| Show thu the mystery 1 I y S to ary road R E phillips phillip oppenheim Oppe deim copyright by little brows brown A co MONSIEUR ZUBIN SYNOPSIS fleeing from a brutal stepfather an unhappy home and a groped pro ped ed husband she detests myrtile Myrl lle young french girl stands in a country road on the verge of 0 desperation halted by an exploded tire two young englishman lord gerald domley domey and christopher dent bent are aide attracted by the girls distracted appearance she begs beg them to take her away from her misery in a spirit of adventure they do so conveying her to monte carlo and leaving her with friends myrtile speaks english her mother having been an educated woman gerald sees a beautiful young woman in the gambling rooms and la in fascinated but can only learn that she Is called pauline do de and Is with her aunt lie he la is unable to secure an introduction christopher and gerald decide myrelle shall not go back to her home lady mary geralds stater sister secretly in love with christopher disapproves of the young mens mena guardianship of myrelle Myr lord dombey makes the tha acquaintance of pauline lie he Is 1 puzzled by the air of mystery and condescension surrounding hr hor myrtile falls in love with geraldl gerald chris would marry myrtile Myr gerald la in interested in pauline CHAPTER VI continued 7 it would be wonderful she murmured but you must not prevent my going to the party myrtile Myr he pointed out the young women whom you would meet there are not fit for you to know but what harm can they do mer she persisted 1 I know that they are not nice but what does it matter gerald will take care of me christopher row to his feet there was a certain hopelessness about hla his task that he be was slowly beginning to realize come he said it Is time we went back she took his arm as they scrambled down into the road you are not cross with me christopher she ventured a little timidly you look so gloomy even a little miserable sue stio went on clinging cli nging to his bis arm and looking up into his face 1 I am a very great trouble to you I 1 fear are you not sorry that you ever brought me away 1 I am not sorry yet myrtile Myr he an answered nn 1 I only hope that I 1 never may be her mood suddenly changed she laughed gayly oh la in la she cried if so BO glum I 1 shall sing and dance to you here in the road as we do at festival time gerald says that I 1 must have dancing lessons he Is going to send me to a woman here she pirouetted lightly on one foot a miracle of buoyancy and grace then she went suddenly rigid took her place by his side and clutched at his arm an automobile whizzed past them on its way up the hill gerald was leaning back in the low driving seat seal the sun gleaming on his dark closely brushed hair his head bent toward his companion pauline sat a little aloof haughty unbending her beautiful face cold unrelieved by any light of sympathy or interest her eyes swept carelessly over christopher and his companion as they passed gerald did not even see them who Is she myrtile whispered no one knows much about her christopher replied she and her aunt have the next villa to geralds father she calls herself mademoiselle de Pon lere myrtile laughed quietly she was already herself again mademoiselle Is a very stupid girl she bhe declared gerald was looking at her and she looked only at the road she does not care gerald will find that out gerald come came to the tennis courts an hour or so later and played several sets bets almost tn in silence he took christopher on one side during one of the periods of rest and flung his bis arm around his shoulder chris old man he be confided 1 I want to talk to you and I 1 have a few words I 1 want to say ay to you christopher rejoined were in this set gerald pointed out rising to his feet lets bt alone somewhere then aros grill at eight thirty chapter VII gerald ordered the dinner and the wine then he be started the conversation with a somewhat abrupt question chris he asked exactly what do you yon think of mademoiselle de poul ere r 1 I dont know her christopher reminded him As a matter of fact neither do I 1 gerald declared a little bitterly she permitted me ate to introduce myself down anthe on lie sands below the abo villa and site sha lias has been tor for a ride with me in the car every afternoon since yet she does this secretly and if I 1 meet her with her aunt I 1 am not allowed to speak to her or to expect recognition I 1 am riot not permitted to call at tho the villa I 1 dont know where they come from I 1 dont know even her nationality I 1 flatter myself that for my few but well spent years I 1 have seen something of the world and its ita snares but I 1 honestly cannot place these two women what Is id mademoiselles attitude toward you when you are alone christopher asked ridiculously reserved gerald answered 1 I once onca touched tou clied her fingers and I 1 thought shei she would have struck me humiliating though it may be I 1 am half inclined to believe that it to 18 the motoring alone which attracts her in the slightest degree and that I 1 represent very little more to her than the man who Is driving the car their conversation was momentarily interrupted by the arrival in the place of a newcomer a stranger to both the young men he was tall and broad shouldered sallow skinned with a mass of black hair good features but with hard almost brutal mouth immediately m med lately lie he had been rell relieved eved of hla his coni coat ne le tn made his way to the bar r drank two cocktails in rapid succession and an lit fit a cigarette then he wandered to the table adjoining the one at which the two young men were seated and havluy given his bis order for dinner busied hnis himself elf making calculations upon some come scraps of paper which ho he tore up as soon as they were filled with figures gerald spoke to the waiter who served them with whom he was waa well acquainted A stranger here Cliar charles lear the man glanced over his shoulder and lowered his tone A russian gentleman milord he announced staying at the hotel dp do paris Alon monsieur zubin he calls himself they say that he has been playing very heavily russians who play high are no great novelty here gerald remarked under his breath there are not so many of them with money gowada nowadays ya though hough chris he went on as the man left them you asked yesterday what was the matter with me ill tell you its this uncertainty about made moiselle mol selle de Pon lere its nn an absolute torment to me its getting on my nerves nerve 9 11 Is it the character and reputation of these ladles ladies concerning which you cannot make up your mind or Is it mademoiselles moi selles lack of reciprocation to your overtures which you find distressing for G ds sake nake chuck chock that legal tosh I 1 gerald begged its both I 1 christopher laughed quietly there were people who called gerald the most spoilt young roan man tn in london and his present predicament had its humorous side aide gerald himself made a little grimace its all very well christopher he said but I 1 am a great deal too near being in earnest over this pull yourself together and suggest some way of getting hold of the truth if the he girl herself wont help you christopher replied how bow can anyone else 1 I suppose youre right gerald ab a dented gloomily the had become become very crowded indeed A small orchestra was playing in the far corner several unattached young ladles indies who preserved an air of haughty indifference towards the company generally but seemed to be on remarkably good terms with the head waiter had brought color into the little assembly the large man who was reputed to be a russian had called for pen and ink and between the courses was writing a letter the daltre dh otel who knew gerrild gerald stooped and whispered in his ear monsieur large gentleman you asked me about milord he announced has just won two mallon francs over at the casino some of these people have followed him ovar lie he must have the money in his pock et to christopher the scene was wa a novel one and he leaned forward in his seat two young ladles indict had seeded themselves at the next table to the he russian and the nearest was glancing tentatively at him now and then without however evoking the slightest response people from nil all quarters were whispering together and glancing toward him the object of all these attentions tent ions continued to write his letter unmoved presently he called for a thrust hip letter into an envelope and nd dressed it IL the boy ronde made a prompt appearance and stood cap in ID hand waiting for his orders the man who had bad just won two million francs handed him the letter gore gave him some brief directions and a handful of colins coles the ellan tainted stud and hurried off gerald gripped hla ww panion by the arm did you bear that chrisa chris F he 1 I heard nothing christopher replied I 1 1 I saw the addred addre aa too gerald continued eagerly the letter Is 11 to madame de portiere ron lere villa Vio violetter lettel the dispatch of the letter was the a signal ignal for certain almost imperceptible advances on the part of those who had been watching the great man the young lady tit at the next table leaned over and congratulated him on his good fortune an overture which was received a little and without enthusiasm A seedy looking stranger slid from his stool leaned over the table and whispered a few words in the Rus russians ear ile iio was a sandy hilred man with puffy cheeks checks and a nervous manner ills his clothes had once been well enough but were now shabby lie he had the th gamblers restless air sir lie he began bean forgive my addressing you what do you want was the blunt rejoinder 1 I stood behind your chair in the rooms I 1 flatter myself that I 1 brought you fortune as ai I 1 have brought it to many others I 1 willed you to win I 1 have lost as much tit at the tables as you have won will you grant me the loan of a meal go to h 1 1 was the brutal reply 1 I have nothing to do with hadgers cadgers cad cud gers the man staggered as though he be had received a shock lie ile was used to r rebuffs 0 but not such rebuffs as aa this monsieur I 1 he be stammered perhaps five burl hundred dred or oc even two hundred franca not a sou son and be off do you y on want me to complain to the manager the young max man edged away gerald smiled as he saw him cross the floor horribly bad character that he remarked to christopher Christop ber 1 I missed him here last season and asked where lie was they told me that he was tn in prison for stabbing his mistress I 1 suppose I 1 shall get it in the neck chris carla but ive got to talk to the old brute I 1 cant afford to miss an opportunity of speaking to some one who knows pauline 1 I if I 1 were you christopher advised you see he in the humor to talk to anybody and if there really Is any mystery a bout about the de Pon leres feres lie wont care about being asked questions about them gerald was for him however determined the fellows manner Is brutal but I 1 believe hes a personage I 1 shall try my luck in a moment or so gerald waited for several minutes ea until hla his neighbor had bad entered upon another course then he leaned toward him you re a russian gerald ventured it la Is entirely my business of what nationality I 1 am was the cold reply naturally gerald agreed at the same time we are all human the man who a couple of millions here Is a public character you will probably find old ladles ladies rubbing their five frane franc pieces against your coat sleeves re ca you enter the rooms so long as they do not attempt to balk alk to me 1 I shall he be content was the curt retort you are not exactly looking for acquaintances quain I 1 perceive guald gerald remar ed 1 I have none here nor do I 1 desire any gerald smiled he had reached the point at which he had been aiming that he observed Is not strictly true you have just dispatched a note to some come ladles ladies of my acquaintance monsieur had bad so far met ger olds aids tentative overtures with the cold rudeness of one who recognize ii an equal at hla big last words however a look almost of fury flashed into his face he struck the table with his bj flat fint 1 I ought to have hat rem remembered embere the sort of people by whom I 1 was likely to be sut surrounded rounded here he declared you who look oe as though you ought to 0 o know better cast sneaking glances over nver my shoulder cler to read the superscription scrIpt lon of it a ate letter what a riffraff I 1 gerald hit his lp ile he kept his temper perfectly 1 I saw raw the address nd dres dress I 1 assure you yon entirely by accident he be saidi 1 happen to be acquainted with one of the ladies or the name would not have my notice madame and mademoiselle occupy the nex neja villa tr tc my fathera evidently pauline Is ie a personage ge in the great world but laral where who Is she chef and what le the hytry that surrounds urro her TO BE CONTINUED |
