| Show he mystery bysa tery road by E F phillips oppenheim r by brown and d co ca THE CUT DIRECT SYNOPSIS fleeing from a brutal stepfather an unhappy home borne and a proposed husband she bhe detests myrtile Myr young french girl stands in a country road on the verse verge of desperation awl halted by an exploded tiro tire two 0 young englishman lord gerald dombey and christopher dent bent are attracted by the tha girls distracted appearance she begs them to take her away from her misery in a spirit of adventure they do so BO conveying her to monte carlo and leaving her with friends myrtile speaks Engli english Bh hr mother having been an educated woman gerald sees a beautiful young woman in the gambling rooms and to la fascinated but can only learn that she Is called pauline de portiere and Is in with her aunt lie he la is unable to secure an introduction christopher and gerald decide myrtile shall not go back to her home lady mary geralds sl sister secretly in love with carl christopher disapproves disapprove of the young mens guardianship of myrtile Myr lord dombey makes the acquaintance of pauline he to Is puzzled by the air of mystery and condescension surrounding her myrtile falls in love with gerald chris would marry myrtile Myr gerald Is interested in pauline A mysterious russian zubin w wins tris a larzo large sum at the gambl gambling i ng tables gerald learns he knows know the do Pon lerea leres but can got get no from him CHAPTER VII continued 8 monsieur zubin rose deliberately to his feet one realized then his extraordinary tra tro ordinary height he must have been at least six feet four inches and broad in proportion gerald although be himself himsel was considerably average height seemed like a child by his side elde if you yon mention their names again he threatened 1 I shall throw you out of the place gerald looked him over for a moment unmoved but intensely curious the mystery of madame and mademoiselle do de had only been increased by this chance meeting pray sit down he begged you are making every one uneasy I 1 have no wish to quarrel with you I 1 simply took you tor for an ordinary human being the russian resumed hla his sent beat gerald called for his bill during their short walk to the sporting club where the wo young men had bad arranged to spend the rest of the evening christopher endeavored to bring the conversation round to the subject of myrdle Myr it Is time he be insisted that we did something a little more definite about myrtile Myr you dont take her seriously enough gerald in what way she told mp this afternoon that you had promised to take her to one of your supper parties gerald was not altogether at his ease it was rather it rash promise he admitted but after all why not shed create quite a sensation that gilds immediate future Is a charge upon our honor christopher said ald sternly you and I 1 know the class of young women you yon invite to your part parties les she breathe the same atmosphere are you in love with myrelle Myr Myrt ller gerald asked curiously christopher loathed the question but he remained outwardly Cly unperturbed myrtile Myr la Is a child he said it will be time enough to think of such things when she ehe lins lias become a woman the one deadly and pernicious in love with you yon bo careful gerald you yon dont want to walk on the floor of hell bell they had bad reached the he steps of the sporting club gerald ran lightly up my dear chris he sold said turning round as he prepared to divest him bim f belt elf of his over coot cont dont be a melodramatic ass were in the wrong atmosphere mo sphere for that hat sort of thing jupiter I 1 hero hera la in the family I 1 well you might appear a little more pleased to see nee us mary declared lets find a corner conw in the bar and have some coffee christopher suggested gerald la in too electric tonight for a man of my mj staid tempera alf im 1 not BO sure of your staid tm tern Pe pertinent nt as I 1 was mary rejoined christopher I 1 am not hi at all sure that you two young men are behaving nicely in monte carlo gerald seems to hadean extraordinary crim craze for taking the mysterious young woman next door out motoring every afternoon who it id ther sher 1 11 I the faintest idea christopher confessed neither has he that I 1 think Is part of the attraction lady wary mary glayt d with the pearls which hung from her neck to leave the subject of our mysterious neighbors have you succeed ed in flandin any employment for your little bettl yet she ehe inquired look ing up at her companion not yet christopher replied 11 1 I have written to a cousin of ano in london who goes in for that sort bort of thing to see if she can find her a post na as nursery governess the girl Is altogether unusual her father and mother were both school teachers sometimes I 1 feel inclined to regret that we ever discovered tier her but so go long as we did and brought her ber here we must try and start her property properly and in the meantime the poor little tool fool Is hopelessly in love with gerald well you both know what you are doing I 1 suppose I 1 should be sorry to have your responsibility I 1 think I 1 ought to go and see how dad Is petting getting on with his atile wait ono one moment christopher begged laying his hand band upon her arm 1 I want you to tills this she looked up curiously gerald had just entered the crowded little room and nt at tho the same moment mademoiselle mol selle e and her aunt ap kenred on the other threshold hildage ML da me was flossed in black clothes ot of old fashioned but distinctive cut A wonderful black lace shawl drooped from her shoulders der ber ears and fengers blazed with gems she leaned as sho she walked upon an ivory topped stick and her eyes had their usual trick rick of wandering around the room as though slie she saw no one paulines wonderful figure seemed sheathed in a black net gown which fitted tier her with almost magical perfection gerald who had been on his way to join his sister and christopher paused at their approach as though bent on challenging some recognition however slight from the girl in this however he was disappointed without any appearance pe arance of avoiding him without even turning her eyes away from his direction she passed by as though in complete unconsciousness of his presence and followed her companion through the other door gerald stood a Mo moment fury after they had left the cigarette which he be had been holding between his bis fingers slipped onto the carpet crushed to pieces be set his heel upon it and crossed the room lady mary recognized the sense of disturbance in him and welcomed him with the tactful smile of 0 ne who has noticed nothing unusual tell me whether to play brente et quarante qua or roulette tonight gerald she said or shall I 1 go and play baccarat if only the people there so alai gerald looked across at chris christopher to he seemed as though he had scarcely heard his sisters words did you see that he be asked in a low tone christopher nodded the girl Is extraordinarily attractive mary observed shall I 1 really be brave end call gerald one do that sort of thing abroad but she must be lonely if they arent what they should be it wont hurt 11 me no good old dear gerald groaned ive suggested something of the sort already but she only thre cold water on the idea lady mury mary laughed softly after nil all slie site decided there Is something humor otra in the situation I 1 always look upon gerald as being the most woman spoilt man I 1 know quite a new experience for you yon dear it I 1 cant think how you ever progressed so BO far as an you have done 1 I should cheer up old fellow christopher advised they wont hold out forever you will probably find that tomorrow afternoon the young lady will shyly invite you in to meet her mint aunt you dont know i hat bat youre talking about gerald growled there I 1 did you see that through the open doorway un da me de poncere and her younger companion were plainly visible making their way toward one of the roulette tables they bad come face to face for a mo ment a frenchman wh who 0 stopped and bowed with every mark of respect doth both of the women acknowledged lila his salutation graciously gerald sprang to his bis feet henri debola monsieur blanas blancs represent representative stive here beret I 1 be exclaimed he knows them I 1 thank heavens ive come across some one at last who does I 1 he crossed the room in half a dozen strides and accosted monsieur du hols bola in the private way leading to the hotel do parla the usual were exchanged monsieur dubols you yon can do me a favor gerald confided as he be drew him towards the bar and ordered two liqueur brand brandies les it if it Is possible it it is dono bubola declared del areil jf if it to is impossible it shall hall be done 1 I 1 want you to tell me m gerald continued who the two ladles in black were to whom you just juat bowed madame and mademoiselle do de portiere they call themselves what on earth Is the mystery about them the brenc frenchman hman looked at him to tn blood bland surprise mystery milord t rl he be repeated Is there oner one look here her old fellow gerald said 1 1 I I will ask you one onci question and one question only what are their real jamesl names I 1 monsieur dubols dubois smiled his him biffi curties were at an end milord 1 he declared you wrong those very respectable ladles ladies in imagining that they would present themselves here under names to which they had no right both ladles ladies who are as you have hate doubtless surmised related are entitled entitle 4 to the name of do Pu the first christian name of the older lady la Is Anast of the younger pauline I 1 am happy to be able to satisfy milord A thousand excuses they ballme call me from the baccarat room gerald returned dejectedly to the room ahert his sister and christopher were waiting expectantly it appears that there to Is no mystery at all he be announced dubols assures me that they are related and that hot their names are arc indeed do POn lere chapter VIII myrtile rose in the morning RB was tier her custom at a little after seven carefully made her bed dressed and walked for an hour upon the terrace these early diurnal wanderings were tempered with a certain sadness although she was aldays finding fending something new new beauties or new sores in tills this amazing spot to which she had been tiu ported to myrdle Myr whose life as yet was composed mainly of externals everything was beautiful tito the sun warmed her with the promise of love she was waa never tired of watching the little waves breaking upon tho the sandy strip and the million scintillating lights upon the bay she looked up with a glad smile at the silent hotel where gerald was sleeping perhaps he be was dreaming of her at that very moment love had crept into tier her life and found her very ignorant As yet it was a beautiful and simple thing that it was capable of change and division never even occurred to tier her she loved gerald and although he be sometimes disappointed tier her it must be that gerald geraid loved her she had few doubts about it all ills his attitude often puzzled sometimes even distressed her but she put his vagaries down to her own lack of understanding site she was convinced that all would be well when she saw more of him and she hai bored a dull doll sense of resentment against christopher who she believed was always working for some unknown reason to keep them apart at half past eight she dhe returned to her rooms and deliberately attacked a great mass sewing was waa sent bent to her dally daily from the hotel and the payment for which by arrangement provided tier her with board and lodging from that time onwards she sat bat in the window with but one hope the hope of seeing gerald once or twice he had come and taken her out to luncheon hut christopher was unfailing in hla his visits lie he presented himself every morning at about the same time and even if gerald appeared lie he accompanied him despite her resentment against him it wall wag always a pleasure to hear bear his firm trend tread and to watch hla big tall broad shouldered ure are and good humored intelligent face ns as he be crossed the rond road she found an evil counselor in annette the maid at the hotel who occupied the other bedroom in the little cottage and generally looked in for a few minutes on her way to work annette who wan thoroughly french was completely puzz puzzled leI by the sit situation aaion she could account for it in her own mind only from tho the fact that tho the two young men were english and therefore presumably mad 1 Is christopher going to male make any progress in his hi efforts effort to win wah mytrice Mytr lle ile and how seriously erlo Is gerald interested in pauline J TO DE DB CONTINUED |
