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Show III IB MB v OK, M MH OHjOUE filRUL A ROMANCE OF THE RIVIERA. Bv st. aEonav RArummxE, Jiuthor of "Mli VauUnt, of Xtu Yuri ' -TA. Spld,r; !. -Ml., Cprl.",ti.;,te. Copjrlibt. II). Strt and Smith, New York. CIIAPTKR VI. (Contlnut.,1.) Perhaps the spirit of girlish eoquot-tlsh eoquot-tlsh lovo for admiration had allowed her to flirt a little with another per--slstent admirer, but heaven know she Jind never dreamed of loving any ono but Mark, to whom she owed her life and who had been her hero. looking Into his face, as the lire leaped up with the Impetus of new fuel, she could see that he showed some signs of his recent daring. "You escaped any severe injury irom the flro?" she said, her hands upon his arm, her starry eyes looking up Into his face. , "The flro the ono away back when the bush was blazing bo hotly and we. you and I, lied for our very lives? No, you don't mean that. Ah! perhapj you'vo heard nbput the hotel?" j J How carelessly ho spoke of It. Of course she felt piqued but then lie did not know the truth ho had not seen her face, and how was he to discover Whose plump arms had so tightly encircled his neck on that dreadful night of the conflagration? That explanation was duo him, and should be no longer delayed. It was pleasant to know that It -would como from her lips and not a stranger's. "Ycc, I know all about It how you helped many to escape and finally carried car-ried the last ono down In your arms," she said softly. "I wonder If she got through all right the man who brought me my -coat said so," thoughtfully. "You did not bother inquiring further," fur-ther," reproachfully. "There was no time. We were deep In plans for leaving Pails. Besides, to tell tho truth, I hated to have her thank me as If I had dono something .heroic. It was only a small matter." "Hut, Mark, once you did not object to hearing me tell how thankful I was for your devotion?" "Ah!" ho replied, quickly, "that -was a different matter from you such words would come like a benediction, but It is different from a stranger." She had been drawing something from the little reticule at her belt. "I havo been wanting to return this to you." "What is It?" "A handkerchief marked with your jf name." "Why, Constance, where did you get Jt?" "It either fell from your head where il you bound It to keep tho flamo and srnoko from your eyes, or elso dropped from the pocket of your coat. They thought, of course, It blonged to mo." "To you!" and he started, as If given .an electric shock to you! Good Heavens! Hea-vens! was It you?" She cast down her eyes and nodded. JCIIAI'TKR VII. That Venerable Game of Cross-Purposes. Tho surprising Intelligence that after all It had been no stranger, but Constance, whom his arms encircled when the Paris hotel threatened a second sec-ond Charlte Bazar fire thrilled Merrick as few things could have done. "I am deeply grateful that heaven gnvo mo such a privilege. But Constance, Con-stance, you believe mo when I declare on my word of honor that I never for a moment suspected this?" "At any rate, you have placed mo under still heavier obligations, Mark." "Obligations I do not fancy that word, coming from you. It sounds as though tho debt could be discharged by tho passing of money. But pleaso allow tho subject to drop for tho present, pres-ent, Constance." Ho had seen tho count looking to-if, to-if, , ward them 'with n positive, frown upon y IiIb face, nud like a dagger thrust it burst upon poor, Jealous Mark that Iiossibly something besides more accident ac-cident brought tho bold African explorer ex-plorer near her. "Wo aro In a pretty plight Just now," alio remarked, and ho noticed that sho shivered. "When will wo be able to leave here?" "When help arrives, which we havo sent for. Meanwhile let mo go to tho carriage and seo If things belonging to you ure In tho racks or under tho seats." "You are very kind, Mark," "Ah, what would I not do for you, Constance It Is nhvays a pleasuro for me to bo ablo to assist any lady in distress." Why should ho Bpoil It all by adding add-ing that last It took all the Individuality Individu-ality out of his remark. I "There aro a fow things I should liato to lose; but I dislike to put you to so much trouble." "Tioublo!" Ho looked at her as though he could oat her then and there then sighed heavily. "Unless those worthy royalists made way with them I shall doubtloss find them. Tell me what they are llko, please?" t. When she had described the little -4, handbag that held some of her Jewelry, Jew-elry, and n couple of other small packages, pack-ages, Merrick went nway. "I shall come hack presently," ho said. f lie went straight toward the wreck, and her eyes followed his figure. A flood of memories rushed through her mind, as sho sat there and watched watch-ed and waited for him. Some were pleasant, some bitter. Hut at least there seemed hope-should hope-should sho array hcrBclf In the lists against tho princess, and fight to so-curo so-curo Mark's lovo? Ah, ho was coming again; ho had found what he wont after, and was bringing his spoils to her. How eagerly sho watched each movement of his well-remembered figure fig-ure how boldly ho strode, as though he recognized no man on earth as better bet-ter than his peer. Please heaven, theso gathering clouds might yet bo scattered nnd tho sunlight of happiness shine over their future. Tho tlmo crept on. Surely they had a reason to believe deliverance must soon arrive from tho town whither Jones had dispatched messengers. Tho night wore on. Some of the women slept from exhaustion. ex-haustion. Uttle Miss Millions had been made so comfortable and seemed to take such confidence and trust In Merrick's guardianship that she, too, dozed. Then exhaustion otorcame her, and the god of sleep gently touched her eyelids with his silver wand. Fainter grew tho sound of voices near by they were like tinkling bolls heard afar off, and then utterly dying out. A noise of shouting aroused her. "Don't bo alarmed," said a volco close by, which Instantly quieted her fears, "but a train has arrived to take us all on our way. All was now confusion and bustle. Women secured their valuables and packages ready to enter the carriages that would take them on to their destination. des-tination. Presently they were settled as best tho conditions allowed. Men bustled about changing the luggage, lug-gage, and It really seemed a relief to hear the steam escaping from tho new motor after the dead silence that had so long hung like n pall over tho place. At last they were off. Constance lay back In her scat and waited. Although the town was only a few miles away nnd they reached It In short order, the time seemed exceedingly exceed-ingly long to Constance. At last tho houses appeared. They drew up at a station where many people had gathered to see the travelers who had passed through such a remarkable ndveuturo and yet lived. Constance was wild with a deslro to put hor head outside to see whether ho were In sight and cared to find one ho had left; but prldo restrained her from making this move. A dozen people went by, and each false alarm sent a wave of hot blood over her, only to be followed by a chill of keen disappointment. Then some ono halted and a head appeared, a head that she knew full well, since it had once lain in her Jap while the owner rested upon the ground, Insensible, "Ccsstance," said a voice, "are you here may I enter?" Tho rallwny carrlago was fairly well filled pretty much all of tho way to Nice, so that there was no opportunity given Mark Merrick to play the lover, even had he been Inclined. It was, taken In all, a most singular Journey, and one they would long remember. re-member. Although no words passed between them that would Indicate sentiment, there were numerous little acts that served to thrill them--when hand came In contact with hand a subtle telegraphic Hlgnal would send . tho blood Into her cheeks, and the. glow In his eyes spoko eloquently of the passion he kept so well under restraint. re-straint. Jones ran across onco or twice while upon the platform, and upon each occasion oc-casion received the cheery assurance that all was well. Nice at last. Those who had gone through such woeful experiences were not sorry to havo reached tho end of their Journey. Merrick was still courteous. Ho Insisted on seeing Constance and her maid to the hotel. After dinner ho Joined Jones, and the two took dinner together. Although so early in tho season, Nice was filling up with people from all over Europe, tho English predominating, predomi-nating, ns usual. Monto Carlo, It Is claimed, Is tho open volcano crater through which tho Bccthlng, boiling lava of human cupidity nnd nvarlco finds its outlet onco dam this up and tho molten mass will burst out savagely in half a dozen places. Wretched though tho results aro, It seems to bo a necessity In tho oyes of surrounding nations. At any rate not n step is taken toward to-ward crushing tho hydra-headed monster. mon-ster. Perhaps Jones was fated to bo the man who would deal tho dragon to his death blow Jones, who carried upon his person tho remarkable system whereby a persistent player must always al-ways win three times out of four, and that will break any bank. Down upon tho silvery strand, en-Joying en-Joying a cigar and admiring tho plc-turcsquo plc-turcsquo scene, our two friends strolled stroll-ed In tho evening. Jones talked of tho count and his ally. Would Vlllobols now give up his mad deslro to sccuro possession of tho packet which promised untold riches to Its ownor. Did his woll-known recoid as' a trnv-oler trnv-oler give nny reason to boll eve that ho ever gave up any object upon which his heart was really t? Jones reached this conclusion, but rnvo no indication, of alarm hn had taken h!s stand upon this affair anq was ready to hold up his end of tho game, &a matter what prevailed against him. Tho beauty of the night and their desire forcxorclso after being cooped up In tho'enrs so long n tlmo induced the two friends to saunter quite a distance. dis-tance. A band was playing back In tho region re-gion from whrnco they had come, and tho music reached their cars, mellowed mellow-ed by distance. Away from the crowd of fashionables, fashion-ables, who promenaded under the electric elec-tric lights, where the palm trees threw their mystic shade upon tho white strand nway from tho noise nnd confusion con-fusion attendant upon n watering place, they could smoke nnd chat In comfort, as men of their stamp delight to do. As to the possibility of danger lurking lurk-ing near, tho thought had not occurred to them bravo men am sometimes reckless; at least, they do not" nlways keep on tho lookout for hidden peril. Even Jones, cautious by nature, could not suspect that the count would have set wires In motion so soon nftcr his arrival. Perhaps, after all, he had not yet fully Blzcd up tho man from Africa, whose very first act upon reaching Nlco had been nn aggressive one. Some men would ratbei cater to tho Influences of revenue nnd cupia.ty than enjoy a dinner. Count I.eon was tho chief among them. More than onco Mcnlck, who was something of a sailor nud loved tho sea, turned squarely toward tho water wa-ter and endeavored to catch tho salty aroma that came Hteallng In off the Medltennean. Lights' of vessels riding at anchor could ho seen, but the darknesj concealed con-cealed their outlines. No doubt some of tliein wcie steam yachts belnnclni; to the nabobs wno congregated nlong this favored coast while tho Frost King held most of Europe Eu-rope In his nrctlc clutches. "Oh, my dear boy," said Jones, heartily, "just have patlenro for a fow days, and I think 1 can promise you a yacht In which we may steam all around the world. That would bo a small thing to a man who breaks the bank at Monte Carlo. Yes. you shall find yourself on board one of those fool's paradise boats out yonder before a week has passed." Theso good-hearted fellows did not dream that his prediction would mort than como true, simply because he could not possibly lift the veil and pry Into tho future. Yet there was nn experience hovering hover-ing over Merrick that would add still another chapter to his already checkered check-ered career. They had Just turned to head back to tho glow of electric lights, whert tho crowd was most in evidence, when a number of men camo Jostling nlong arm in arm, Blnglng as only jack tars can when on shore leave, and apparently appar-ently pretty much tho worse for liquor. It was surely the Intention of our two comrades to sheer off nnd rtve them all tho room they needed, h it a sudden staggering lurch sent the rollicking rol-licking lino direetly across their path. One of them Insolently struck Merrick, Mer-rick, nnd quick as n (lash received a blow straight from tho shoulder that laid him out upon tho sand. Of courso after that pcaeo was out of tho question, and both Jones and his friend found It necessary to defend themselves agulnst the fierce attack ol tho unknown seamen. Jones was startled to discover that, member of tho enemy's forces showed once, the fight was- on, not a slnglo tho least sign of drunkenness and ho was forced to suspect that possibly this condition had been assumed for somo purpose. No matter whether It was an accident acci-dent or part of a deep design, the sailors' sail-ors' ousct was so vigorous and fierce thcro was no time to make explanation explana-tion or offer apologies for being on the earth at the same tlmo as theso worthies. (To be continued.) |