Show chuo tery ivoa by E PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM copyright ty by little brown A co 1 I LOVE GERALD SYNOPSIS fleeing from rom a brutal stepfather an unhappy home and a pro proposed bus husband harld she h detests myrelle Myr young french girt stands in a country road on the vergo verge of desperation halted sy by an exploded tire two young youner englishmen lord gerald dombey and christopher bent are attracted by the girls distracted appearance she bogs bears thero them to talie take her away from her misery in a spirit of adventure they do so go conveying her to monte carlo and leaving her with friends rl ends myrelle speaks english her mother having been an educated woman G gerald sees bes a beautiful youny young woman in the rooms and la Is fascinated but can only learn that she to Is called pauline de and la Is with her aunt he Is unable ab I 1 e to secure an introduction ch christopher ri stopher and gerald decide myrttle myrelle shall not go back to her home lady mary geralds geralda sister elster secretly in loie loe with christopher disapproves of r the young men mens 8 guardianship of Myr myrelle lord D dombey 0 abey makes tho ac ce of pauline lie ile Is puzzled by the air of mystery and condescension surrounding her CHAPTER V continued 6 1 I dont know that I 1 am very different brorn the others he said tell rue me what Is your nationality why should I 1 tell you anything about myself she asked a little coldly it appeared to me that it might er help belp our acquaintance have I 1 acknowledged the acquaintance well you are talking to me anyhow he pointed out with a slight twinkle in Ms eyes 1 I scarcely see how I 1 could help it the she replied if you are really curious about my nationality I 1 will tell you that I 1 have some french blood in my veins france ho however Never Is not my native country and you yon live where nowhere she ehe answered a little adly at present we are wanderers what you call in england adventurers gerald raised his eyebrows I 1 that Is IB scarcely the word he murmured my aunt has a curious objection to meeting people upon our travels pauline continued 1 I myself find tier lier aloofness sometimes a little tedious that Is why I 1 am misbehaving to the extent of letting you talk to me As a matter of propriety you certainly ought to leave me at once As a matter or fact I 1 was about to propose something else let me hear it at any rate hp insisted insisted 1 I watched you drive up to your fathers villa in your car will you take roe me a little way to in it I lather tather 1 ho assented eagerly where shall I 1 pick you up outside the villa gates she replied my lly aunt Is absolutely certain to sleep for two hours it Is the only liberty I 1 have during the day please ilease go at once and fetch the car she dismissed him with an imperative wave of them the hand As soon as he was out of sight she jumped don on from the rock crossed the little strip of sand and commenced her ly ascent to the villa once or twice tivice she laughed softly to herself it was an excursion which gerald pondered on many times after ard pauline had settled down lit in the low bucket seat by bia hl side and leaned back with an air of absolute content E S she he had in fact the appearance of one enjoying a rare pleasure As soon as gerald slackened priced hower ho weer w er with v alth the idea of entering into conversation she ehe became curt and almost rude and his proposition that they might take the higher road and have tea at nice she promptly when after an absence of about an hour and a half they drew up at the pates gates ol at the villa she left him with the file merest nod of farewell you will come for another ride boon perhaps tomorrow lie he asked anxiously she shook her head 1 I can make no plans she replied 1 I should think it very improbable I 1 thank you so much tor for your kindness your car Is quite wonderful she walked away with tile the air of one who nho has conferred a great favor gerald geraid drove slowly back to the villa dacarla dAc acla and joined his sister on the alie terrace do you kno knois anything about the two women at the next villa mary be asked one never knows ones neighbors tore here she answered 1 I saw them forhing the other adny a looking old lady and a very good look ing girl there something queer about item or Is it my fancy there Is something unusual geraid replied they seem curiously indisposed to forming acquaintances which Is odd in a place like this I 1 to be talking to the woman for a few minutes slie she pave gave roe me the he impression somehow that tant they were people of greater consequence than their manner of bivin living here would indicate 1 I expect I 1 arn am uncharitable mary an elderly lady with no nc friends who takes a rather beautiful young woman about with her to public places does certainly invite comment do esril she tell we me about your little we lunched with her chris and I 1 gerald replied i goodness gracious where at caros we bought tier her some clothes at lenores Lenn ros this morning lady mary lit a cigarette dea retie and threw down her book 1 I nm nin not the guardian of your morals gerald she observed dryly a girl nowadays has all she can do to look oner after tier her ovon on but I 1 honestly think lou ought to send that child hack back to tier her people tc to tco o brutal lie he replied they wanted to marry tier her to some horrible old man whatever Wha the position was your interference was most uncalled tor for his sister dec declared hired As for christo copt pt I 1 nm am really surprised nt at him I 1 think you two young ruen men ought to he thoroughly ashamed of ourselves for what hat ou are doing and I 1 shall just loot look forward to an opportunity of telling in christopher so gerald eralia glanced at his sisters profile and chuckled good old chris he murmured ill just let him know coming to him I 1 chapter VI myrtile was suddenly tired she seated herself upon the trunk of a tree and christopher followed tier her example below them stretched the alie motley panorama of monte carlo the wide hay bay and the glittering sea do you know she said that I 1 have not seen monsieur gerald for three days lie ile has been busy christopher answered shortly ile he plays golf anil and tennis every day clay then his father and sister take up a good deal ot of his time you always find time to come and see sec me eiery morning she sold said BL besides it was not his sister with whorl I 1 saw him motoring yesterday christopher braced tor for an effort myrtile Myr he began you know that I 1 iam nm tood fond ot of you ton you have been very kill kind she answered listlessly because I 1 want to be kind I 1 am got going n g to say things that may sound harsh lie went on oil you are a very foolish girl to waste your time think iza t IWO we lunched with her chris and I 1 gerald replied ing and dreaming of gerald you should only let your thoughts thought dwell upon one man continually hen there Is some chance in the end that that man may become your huba husband iid iler bic r listlessness passed she settled down to the subject seriously ugly but monsieur christopher christopher leaned oner oel und and laid his hand upon hers myrtile dear will you listen to me he begged look at me for a moment I 1 am twenty six years old 1 have lived in cities us its well ns as the country in london I 1 am hill you call an avocat I 1 have to ue my brains every every day I 1 have to understand my fellow creatures will you get that into your head it Is not difficult dini cult she assured him a little smile 1 I you ure lore very clever and you know many many things and as for you myrtile Myr christopher went on when one cone of your upbringing it Is amazing to realize liow how much you hive live read how much you know but listen to me nothing that one reads can leach one what life Is like you spent many hours wondering what was lit at the end nd of tile the rood rond you think now because you have passed over the hill that you are there my ily dear you are not even at the beginning of the way she plucked some grasses an ani twined them round tier her lingers fingers go on she whispered what you see here la its not life it Is 18 not even a very wonderful reflection of it mostly tily it Is a little COM company PollY of 0 pleasure seekers come to cast aside for a time the serious side of life and gamble with their pleasures as they do with their motley money sut but some be lit in earnest myr tile cpr protested tested one of them who volio Is not in earnest Is gerald gerala and I 1 tell iou ou so although gerald Is my friend tr icid christopher said he Is here to amuse himself and lie he would prefer to amuse himself without giving anyone else apalit if that la is impossible li however oever lie he Is sufficiently rech reckless less not to count the cost where lite hie other person Is concerned she diew biow it a little away that dose not sound like the speech of t a friend slie she reminded him reproachfully but I 1 can assure that I 1 am his bis friend although a candid randiel one christopher declared all that I 1 have said to you I 1 have said to him and it great lent more you will let rue nie finish site she made no nn reply her eyes eves were fixed upon the exact spot whore here the sea seemed to melt into the clouds the grace of her selin body lent beauty cen to the hunch of her shoulders you ore like a child who nho has been let out of a daik room christopher went on I ever tiling seems beaud ful fu but you dont see clearly your eyes arent strong enough yet what you imagine to be loe ione Is 19 a worse thin thing gerald does not love you ile he can neer marry ou lie ile belongs to that world at which iou are ara looking with blurred eyes dont yoc want to be good 1 ai I want to be happy myrdle replied p led 1 I shall always be good how ilo do you know that because I 1 am all good inside she said 1 I do any of the things that wicked people do christopher sat fur a moment in puzzled thought look hoie here lie he wont went on it if rou cou love gerald and gerald you and aou are content with will the pretense of ills his love and you go on loving him and you know that you cannot be his wife then you are not good any longer slie she shook tier her head there Is only once in my life she sha sat said that I 1 have come near sin and that Is when lien I 1 thought of 0 staying at the tuno farm and marrying pierre les champs I 1 love gerald all th that at I 1 need to be happy and good Is that lie he should love me hut gerald does docs not love you and never fiill III christopher declared bluntly gerald at the present moment at any rate Is incapable 0 of f 1 a I stable affection and if ile he were capable of it his people would not allow jilin him to marry you 1 I do not wish him to marry me K site she declared with a little choke in her voice perhaps not he replied in that case nou ou should listen to me more mora patiently I 1 want you yiu to leave this place an and go to some friends ot of mine la in england what alone alone slie she shook tier her head bead christopher slie she said suddenly slipping hr her arm through his 1 I think you want tu to be kind to rue me I 1 believe that you ire are very good perhaps you are bettor better than gerald put so long iong is as gerald wants rue me near I 1 shall stay even if lie goes about mith other people he thinks of me ile he lias has told me so and lie he has promised to take ue ire to one of ills his supper parties this week I 1 am loOk looking forward to it more then than to anit hint else in the world fuce face hardened liard ened you vou vo ill III not po go to lo one of those eup per parties matiie Mn tIIe he be insisted 1 11 I would rather hither take sou back to the tha farm she turned tier her head and looked at ill him there inq as something in tier her eyes from frimi vo which aich lie shi sluane ank soi something very roudi like hate she saw the iaan in his face and sho she was suddenly remorseful she citing clun to chiq lii i lit ailin again iter her cheek almost touched tol hed his christopher dear christopher she lie pleaded 1 I lid did not mean to hurt you I 1 know liow how pond good you are but just think how wonderful it would be for me to po go till gerald Geri to meet ot bolher tier to lo lunch una talk to bit by his side his guest to dince perhaps oh it would be paradise I 1 everybody else elso gie to patties pint les clu Chil chirstopher it stopher 1 I III take you to the opera he promised iter eyes plowed glowed evidently myrtice myrelle is going to be the cause of a conslee considerable rable number of complications can you guess them TO BE CONTINUED |