Show the M mystery y stera ar road PC 11 B d by E PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM ty by little drown brown A co CHAPTER X continued 12 12 quite so BO gerald agreed but I 1 can assure you on that I 1 am not an impertinent inquirer tills this Is my ay nome name he handed banded the man a chrol card and I 1 was an acquaintance of mademoiselle tie de ron Pon lere from whom you roust must have oh ob trained tills this necklace neck lace I 1 last saw madame and mademoiselle de bouters pouters under very circumstances and I 1 understand that hat they have now left monte carlo I 1 ant most anxious to obtain word BS as to their whereabouts 1 I regret deeply that I 1 am entirely powerless in the matter ni milord llord the man replied gerald held tip the pearls and let them slip through his fingers lie ile remembered something which pauline In uline had once said to him pearls are tile the mal maidens dens children they love nud and care for them as such 1 I have reason to surmise gerald went on that a misfortune has befallen these indies if they had confided in me it would have given me tile the greatest pleasure sure to have offered them assistance the jeweler smiled inscrutably 1 I fear that it would have been useless milord lorol lie said 1 I have lave had the privilege of knowing olag the elder of these ladies indies tor for some thirty years tind and I 1 supplied the first string of pearls which the younger lady ever wore at the time of her confirmation I 1 would willingly have undertaken tile payment of such debts as were owing in monte carlo without security but I 1 should ne neer ier er have hare had the courage to suggest it IL you will see an announcement in the evening paper milord that till all claims against the ladles ladies will be settled by me on oil demand it if I 1 buy the necklace gerald proposed bluntly will you tell me how and where to find mademoiselle de vo po were the jewelers bow was almost arf frigid IL sly bly word Is passed to these t to 0 ladies milord I 1 have no information to give you you cannot even tell me what relation they were to monsieur zubin there Is no question of relationship milord monsieur was I 1 understand the steward entrusted with tile the realization of certain properties belonging to mademoiselle I 1 do not know whether I 1 have a right even to say so much lie he continued after a moments hesitation but it suzg suggests ests itself that it was owing tv to monsieur gubins embezzlements embezzle ments lie he Is reported to liae haie lost several millions at the tables bere that the ladies whom we have been discussing found themselves temporarily embarrassed gerald laid down the pearls it if you care to keep these tor for in w for a week eek lie proposed until I 1 get gel the money from london I 1 will ill have them the man bowed milord can take them with him tie lie said or permit me to send them to the hotel payment can be as desired sired 1 I have committed an extravagance ganci gerac gerald d confessed as the two young men continued their stroll 1 have given keven beven thousand pounds tor for a pearl necklace great crest scottt scott 1 why because I 1 was right in my surmise it was vas paulines Iau lines necklace left there so that they could pay their bills bl Mada adames raes rings are there too prett rort of adventuresses adventures ses christopher I 1 but what are you going to do with the neek necklace laceT christopher always intensely practical demanded 1 I am going coln to keep it until I 1 meet mademoiselle de pollare again ger mid replied then I 1 shall beg to tie be allowed to present it to her christopher looked up toward the lillas TVs ils too misty for golf he said shall we go and see myrelle Myr 1 I suppose so geeald gel aid agreed without marked interest any news from our nursery governess friends they cant can t take her ber for a month tr IT lo fco christopher replied 1 I dont quite know what to do about it I 1 must leave or on thursday week gerald laughed and you barent trust her here with me old clial la Is that it something like it im afraid the other oilier admitted admIt tod frankly gerald sighed what a Lol Lot harlo barlo you oust must think irel inel lie he declared As a matter of fact chrls I 1 dont think that the does attract roe me ery much I 1 ulu am too loo young and unsophisticated my aal it Is hartl hardened ened sinners like you vho aho are bowled over by rusticity and to iorala rals I 1 prefer something a little more advanced in the worlds ways then tor for heavens cavens li sake leaie leae the others alone 1 christopher curtly we have a difficult task be fore us with myrdle Myr especially as for to once in her life mary seem to help us treat the child s ti sibly tor for heavens sake what do you mean by sensibly old chap well remember that she lias has to tc tie be a nursery goic governess aness and not a parisian deml demi its idiotic idiot to take her to thea the smart restaurants and dan dancing cing places its outside her hei life H it ivan her false ideas frankly you bore me about tile gerald declared you ought to have been born in the days 0 of dear I 1 old oliver cromwell my idea Is that girls were made to live like butterflies to be happy just in the few hours alien ft lion tile the sun shines you have not even the philosophy of the pagan christopher retorted you forget that the butterfly enjoys the supreme advantage of being unencumbered cumb ered with a soul the street door was suddenly opened in their faces they had arrived at Myrt lles s lodgings lodgen 9 to find her issuing into the street site she seemed to look through christopher at gerald who bo was as a pace or two behind lier smile was wonderful 1 I knew that something pleasant was going to happen this morning 1 1 she exclaimed 1 I felt it when I 1 got up von toil were quite right gerald assured her something very pleasant plessant sant Is going to happen I 1 am going to take you over to na nice ce in tile the car to lunch myrtile clapped her hands walt wait one moment she begged 1 I must go anti anil pet get some different gunes groes ill catch you up before you get to the corner of the street the two young men strolled slowly on there was a serious expression on face and you fire taking myrtile to nice mademoiselle de having left christopher continued thoughtfully f I 1 ly gerald frowned that was rather my idea he admitted llave have you ans anything thing against it christopher passed his hand through his friends arm they had reached the end of the street and turned slowly back again look liere here old fellow dont be he begged you know im right we ve can only look after this girl decently in one way and that Is by finding her some sort of a situa lon ion not too to tar far removed from the way she lins has been brought up in which 1 N 15 r 5 that was rather my idea he admitted m bitted have you anything against it if she can earn barz an honest living im on my wity to secure tills for her but if you go turning her lead head by taking inking her about to these smart restaurants and de developing eloping her taste for tile the galet gaieties les of life only unsettle her terribly and spoil her chances of contentment youve taken tier her out yourself once or twice gerald reminded him 1 I never take tier her to the very fashionable places christopher insisted earnestly and I 1 ry all the time lime to impress upon her the necessity of work vork and the fact that life out here Is merely a holiday existence take iter her to nice by all means if you ou want to gerald but dont turn her bend bead myrtile came down the street them geralds gei aids face cleared as he watched her it was lit fit with a wave ave of she Is like a piece of floating lon ting sunshine he declared enthusiastically chrls ini im not at till all sure that slie she ought to be a nursery govern governess esq sties going to lie be beautiful enough to turn the heads of half the men in surope it will III be very largely our responsibility christopher suld said loer lowering n ills his voice a little as myrelle drew near v bether that beauty Is going to lie he a curse or a happiness to her dont you forget i that gerald chapter XI gerald was vas absolutely amazed ns as lie he led Mr back to their seat in the palm court of the he hotel they hal had lunched wandered about the ton ind and afterward made their way mackto hack to the hotel lounge where a tea U i d infant was in progress gress wily why where on earth did jou learn earn to dance like that myrelle Myr h he e demanded she laughed softly learn lcara she exclaimed why there has ne never neer er been tiny any one to tench teach me I 1 have never had a lesson in my life I 1 just listened to the music und and wat watched clied the people and then I 1 saw that it was quite easy oll oh how flow I 1 love loe if what a pity I 1 cant have you to my supper party tonight I 1 gerald sighed glied si she leaned toward him film she was still a little out of breath her cheeks were pink her eyes aglow Ilay nt I 1 come please gerald she begged 1 I should be so happy gerald looked doubtful k there would be the devil to pay with christopher lie pointed out and besides it really the place for you what do you mean she persisted well its a bohemian bohe sort of affair gerald explained a little awkwardly the girls arent all of them just what hat they should be myrelle laughed again but what does that matter she protested they will not hurt burt tile me or I 1 them when I 1 am not dancing ith you I 1 can sit alone and talk to no one gerald shook his head cant be done little girl he decided regretfully christopher is quite right when lie he says I 1 ought not to encourage the taste for that sort of life alfo in you at all these girls all drink a lot of champagne and smoke furiously lead rotten lives most of ethem hem anol and their conversation sometimes well it be fit tor for you to listen to some evening or other ill have quite a small party just one or two who I 1 know are all right that what I 1 want myrtile declared 1 I want to go to the party tonight you will dance with other girls if I 1 am not there I 1 dont want vou to not today at any rate you have danced with me and it was wonderful 1 I be begin in to think that I 1 dont want to dance with any on one else myself gerald confes confessed sN looking at her admiringly ill think it over on the way back they made their way out to the open space in front of the pie hotel where gerald geraid had left the car and very soon they were on their way homeward DrI driving AIng for the first half hour absorbed geralds whole attention and leaned back in the low sent seat by his sidy side filled with the joy of their rapid ascent the smooth birdlike motion which seemed to be taking them with scarcely an effort up into the clouds 1 I think byrdle whispered that hat this is the real road which leads to bap happiness tile the road down there Is tangled and twisted here one seems to breathe more wonderfully to come nearer to things one feels but does not understand it Is more like the nir air I 1 around the farm when I 1 used to get up sometimes before the sunrise and walk through the violet iolet patch and the 0 cy presses cypresses to tn the gate the sun rose at the end of the road you tire arp a quaint child myrtile Myr gera gerald I 1 reflected 1 I wonder aliat would have hae happened to you it if we had not passed along that night she shivered 1 I know ow she answered 1 I am quite sure that I 1 know I 1 felt it in my heart when I 1 leaned over the gate and look looked ed to the end of the road there was tile the mystery there towards which I 1 seemed always to have groped that night it was tile mystery of life or the mystery of death you come came and it was life they were traveling more slowly now crawling along the level stretch of ledge ilke lahe road at its extreme summit gerald had never before felt the fascination of the girl by kils his side alde ns As lie felt it in those moments lie he stretched out ills his left hond and site she gripped it in hers tearing off her gloves giones so that her fingers could clasp his and since it Is life he be asked la Is the mystery passing her eyes were swimming till lih tile the desire of happiness there ts Is no mystery any longer she told him 1 I londa kno w what lies iles at the end of the hie road where the sun used to rne rise I 1 know now gerald impressionable as ever felt fell the spurious glow of exaltation spurl ous because its influence was as wholly external ills his face became graver his bis tone was almost stern what alia we hope ou on will find there lie he said Is happiness christopher has explained to vou about tills this post in Ln england giand yes she answered you will like ilke it no or hut you must be happy we anant you to be happy gerald de flared TO BE CONTINUED |