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Show (J 6y Jofaol Sdbatint BEGIN HERE TODAY i To escape hanging on the charge of sedition. AN'DRE-LOl'IS MOREAU fles from his native town of Gavrlllac and onceala his Identity by Joining a band of strolling players in which he makes a great success in the part of SCARAMOUCHE. His flight has caused him to delay revenge on the great and powerful MARQUIS DE LA TOUR D"A-VK, who tricked Andre-Louis' dearest friend PHILIPPE DE VILMORIN. into B duel and then killed him hecause he feared the Idealist's "dangerous "danger-ous gift of eloquence." Over the dead body of his friend, Andre-I.ouls swore to carry on the work of reforming the lot of the down-trodden peasants. Scaramouche, as he Is now- called falls in lovo with CLIMENE, daughter of MONS1EIR BINET, the owner of the troupe. They become engaged and Andre-Louis has forgotten ALINE IE KERCALIOL, the friend of his childhood, who horrified him by listening to the suit of the marquis mar-quis While walking with Climene, he unexpectedly meets Aline GO ON WITH THE STORY. CHAPTER Vtll 'The door," Aline commanded her footman, and "Mount here beside me." she commanded Andre-Louis, in tho same breath. "A moment, Aline." He turned to his companion, who was all imaBemetit. and to Harlequin and Columbine, Vb; had that moment mo-ment come up to she It. "You permit per-mit me, Cllmehe?" said he breathlessly breath-lessly But It was more a statement than a question. "Harlequin will take care of you. Au revolr, at dinner " With that be sprang Into the cabriolet cab-riolet without waiting for a reply. : and the regal equipage rolled away, leaving the thfee comedians staring after It, open-njouthed. Then Harlequin Harle-quin laughed. "A prince in disguise, our Scaramouche'" Scara-mouche'" said he The frown melted from Cllmene's brow. Resentment changed to bewilderment. bewil-derment. "But who is she ?" "His sister, of course." said Harlequin, Harle-quin, qulto definitely. In the carriage AUne was considering consid-ering Andre-Louis wltr grave eyes, lips slightly compressed, and a tiny frown between her finely drawn eyebrows. eye-brows. "You have taken to queer company. com-pany. Andre." was the first thin? she said to him. "Or else I am mistaken mis-taken in thinking that your companion compan-ion was Mile Blnet of the Theatre I B ,i:i'l." "You are not mistaken But I had not Imagined Mile. Blnet was so famous fa-mous already." "Oh, as to that . . ." mademoiselle shrugged. 'It Is nlmply that I was at tho play Inst night " 'You were at the Feydau last night? And I never saw you!" "Were you there, too?" "Was I there ' he cried. Then he checked, and abruptly hanged hi tone. "Oh. yes. I was there," ho 6ald. as commonplace as he couldv beset by a sudden reluctance to avow that ho had so willingly descended to depths that she must account unworthy. un-worthy. "I understand." said she. and compressed com-pressed her lips a little more tightly "But what do you understand?" 'The rare attractions of Mllo. Blnet. Bl-net. Naturally you would be at the theatre. Do you know that you disappoint dis-appoint me, Andre? I was foolish enough to Imagine you to be different; differ-ent; rather above such trivial pursuit pur-suit I conceived you something of an Idealist." 'Sheer flattery." "So I perceive. Rut you mllel me With your gift of acting T wonder won-der that you haven't Joined Mile. Binds Bi-nds troupe." I have." said he. He saw first incredulity, then con- spread her face. "Of course," said she. after a long pause, "that would have tho advantage advan-tage of bringing you closer to your oha rmer." "That was only one of the inducements induce-ments There was another. Finding myself forced to choose between th stage and the gallows. I had the Incredible In-credible weakness to prefer the former. for-mer. Shall I stop the carriage and remove the contamination of my disgusting dis-gusting person? Or shall I tell you ' how It happened?" "Tell me how It happened first. Then we will decide," He told her how he met the Blnet Troupe, and how tho men of the mrurechaueee forced upon him tho dls-I dls-I covery that in Its bosom he could lie ! safely lost until the hue and cry had ,i!, , d'v.n. The explanation dissolved her lciness. "My poor Andre, why didn't you tell me this at first?" " For one thing, you dldn t give mo time; for another. I feared to shock yoil with the spectacle of my degradation degra-dation What did you think of tho play last night'.'" ho continued. It was amusing and well conceived." con-ceived." "Let me present you to tho author." au-thor." You? But the company Is one of the lmprovlsers." 'Even lmprovlsers require an author au-thor to write their scenarios. Soon I shall be writing plays In the modern manner." "You deceive yourself, my poor Andre. The piece !ast night would have been nothing without the play-ers. play-ers. You are fortunate In your Scaramouche ." In confidence I present you to him." "You Scaramouche ? You?" Bhf ' turned to regard him fully. He smiled his cloae.-Hppod smile that made wrln- klos like gashes in his cheeks. H-s node il "Aru I dl'.ln't recogiTlze you"' "I thank you for the tribute. Y'ou ' Imagined, of course, that I was a j i scone-shlfter. And now the question ! I have been burning to ask. Why ' 'are you in N'antes. Alln?" "I am on a visit to my aunt, Mmf I (je Bautron, She la receiving sr-verat j guests today. M do La Tour d'Azyr j I Is to be one of them." Andre-Louis frowned and siglrvl. I "Did you ever hear, Aline, how poor Philippe de Y'llmorln came by his ' end ' " "Yes; I was told, first by my uncle, th'-n by M. do La Tour d'Azyr, him-I him-I self " j "Did not that help vou to decide j this marriaR question?" I "How could it? Y'ou don't expect m to Judge between men in matters suh as these'"' ' If you (annot Judge, It Is that you do not wish to Judgf," Hid lone became be-came harsh. "Wilfully you close your eyes to Justice that mljfht chck the courso of your unhealthy, unnatural ambition "I think I had better let you alight so that you may go back to practice virtue and honor with your theatre "If you must spenk of her at all." j he Interrupted, hotly, you'll speak of her as my wife " A-nazement smothered her anger, i Her pallor deepened "My God!" she! Bald) and lookod at him In horrr.t And In horror xh asked hlru presently: present-ly: You are married married to that ?" "Not yet. But I shall be, forni And let me tell you that Oils girl whom you visit with your ignorant contempt is a good and pure as you are. Aline. She has wit and talent which have i laced her where she Is; and w hich shall carry her u deal far-I ther. And sh: has tho w onianllne-s to be guided oy natural Instincts in thf selection of h-T mate," "You will descend this instant'" she told him fiercely. "That you should dare to make a comparison between me and that . . ." "And my wlfe-to ho." he interrupt-ed, interrupt-ed, before she con! I speak :he lnia-1 mous word. He opened ;hc duor for himself without waiting for th.". f ol-man. ol-man. and leapt down. "My compliments," compli-ments," suld he. furiously, "to the assassin you are to marry." He slammed slam-med the door. "DrlVe on," he bade the coachman. He got back to the inn to find tho company at table. Harlequin and Columbine Col-umbine had apread the tal? of this prino in disguise caught tip into tho chariot of a princess and carried off by her; and it was a tale that had' lost nothing In the frlllns: Climene had been silent and thoughtful. Clearly her Scaramouche must bo vastly other than he hacJ i hitherto appeared, or else that great lady and he would neor have used) such familiarity with each other. Im- alining him no better than he was, Climene had made him her mvn And now .she was to receive tho reward of dlslnterestsed affection. Even old Elnet's secret hostility toward to-ward Andre-Louis melted before this astounding revelation. He had pinched pinch-ed his daughter's ear quite playfully. "Ah, ah, trust yoji to have penetrated his disguise, my child!" Her father offended her. 8cr&-mouche 8cr&-mouche was clearly a great gentleman, gentle-man, an eccentric If you please, but a man born. And she was to be hifl lady. Her father must learn to treat her differently. She looked shyly with a new shyness shy-ness at her loer when he came Into tho room where they were dining, i She observed for the first time that proud carriage of the head, with the chin trust forward, that was a trick of his. and she noticed with what grace he moved the grace of one who In youth has had his dancing master and fencing masters. (Continued in Our Next Issue.) |
