Show LR s sM M Y 1 7 r rC 1 C F t tG G MYSTERY ROAUl ROAD I l 3 OPPENHEIM fy 1 and CO I.- I. r rl LETS BE FRIENDS BEFRIENDS I l la S sr SYNOPSIS Fleeing from a aj brutal stepfather an unhappy j home and a proposed husband she detests Myrtile l I young I French girl stands In a country road on n the verge erge of or desperation I Halted b by an exploded tire two Ir young Englishmen Lord Gerald I and Christopher Dent Bent Dombey Dombe are arc attracted b by the girls girl's dish distracted dis dis- h appearance She begs them to take her awa away from her 1 misery In a spirit of ot adventure they do so convoying her to toMonte toMonte Monte Carlo and leaving lea her with l friends Myrtile speaks English I her mother having having- been an educated educated educated edu edu- woman Gerald sees a aj j the n. n beautiful young oung woman iU In in III LU ine gambling rooms and Is fascinated fascinated fascinated fasci fasci- but can only learn that she Is called Pauline de and Is with her aunt He lie Is unable unable unable un un- un- un able to secure an Introduction Christopher and Gerald Gerale decide Myrtile shall not go back to her home Lad Lady Mar Mary glary Geralds Gerald's sister sis sis- sister sister sis sis- ter secretly In love lo with Christopher Christopher Christopher Chris Chris- disapproves disapprove of ot the young mens men's guardianship of Myrtile Lord Dombey makes the acquaintance ac- ac a ac acquaintance of pf Pauline He Is puzzled by the air of mystery and condescension surrounding her Myrtile falls taIls In love 6 with Gerald Gerald- Chris would marry Myrtile Gerald Gerald Gerald Ger Ger- ald Is Interested In Pauline A A. mysterious Russian Zubin wins a large larte sum at the gambling tables Gerald learns he knows the De but can get no information from him Chris makes little progress In his courtship of Myrtile who Is la completely completely completely com com- Infatuated with Gerald whose Interest Is all In Pauline CHAPTER VIII VIII Continued Continued 9 9 But how mademoiselle Is Industrious Industrious Indus Indus- she exclaimed looking In at atthe atthe atthe the door soon after M Myrtile had returned returned re rev turned from her early morning walk and settled down to her ber sewing I hope my stingy old aunt pu pays s 's you ou well fn for nil that Cl u e s She gives me my board and lodging h here bere re M Myrtile replied with a 11 smile That more than contents me Board and lodging Oh Ob la In la in n Annette declared sinking Into her accustomed accustomed ac fiC- ac- ac chair That would not content content con con- r tent me It Is 15 the tips from which one oner onel f l i can buy ones one's clothes It amazes me 5 that mademoiselle does not ask Milord Dombe Dombey for some evening frocks and I attend one of ot his supper parties t Chares s the head waiter brings me news often of them The They are fire of the thel l most amusing There are artists there and all nil manner of wonderful I people leas Has mn mademoiselle no curiosity 1 to see life Myrtile M threaded a needle carefully I before she replied Milord Dombey Dombe she said would 1 I believe take me but Monsieur Chris Chris- Christopher Chrls- Chrls does oes not think It well that I go goto goto goto to those parties lie He declares decare that I f F they are for people whom I should not notI meet met Annette clasped her hands behind the hack back of her head She as vastly i amused Oh la la In lal I I she exclaimed That ThatIs Is so like e Monsieur Bent Bento What does he make of life that young oung man Does Docs he think It we well for a girl as beautiful I as ns mademoiselle elle to sit here alone at night and creep Into bed while monsieur morn mono who udor adores s her spends his time I with other women Pooh I Mademoiselle Mademoiselle selle se should hn have e courage Myrtile I hi laid ill down her work Her lIer heart was beating fast Tell me Annette she he begged ed who are these thes guests of at Milord Dombey Dom Dom- h bey y Wh i hy do they l keep me awn away from th theme It Is not Milord fault Annette declared lIe He Is a n beau garcon garlon gar- gar con lon that It Is the stupid Monsieur Bent who shou should have ha sta stayed ed at home borne In his leis dull London Thc They are arc nil all well enough these guests of Milord Dombey's Dombe Dom- Dom be beys bey's s Some sing sine at the opera others other perhaps have hn seen life In Paris but hut for that what are they the worse worse- what harm can cnn the they do Oh If I were mademoiselle I should submit no longer 1 l What should you do Annette Myrtile asked half hair I should put glut on all ull m my prettiest clothes cothes Annette replied entering Into the matter with animation an and I should come to the hotel I should find my way to Milord that that would be for fur me to arrange arrange and h and I should Just lust te tell him that I had come that I was tired of being left at nt home Then I would whisper one ODe or two Iwo of the nicest little things I could think of Into his ear and I would put my mj arms arras around his neck and well and well I know Milord he Dombey-he Dombey be would not send rend me away not away not If It I J were made moiselle The work had fallen from I 1 Myrtile's hands bands She was sitting up In her chair her e eyes er very bright her lips a n little parted How fortunate It was that Annette had come Without a 11 doubt she he he would do this Only one must beware beware be be- ware of Monsieur Christopher He ne was full tun of droll Ideas He He must be te mule made muleto to 0 anderl understand tand Presently Annette de de- de- de parted and when a little later inter on Christopher arrived to pay his morning mornIng mornIng morn- morn Ing call Myrtile I was seated as usual at her work her manner unaltered except except except ex ex- that she was a little ha gayer er than usual perhaps a little more kindly Myrtile he announced I III have heard icard from m my cousin In England She SheI thinks that she will be able to find you youa ou oua I a place In about a u months month's time That Is very ver kind of ot her Myrtile answered without enthusiasm What does docs Gerald say about It I III have hn not mentioned It to Gerald yet vet Christopher replied lIe He was dining out last night and had a n supper party afterward at the Carlton and as asa asa asi a i matter of ot fact he lie was fast asleep when I came caine out I have no doubt howe however hower r that he will be glad The girl made a little grimace lIe He ma may not be so glad to get rid of me as you she remarked We shall neither of us be here In a 11 months month's time Christopher reminded her Certainly I sha shall not and Gerald I believe Is due to go to Biarritz before before before be be- fore then Myrtile I sewed Industriously for a n moment Perhaps she su suggested he may want me to go to Biarritz with him You must not talk like that Myrtile M Myr Mr Myrtile r tile Christopher said sternly You must not say such things If Gerald goes It will be with some other young oung men to play pla polo There would be no possible place for you In such a com com- any pany She he smiled without looking up Some Someday Someday day he would know the truth this I kindly but rather foolish Englishman lie He would know that she and amI Gerald Gerad loved oved one another He lIe should always be their friend lIend though He was very ery good In his wa way only he would not understand What about a short walk before lunch he su suggested geste Myrtile dropped her work at nt once U o th the t terrace she Jh I I w H u e b vue It u proposed and while I sit upon a seat you ou sha shall go In and wake up that lazy Gerald You shall shaH tell tel him that I am waiting and rind I am sure that he will hurry mrry out Christopher assented a little sadly Gace Cace or twice before they had carried curried out the same program and he was wondering whether It t would not have been better to have e told Myrtile 1 the truth truth that that on two occasions Gerald Gerad had absolutely refused to Join them and that on the third he had hind been brought out almost by force There was a n little pang In his heart as he watched M Myrtile's gay preparations Life was so wonderful to her that It seemed a shame to destroy a single Il il- il lusion Well tr try and rout him ou out at all events he promised Chapter IX Gerald found Pauline waiting for him at nt the accustomed spot t after luncheon that afternoon She was In Inthe Inthe inthe the shadow of a n great magnolia shrub dressed In n Inconspicuous Inconspicuous- gray with a veil thicker than the exigencies of oC motoring mo mo- necessitated Pauline stepped lightly Into the place by bj his side without waiting for him liim to vac vacate his hla seat sent Turn round please she directed We Ve will go the other way I do not choose to pass through the town Gerald Gerad o obeyed e ell although her request only added fuel to the smoldering fire lire of his resentment He Lie turned away towards the mountain road and maintained main tamed a u silence which was not without without with with- out Its significance Ills His companion after a u few minutes glanced g toward him Indifferently lIe He was leaning hack back In his place his eyes e as usual u ual fixed upon the road his left hand band firmly firm Iy ly grasping the tile st steering wheel The Tile humorous twitch however had gone from his mouth There was a distinct frown rown upon his Ills forehead You are perhaps wear weary toda today she suggested You should like to shorten our drive Gerald turned and looked at nt herI herI herI her I am um not weary he replied I am urn puzzled d. d I T hate lutte mysteries The rime old complaint she yawned With a n new reading he lac retorted I hn have e shown myself ready as you ou mu must t t know he lie went nl on to study your our rather peculiar whims In ever every way but when It comes come to meeting you lU face to face fuce at the club dub and receiving recel In ing nothing but the stoniest of stares I must trust admit that the situation grows beyond be me I um am not well not well I am nm not nota noto a o disreputable acquaintance am 1 i 11 She fhe laughed quietly Not In the least You belong to what they the rail call In England Englund the tIle middle middle- class cluss aristocracy do you yon not two not two or three centuries old with a damp house houseIn In a n park and an armful of ot undistinguished undistinguished gulf hed titles Are you afraid to present me to Madame de he asked ed after a moments moment's pause muse Terrified she admitted frankly frandy Because m ray my are ore I I might remark that my fa tn father ther is the ninth earl and that hat I am his only son flon eon It is not that at nil all she assured him indifferently There is s really no reason wh why we should not meet in a place like this on equal terms but my aunt Is a woman with only one Idea in her head and for the successful development development development devel devel- of ot that Idea Iden it Is la advisable nd-Isable that we make no acquaintances whatever whatever what what- ever here There my Lord Dombey have I not been kind to you yon I would see more of ot you If I could because In Ina Ina a 11 place like this the escort of at a roan man Is Isan Isan an nn advantage As s It Is I can assure you that I risk a good deal In taking these afternoon rides If yo you knew v how my life was and how grateful I really am to you OU for these few hours of escape you would feel fee more kindly toward me See I give you my mj hand Let us be friends It was the first time during all their acquaintance that she had accorded him the slightest mark of favor The touch of her leer fingers thrilled and surprised surprised surprised sur sur- him He held her hand unresistingly un unresistingly Ingy for several moments Then she drew It quietly but firmly away Well YeJI that Is settled she said Now talk to me about other things Is there no news at the rooms Has lIas no one been breaking the bank 1 There was something I was going to tell you Gerald Gerad replied with a sudden flash of recollection I sat next neat to a man at dinner last night In CIros CIro's grill who the they sa say broke the bank bunt several times during the after after- afternoon noon i believe the they said sah that he was' was n. n T u u u. u 11 u R nU Mss 1 tan I i 1 suppose you snow all an Ull about him however I she exclaimed Why Vh should I Because between the courses c of his dinner he wrote a n letter Jetter and sent It off by bs messenger He was m qt the next table tuble and anet it was Impossible tv t r me to avoid seeing the envelope It was addressed addressed addressed ad ad- dressed to Madame de She looked at nt him amazed To m my aunt she repeated repented But we wo received no letter from any on one last night What lint was this man like They said sail that he was n a Russian and that his name was Zubin Gerald replied The They also said that he had won two million francs In the after after- noon with little Zubin I I she exclaimed a n start Describe him at once If it you ou please That Is s easy Gerald acquiesced He lie must have hove been at least six foot three or four and he lie had hind tremendous shoulders He was one of the most powerful looking men I have hn ever eyer seen In my life He lIe had n a sallow V complexion complex complex- ion a lined face black eyes and a amass amass amass mass of black and gray hair She put her hand upon his Stop the car please she begged Turn round as ns quickly as as you can I must go home Gerald ran on to an adjacent widening widening widening wid wid- ening of ot the road rond reversed the car and headed back for Monte Carlo I If I had liar known that my news was going to shorten our drive he grumbled grumbled grumbled grum grum- bled I shouldn't lm lime haa mentioned the fellow at all My Iy friend she sale said earnestly what you have told me mn may be of ot Immense benefit for me to know You recognize the man then 1 He Ile is probably my ray aunts aunt's steward she confided after a moments moment's tion There you ou see I am telling you ou secrets Do you know whether he played last night I was only at the club Gerald re- re re re- plied lIe He did not come there Is la lathere there an anything I can do Would you like me to go and look for him film Yes you ou might do that she said thoughtfully thou When you have dropped me drive down to the rooms If It you ou find him there touch him on the shoulder Say that lint Madame de awaits him You will not forjet for- for foret foret jet et this I Ill drive there at once Gerald promised He set Pauline down as usual at nt atthe atthe the gates gutes of her tier villa She scarce scarcely stayed to sa say goodby but her smile was more gracious and her manner a 8 little kinder It was obvious however however how how- ever that she was disturbed by his Information Gerald Incurious though he lie was waR at most times felt a growing Inter Interest t in his mission Arrived at the rooms he walked straight through to the Cercle Cercle visited each roulette and et quarante table tuble and amid strolled round the baccarat room Seated next to the croupier at lit the most remote table tahle with a little crowd of people behind his chair and with a n great pile of 01 notes before him sat sut Monsieur Zubin The Russian was betting In maximum maxi mum mums apparently on some g system tem and with ur varying Ing success To all ap tip appearances he had hind not n changed ed his clothes bathed or shaved since the evening e before There was an nn untidy growth of beard upon uon his chin a n bloodshot streak In n his e eyes es his collar col lar and tie were crumpled his hair over over er at the best beet of times was WOH unkempt and disordered Gerald Ian leaned l towards the flit attendant seated sated behind the croupiers croupier's chair under pretense of handing him a small stake Who Is this mysterious and beautiful Pauline who takes take on royal airs |