Show the wal he ff v r st 0 www e 1 my y ahry M 0 a d by E PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM copyright by little brown co THE CUT DIRECT synopsis Irle fleeing eing from a brutal stepfather nn an unhappy home and a proposed husband she detests myrtile Myr young french girl stands in a country road on the verge of malted halted by an exploded tire two young englishman lord gerald dombey and christopher bent are attracted by the th girls distracted appearance she begs them to take her away from her bar misery in a spirit of adventure they do so conveying her to monte carlo and leaving her with friends myrtele speaks english her mother having been an educated woman gerald sees a beautiful young woman in the gambling rooms and la Is fascinated but can only learn that she Is called pauline de end and Is with her aunt ile he Is unable to secure an introduction christopher and gerald decide myrtile shall not go back to her horn homo lady mary geralds sister secretly in love with christopher disapproves of the young mens guardianship of myrtleo Myrt Myr tild llo lord dombey makes the acquaintance of pauline he Is puzzled by the air of mystery and condescension surrounding her myrtile tails falls in love with gerald chris awauld marry myrtile Myr gerald Is interested in pauline A mysterious russian wins large sum at the gambling tables gerald learns learn he knows the do de Pon leres but can get no information from him 4 CHAPTER VII continued a monsieur rose deliberately to his feet one realized then his extraordinary tra height he ere must have been at least six feet four inches and broad in proportion gerald although he himself was considerably over average height seemed like a child by his side if sou mention mearlon 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 mol selle de had only been increased by this chance meeting liay 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 for an ordinary human being 11 the russian kussian resumed lils his seat gerald called for his bill during their short walk to the sporting club where the wo two young men had arranged to spend the rest of the evening christopher endeavored to bring the conversation round to the subject of myrthle Myr Myrt it la Is time he be insisted thet we did something a little more definite about myrtile Myr you dont take her seriously enough gerald in what way she told me this afternoon that you had bad promised to take her to one of your supper parties gerald was not alto altogether ether at his ease it was rather a rash promise lie admitted but after all why notz not shed create quite a sensation that childs immediate future Is a charge upon our honor christopher itald ald sternly you and I 1 know the class of young women you invite to your parties she breathe the same atmosphere are you yon in love lore with myrtile gerald asked curiously christopher loathed the question but he remained outwardly unperturbed myrelle Myr lg Is a child he sold said it will be time enough to think of such things when she has become a woman the one deadly and pernicious certainty Is that she Is in love with you be careful gerald you dont won want I 1 to walk on the floor of hell they had reached the steps ot of the sporting club gerald ran lightly up my dear chris he said turning around as he be prepared to divest himself of his overcoat dont bea melodramatic ass were in the wrong atmosphere mo sphere tor for that sort of thing jupiter 1 here Is the fam family llyl well you yon might appear a little more pleased to see us mary declared lets find a corner in the hie bar and bae some coffee christopher suggested gerald Is too electric tonight for a man of my staid temperament im not so BO sure of your staid temperament pe na as I 1 was mary rejoined christopher I 1 am not at all sure that you two young men are behaving alce ly in monte carlo gerald seems to tare have art an extraordinary craze lor for taking the mysterious young oman noman next door out motor motoring ipg every afternoon who Is site slier 1 I the faintest idea christopher confessed neither Nel ther has he be that I 1 trint la Is part of the attraction lady mary played with the pearls hung from her neck to leave the subject of our mysterious neighbors have you succeeded in finding ay any employment for your little yet she inquired looking up at her companion mot lot ret tt christopher replied 1 I hint ta t a cousin of mine in t tan kotob lou ane toes es in for that sort of thing to see bee it if she can find her a post as nursery governess the girl Is 19 alto altogether getler unusual iller father and mother wore were both school teachers sometimes I 1 feel Inell inclined ned to regret that we ever discovered her ber but so long as we did and bri brought ought her here bere we must try and start her property properly and in the meantime the poor little litile fool is hopelessly lii in love with gerold I 1 well you both know whit you are doing dolfie 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 getting on with his walt one moment christopher begged laying his hand upon her arm 1 I want you to watch this she looked up curiously gerald had bad just entered the crowded little room and ad atthe same moment mademoiselle mol selle de and bior ter aunt appeared on the other threshold madame was in black clothes of old fashioned but distinctive cut A wonderful black lace shawl drooped from her shoulders her ears cars and fingers blazed with gems she leaned as she Nal walked ked upon an ivory topped stick and her eyes had their usual trick of wandering around the room as though she saw no one paulines pauline s wonderful figure seemed sheathed in a block black net gown which fitted filled 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 iii 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 0 his presence and followed her companion through the other door gerald stood for a moment in silent fury after they had ett the cigarette which he bad rr maga he presented ed himself every morning at about the same time been holding between his fingers slipped onto the carpet crushed to pieces ile he set his towel heel upon it and crossed the room lady sifley recognized the sense of disturbance in him and welcomed him with the tactful smile of one who I 1 lai has noticed nothing unusual tell roe me whether to flay tren rente te et quarante or roulette io tonight night gerald she said or shall I 1 go and play baccarat it if only the people there so alarming I 1 gerald looked across at christopher ile he seemed as though he be had scarcely scarce ay iy heard his sisters words did you see that he asked in a low tone christopher nodded the girl la Is extraordinarily nt mary observed shall I 1 really be brave and call gerald one 10 lo do that sort of thin thing abroad but site she must lie be lonely if they arent what that they should be it wont hurt ml me no good old dear gerald groaned gro nned ive suggested something of the sort already but shri she only hirer cold water on the lie idea lady mary laughed softly after all she decided there Is something humorous in the situation I 1 always look upon gerald as heing being the most woman spoilt man I 1 know quite a new experience for you dear esst it I 1 caul cant think how you ever progressed so far as you von have done 1 I should cheer up tip old fellow Christ christopher ophor advised they wont hold out forever you will probably find fand that tomorrow afternoon the young lady will shyly invite you in to meet her aunt 11 you dont know what youre talking about gerald krow growled led there did you see that through the open doorway madame de doniere and her younger companion were plainly visible ranking making their way toward oneff the roulette roulet td tables they had come face to face for a moment with a little frenchman who stopped and bowed with every mark of respect both of the women BC ac ils ills salutation atlon graciously gerald sprang to his feet henri dubols dubois monsieur monsley r blancs blanas representative here berel he exclaimed he knows them I 1 thank heavens i carens ive come across some one at last who does I 1 ile he crossed the room in halt half a dozen strides and accosted monsieur dubols dubois in the private way leading to the hotel de the usual civilities were N ere exchanged monsieur dubols dubois you can do me a favor gerald confided as lie he drew him towards the bar and ordered two liqueur brandies 1 it I it Is possible sible it Is done dubois declared if it Is impossible it shall be done 11 1 I tell me gerald continued who the two ladles in black were to whom you just bowed madame and mademoiselle de portiere ron lere I 1 aliey ley call themselves what on earth Is the mystery about them the frenchman looked at him la in bland surprise mystery milord he repeated la Is there one look here old fellow gerald said 1 I will ask you one question and one question only what are their real names monsieur dubols dubois smiled nis ills difficulties were at nn an end Ml milord lord he declared you wrong those very respectable ladles in imagining that they would present them selves selve here shere under names to which they had bad no right both ladles ladies who are as ag you have doubtless surmised related are entitled to thenamae the name the first christian name of the older lady Is anastasse Anast asle of the younger pauline I 1 am happy to be able to satisfy ru milord llord A thousand excuses they call me from the baccarat room gerald returned dejectedly to the tha room where his sister and christopher were waiting expectantly it appen appears rs that there Is no mystery at all lie he announced dumola assures me that they are related and that their names are indeed do de Pon Poli lere fere chapter vill VIII myrelle rose in the morn morning ingals a was wag her custom at a little after seven carefully mada her be bed do dressed and walked for an hour the terrace these early diurnal wm le lerl rings were tempered with a cel certain maln sadness although she ehe was always finding something new new beauties or new sores in this amazing spot to which she had been transported to I 1 myrtile Myr whose life as yet was composed mainly of externals everything was beautiful the sun warmed her with ith the promise of love she was waa never tired of watching the little v naves aves breaking upon the sandy strip and the million scintillating light upon lie bay she looked up with a glad smile at the silent hotel where here gerald was sleeping perhaps lie was dreaming ot of her at that very very moment love had crept into her life and found her very ignorant As yet it was waa a beautiful and simple thing that it was capable of change and division never even occurred to her slie she loved gerald and although he be sometimes disappointed her it must be that ger aid loved her she had few ew doubt about it all ills attitude often puzzled sometimes even distressed her but silo sho put his arlas down to her own lacs of understanding she was convinced that all would be well when she savio more of 0 him and she harbored hai bored a dull sense of resentment against christopher tor ther who she believed vas has always working for some unknown reason to keep viem apart at half roast past eight slie site returned to her rooms and deliberately attacked a great mass of sewing which was sent to her dally daily from the hotel and the payment for which by arrangement provided her midi board and lodging from that time onwards she sat la in the window with but one hope the hope of seeing gerald once or twice lie he had come und and taken ier her out to iun itin choon cheon but christopher was unfailing in his visits ile he prevented himself every morning at about the same time and e ean on if gerald appeared lie ha always accompanied him despite cpr resentment against him it was always ali onys a pleasure to hear his firm trend tread and to watch jils its tall broad shouldered figure and good humored intelligent face as he be crossed hie file rond road she found an evil counselor in annette Annc tte the file mald maid at the file hotel who occupied the other bedroom in the little cottage and generally looked in for a few minutes on lice her wity to work annette who nho was thoroughly french vias completely puzzled by the situ allon site she could account for it in her own onn mind only from the baci fact that the two young men were english and therefore presumably mad Is christopher going to make any progress in his efforts to win Mytr lle and how seriously Is gerald geral d interested in pauline TO BE CONTINUED |