Road I 1 t CHAPTER XI Continued XI-Continued Continued 13 If If you rou want me roe to be happy she whispered I 7 1 shall always b be happy because ec It It Is you you you-you- you Gerald a moment ago ogo had bad been full fuU of Dr good rood intentions of good advice adUce leaned toward him Her ner slim body bod sweet bu Dui but throbbing with eager eager- iless prayed for his hla embrace Her lIer left arm stole Itol out toward his shoulder as ast t though Plough ough to turn his head Gerald J I she be whispered whimpered i I he be begged you must Oat not Then all Geralds Gerald's good resolutions crumbled for the moment Her lIer lI lips s sere were ere pressed to his warm and sweet passionate with the fervor fenor which h comes Prow from the soul alone atone which takes no ria count of lesser things than the heaven hea There here to the Innocent low love only dwells ells She rested In his arms arm tumultuously happy Somewhere In the field below was u a bonfire of or fallen pine lne boughs and for years jears ears afterward the smell imell of burning wood fragrant and aromatic brought back to Gerald the till memory of those few seconds There Thereas stag nas a flash of lights below from an approaching approaching ap ap- automobile Gerald drew drewa sway a a ay pale and a little remorseful fa face e was like the face race of a achild achild child who has seen sen I Heaven enven I We Ve mu must t get on he lee suld said hoarsely She lay back In her place without moving mo until they began the h last st descent de- de scent Into the town May I come to your party tonight Gerald now Gerald now she Bhe whispered No Not I She laughed quietly to herself herselt There Thereas wIls ns as no longer any shadow of disappointment In her face nut But you jou ou urn are ery very foolish she re re- How can you think that It would not be well 11 for me to be where you jou Ou are are besides I want you to evince lInce with me There Thre are very ery bountiful fill ful young oun Indies Indle who come corne to your par par- yes Christopher ies Christopher showed me me some some of ot ott t them em at the opera There Is not on one of them so beautify fy ft as jou Tout he declared She he smiled stalled happily Will you jou au think so tonight she asked I 1 shall think so ISO all the time time and and I Ishall shall hull miss you jou OU horribly he assured tier Oar r. r no Perhaps you jou OU will perhaps you will not lIt she replied enigmatically You oust must put me down here This Tills Is my corner corner She b Jumped lI lightly down with only I a touch of his fingers for farewell Ger- Ger lId aid lilt although hough he had set a stern face u the rush of Ideas and anticipations tlona l which were crowding crowding Into his brain bruin felt a little pang of disappointment disappoint disappointment ment as she left lett him without further protest He lie w wOuld uld never have hae allowed her to come he told himself 83 as 3 h he drove off oft slowly Yet tit lit that moment lI he had a u vision He lie escaped a taxicab b by a u f few fw w Inches le waited until Gerald was out of sight Then she lle crossed the square walked a n few steps f along the Hue de deParis Paris paused before the curtained door of Df Madame Lenores Lenore's little establishment establishment establish establish- ment and push pushed d It open Madame Lenore herself elt came forward There was IIII M something sinister though not un- un frh In the smile with which she greeted hI he he visitor What can I do for mademoiselle the she Inquired Can I have the clothes clothes' for the evening eve et ning which you jou au showed me when I first collie here asked a little tattle unx- unx lIsty u- u Le IF mademoiselle the thet t J answered graciously Mademoiselle desires them for this l' l evening I I want to wear them tonight was the till happy reply There are some other things mademoiselle made made- moiselle will require madame suld said thoughtfully und and It will be lie necessary for mademoiselle I to have the coiffeur I Mademoiselle will v place herself In my I bands s for tor the evening I will promise I Slut thul there Is III not a girl In Monte e Carlo who will w be half bulf so beautiful L I went want lilt to to look as nice as It IN is possible posit posit- I tile Lie fur for me to look confided t I 1 will do just as ns you jou OU suy Is 1 It It a party which mademoiselle i desires to attend roo rooI I A supper slipper P party replied It lt ItU U Is ut lit past half eleven eleen At the Hotel de t Yes Yea Yul 1 I Madame glanced I at the clock If tr mademoiselle will return at el eight ht o'clock she t said ald I will 11 ha have e a 0 coiffeur coif olt fear here and und ghe give him thin Instructions myself Afterward we wp will dress here 1 I live ll I here liege my Ere my nY assistant und and I on I-on on the Ibe floor above It will not Incommode U us I 1 shall be quite pu punctual promised Y You ou are very ery kind madame ma ma- I dame The unwilling admiration shone once more In bendy beady eyes ejes es as Myr MyrI Ir I f till tile turned and walked lightly awu away t It Is a pit pity she sighed that the girl IB is such a fool h I I f Chap Chapter r XII r Once more nore Christopher and Lady Mary Alary braved the nl night ht air on n n the ter ter- E race nice of or the Villa ilia Acacia r The latter T P l' pointed across the gor gorge e to the villa on the other side S a tI unlit and any sign of ot habitation I wonder r what Gerald does without his little playfellow in the afternoons t 1 She served frowned i I 1 know what n M be did lId this afternoon H lie Be took over ever ever to Nice I I 1 By Oppenheim Copyright by Little UUIe Brawn A Co c. I Lady Mar Mary repeated repealed coldly cold cold- ly Your little Yes Tea Christopher assented You young me men will end by getting Into trouble with the th police or your jour own consciences I am not Dot In the least afraid of contingency Christopher assured herThen herThen her Then w why by hy do you look so 10 disturbed eel every time the girls girl's Is men meD tinned Lady Mary asked him point blank blonk If It I do Christopher said Mid as u 1 J tried tiled to explain to you before It Is not noton noton on my Iny own account Lady Mary laughed You cant can't Imagine that Girald I Is II likely to find her dangerous 1 she Ih scoffed Why he wee was head over ears lars earsIn earsin In ID love lore with that strange girl over althe atthe at al atthe the Violette yesterday and besides Herald Gerald Isn't vicious you vicious you know that Gerald Is very weak fak sometimes Christopher said Bald bluntly lie Ill has been terribly spoilt of course and ond In this particular instance the trouble Is that thai the child fancies herself In love with him In love Io with Gerald l I How ridiculous I lous I You dont don't quite appreciate ate her If you dont don't mind my saying flayIng so so Christopher Christopher Chris Chris- declared a little timidly She Is extraordinarily Innocent All her life she has haB been starved for kindness and beauty bouty I dont don't think there was ever a human being In the world who needed help belp and ond counsel counRel more than she does today Shall I 1 remove her from temptation temptation tion 2 Mary Inquired after a moments moment's I reflection Mj My My maid has Just broken It to me that she Is la going to stay here and get jet married Shall I take your back to England In her place If only oily you would l Christopher exclaimed eagerly You needn't keep her My cousin Is le going to find a place for tor her as nursery governess but she Isn't quite ready eudy yet Lady Mary considered the matter leaning o over o er the balcony her head a little thrown hack buck ni ns though to en- en I t 1 t ta a t S w 4 la Re r All the Time He Was Conscious of a Little Quiver of Excitement for Which He Could Not Account joy the perfume of ot the pines Her thoughts wandered for tor a n moment from the subject of l 1 wonder whether I am glad to go home hone she ruminated We e shall miss you jou ou Christopher declared She turned her head and looked at al him Will your jou OU Immensely he ht assured l her hr I Ishall Ishall 1 shall miss our tennis more than thun any tIling thing To tell you the truth he went on except for the tennis Dennis and the rather amazing golf I don't dont think Monte Carlo Corio appeals to me merry meIrl very rry much You are art no gambler I she hI ob d t tI I haven't tnt the faintest Inclination towards It It he confessed I hate hite the things In life which I cannot ron cn trot that a little rush rash she hl yen ven lured You yu might have to hate hale your jour own men He lit w n os silent for fora a moment moment She watched him curiously I 1 dont don't think I am the Fort sort of person he hI said who would be ht likely likely like like- ly Iy to be It led very ery far by hy his hll affections alone What about the child Mary Marr I will take her If it you wish it It she IllI ne decided Slue She hp mui must mut t be hI at the station at eight o'clock You know that we have lin to make an nn early start There will w be he nothing for tor her t to do Janet packed and will arrange arronge all ull my mythin thin things for the Journey Christopher drew a long breath ol of at relief Yon Vou ull are a dear l h he exclaimed enthusiastically You Yell cant can't what a weight this U la off olT my mind I 1 tun nun doing It for tor your four sake Lady Mary told him I do to not like the child I disapprove most mOlt strongly 01 of the whole hole situation II Hc eter tr I wll vill do what I have ha We Wl are nr going straight to She hl cnn can ennI remain JI there until your cousin I Is I I I re read for h her r. r l Gerald came strolling out to them I pau panting pan nc on the way to light a cl rette e. e What are Ire you yon two conspiring about he Inquired I I have hate been saying good good-by to your sister Christopher replied Gerald passed his hla arm um around her ber affectionately We shall miss mIll you dear he be saidI said Mid J I 1 think I J am rE really lly rather sorry to too too 00 o Mary confessed Father Is get Jet ring Ing quite restless though He lie never ares tares to stay stay In one place too long Gerald glanced at his watch I 1 must mOst be off h he announced Ivet TV Ive i I t few of ot my frivolous friends comin coming In n to supper after the opera Arou Ar Are you rou ou coming Christopher I dont don't think so so 80 If It you dont don't mind GErald was 88 the apologetic reply ply For some unaccountable reason Gerald Gee Ger aid ald felt relieved td He Ill took his hll leave of hi his father and sister lIster started up his car and drove through the the- scented darkness back to the hotel All the time lime be he was conscious of n a little I quiver of excitement for which he tie could not account The Villa V 10 I ette lette letle at which he bE gazed as he turned out of the avenue was waB dark and empty He lie thought of Pauline and sighed The ghost In the by sy his hIli side faded away He Ue was for fora a single moment a man flan angry with himself bitterly regretful I was a cad ad to kiss her like that he lie muttered All the same a child chilli has hus no right to such lips i Herald was met In the hall hail of the th hotel by Charles the maitre t to whom hem he had left the arrangement for his supper party If It milord will be so kind as RS to ascend with me roe the latter suggested I can cnn show him the preparations preparation 1 I ha have ve made mad Gerald nodded d and ascended to th the first floor This Is the most convenient suite for tor milord Charles explained because because be bt cause the time door at nt the left hand there communicates with s own suite of It apartments where his hll friends It If they like can leave their hats end and coats oats I shall shop serve the supper my self Everything will be a as com Nm- The supper table can an be moved Into a corner of the room at any time desired desIred desired-as ns soon In tact fact a as milord cares to start shirt dancing Gerald nodded and dismissed the theman theman man He lie stood tood for a moment In the tho center of at the waxed axed floor his hands hand behind him and a freshly lit cigarette Ue between his lips The sight of ot these preparations for the nights night's festivities had left him curiously unmoved lie He could picture the whole affair a affair a little lit Ill tIe tle cosmopolitan crowd of giggling lIng shrieking girls girl II half halt French half halt Russian Rus Rus- Russian sian with a n dash here and th there re atthe atthe at of the E Egyptian a and d the Italian Nadine with her r pale cheeks her eyes ts hallgreen half hall green greeD half yellow ellow like the eyes eyell of ot a cat rat her alluring smile Then t there He were Chlotilde and Phrynette Parisians Part Pari to the rosy tips tip of their fingers blatant In th their th Ir desires frank and un unashamEd unashamed unashamed ashamed of the silken net they trolled It was after all nil a adail game to play The finesse of or refusal had never seemed so flat fiat the Ignominy of ot consent consent con con- sent pent so fO repulsive He Ill thought of ot Paul Ine pee cold old as the snows proud and und Indifferent In different yet jet et with the charm chann of hidden hidden hid hid- den things In her clear eyes yes and delicate aloofness Her Indifference had hurt hurt bow how much he realized when he thought of the coming evening And then like a flash his mood chan changed d. d I There was n as the other type as all beautiful In Its way as serene selene as us wonderful In Its strange virginal passion the time lips that had clung dung to his with the frank I offer of ot supreme unselfish 10 love He Ill turned away and crossing the room opened the door leading Into his own suite A wondrous wondrous wondrous-an n amazing vision Islon confronted him For a moment moment mo moment mo- mo ment he was aghast transformed transformed trans trans- formed as all though by the wand of at an n I artist her gown simple and und unadorned retentive of all ull the tilt grace of her girlhood girlhood girl girl- hood yet jet et exquisitely suggestive of ot the I woman to come come comeI come I her hair haIr drooped low on either side of her oval 0 face a robed III lily Illy and untarnished un an- tarnished by the cl fingers which had hod produced a veritable triumph Her lIer bosom bORom was wan rising and und falling fulling quickly her tier lips were parted Then she begun to 10 laugh softly Everything was right with the world O Geralds Gerald's era Ids Id's look took of fixed admiration told her all that she need needed ell to know Will I 1 d do asked demurely You are wonderful l Gerald ex eJ- exclaimed claimed But what Rut what does It mean I 1 ll have e come Ome to your party Myrtile announced and und even Monsieur Christopher Chris Chris- tophel shall not send me rue away I 1 went to Madame Lenore She dressed me and she had my hair arranged It was Willi so en droll When I looked In the glass I 1 scarcely knew m myself lelL You are pleased I am more titan thun pleased Gerald on- on taking her hand Hut But about this P party I am not sure sure sure- Yon You dont don't ant want me met she whispered TO BE nE CONTINUED CONTI |