Show rig cie so copyright by LITTLE BROWN ond CO LETS BE FRIEND FRIE 51 SYNOPSIS fleeing from a s brutal stepfather an unhappy home and a proposed husband eh she detests dt tests mirthie Mir tIIe young french girt girl stand gland in a country road on an the verso verge of desperation halted by an exploded tire two young englishmen lord gerald dombey and christopher dent bent are attracted by the tha girls distracted appearance she begs beers 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 mothr mother having been an educated woman gerald sees bees a beautiful young woman in the gambling rooms and Is fasel bated but can only learn that she Is called pauline de confere and Is with her aunt lie he Is unable to secure an introduction christopher and gerald decide myrtila shall not so go back to her home lady mary geralds sister secretly in love with christopher disapproves ot of the young mens guardianship of 0 myrtile Myr lord dombey makes the acquaintance of pauline he Is puzzled by the air of 0 mystery and condescension surrounding her myrtile falls in n love with gerald chris would marry myrtile gerald Is interested A mysterious russian zubin wins a large sum at the gambling tables gerald learns he be knows the do de Pon leres but can get et no information from him chris makes little progress in his curt courtship 0 ship of myrtile Myr who Is completely p infatuated with gerald whose hose interest Is all in pauline CHAPTER vill VIII continued 9 but how mademoiselle Is industrious t 1 she exclaimed looking in at the door soon after myrelle had returned from her early morning walk and settled down to her sewing 1 I hope my stingy old aunt paa pas s you m well ell for all that sewing she gives me my board and lodging here myrelle replied mith a smile that more than contents me board and lodging 1 oh ob la Is lal la I 1 annette declared sinking into her accustomed cus tomed chair that would not content me it Is the tips from which one can buy ones clothes it amazes me that mademoiselle does not ask milord dombey tor for some evening frocks and attend one 0 of his supper parties charles the head waiter brings me news often of them they are of the lie most amusing amu sting there tire are artists there and all manner of wonderful Mond erful people has mademoiselle no callosity to see life ilfeld myrtile threaded a needle carefully before she replied Af milord flord dombey she said would mould I 1 believe take me but monsieur christopher does not think it well that I 1 go to those parties ue lie declares that they are tor for people whom I 1 should not meet annette cla clasped her hands behind the back of her head she was vastly mused amused oh la la she exclaimed that Is so like monsieur Mons leur daentl what does he make of life that young man does he think it well for a girl as beautiful as mademoiselle to sit here alone at night anti and creep into bed while m monsieur n who adores her spends his time with other women pooh mademoiselle should have courage myrelle laid down her work ile her r heart was beating fast tell me annette she begged who are these guests of milord dombey why do they keep me away from them it Is not milord domneys Dom beys fault annette declared ile he Is a beau garcon that it is the stupid monsieur bent A who ho should bae stayed at home borne in his dull london they are all well enough these guests of 0 milord dow dour beys some sing at the opera apera others perhaps haie hae seen life in paris but for that what are they the worse what harm can they do oil oh it if I 1 were mere mademoiselle I 1 should submit no longer lone erl I 1 what should you do annette myrelle asked half fearfully 1 I should put on all my prett prettiest lest clothes annette replied entering into the matter with animation and I 1 should come to the hotel I 1 should find my way to milord dombey that would be for me to arrange and I 1 hould just tell him that I 1 bad come that hut I 1 was tired of being left at home then I 1 would mould whisper one or two ol of tin the nicest little things I 1 could think of into ills his ear and I 1 would put my arms around Ms his neck and well I 1 know milord dombey he be would not no tend pend me away not if I 1 were made monselle mol gelle selle the work had bad fallen from Myrll lei hands bands she was wag tilting sitting up in her chair her eyes eves very bright her lips a little parted how fortunate it was waa that ton annette had cornel comet without a doubt the she would ft do this only one must be ware of monsieur christopher lie he was full of droll ideas he mutt must be madi made to presently annette d de parted and when a little later on christopher arrived to pay his morning cull call myrtile was seated as usual at her glicr work her manner unaltered except that she was a little gayer than usual perhaps a little more kin kindly adly myrtile Myr be announced 1 I have hare heard from m my y cousin in england she thinks that site she will be able to fl find nd you a place in about a months time that Is very kind of her myrtile answered without enthusiasm what does doea gerald say about it 1 I have not mentioned it to gerald yet christopher replied ne he was dining out last night and had a supper party afterward at the carlton and as a matter of 0 fact he was fast asleep when I 1 came out I 1 have no doubt however that he be will be glad the girt girl made a little grimace he may not be so BO glad to get rid of roe me as iou she remarked we shall neither of us be here I 1 in n a months time christopher reminded ile her r certainly I 1 shall not and ge gerald I 1 believe Is due to go to biarritz Biar ritz before then myrtile sewed industriously for a moment mor nent perhaps she suggested he may want me to go to biarritz Biar ritz with him you mutt not talk fall like that myrtile christopher said sternly you must not say such things if gerald goes it will be with some other young men to play polo there would be no possible place for you in such a company 11 she smiled without looking up some day he bould know the truth troth this kindly but rather foolish englishman ile he would know that she and gerald loved one another ne ile should always be their friend though ile he was very good la in his way only he would n not ot understand what about a short walk before lunch 1 he be suggested myrelle dropped her work at once we will go along the terrace she proposed and while I 1 sit upon a seat scat you shall go in and wake up that laze lazy gerald you shall tell him that I 1 am waiting and I 1 am sure that he be will hurry out christopher assented a little sadly cace or twice before they had carried out the same program and he be was wondering whether it would not have been better to have told myrdle myrelle the truth that on two occasions gerald had absolutely refused to join them and that on the third he had been brought out almost by force there was a little pang in his heart as he be watched matched Myrt Myr lles tiles gay preparations life was so wonderful to her that it seemed a shame to destroy a single illusion well try and rout him out at nil all events lie he promised chapter IX gerald found pauline waiting for him at the accustomed spot after luncheon that afternoon she was in the he shadow of a n great magnolia shrub dressed dress cr in inconspicuous gray with a veil roll thicker than the exigencies of motoring necessitated pauline stepped lightly into tile the place by his side elde without waiting tot for him alm to vacate his seat scat turn round please she directed we m will III go the other way I 1 do not choose to pass through the town gerald obeyed although her ber request only added fuel to the smoldering ore of his resentment lie he turned away towards tile the mountain road and maintained a silence which was not without Us its significance ills companion after a few minutes glanced toward film indifferently lie was loaning leaning back bach in his place his eyes as usual fixed upon the road his left hand firmly grasping the wheel the humorous orous twitch however had gone from his mouth there was a distinct frown upon his forehead you are perhaps weary today she suggested you should like to shorten our drive gerald turned and looked at her 1 I am not weary he replied 1 I am puzzled I 1 hate mysteries the old complaint compla tut she yawned dawned with a ne new w reading tie he retorted 1 I have hovan bhonn myself ready as you must know he be went on to study your rather peculiar whims in every way but when it cornea comes to meeting you face to face at the club and receiving nothing but the st oniest of stires stares I 1 must admit that the situation grows beyond me I 1 am not well I 1 am not a disreputable acquaintance bm am II 11 she laughed quietly not in the least you belong to what they call in england the middle maddle close cloea aristocracy do you not two or three centuries old with a damp house in a park and nn an armful of undistinguished tit titles lear are you afraid to present me to madame de Pon ferer lere he be asked after a moments momen tg pause TeI fIed she bile admitted frankly because became ray my quarte quartering rIngs bre are insaf frelent I 1 might remark t that a my father a to Is the ninth earl and that I 1 an am III his only son BOH it Is not that at nil she assured him indifferently there la Is really no reason why we should not meet in a place like tills this on equal terms but my aunt la Is a woman with only one idea in her licad head and for the successful development of that idea it la Is advisable that we make no acquaintances whatever here bore there toy my lord dombey have I 1 not been kind to you I 1 would see more of you it if I 1 could because because in a place like this the escort of a man Is an advantage As it Is I 1 can assure you that I 1 risk a rood good deal in taking these afternoon rides if you knew how my life was and bow grateful I 1 really am to you for these few hours of escape you would feel more kindly toward roe me see I 1 give you my hand let us be friends it was the first time during all their acquaintance that she had accorded him the slightest mark of favor the touch of her fingers thrilled and surprised him ile he held her hand unresistingly for several then she aha drew it quietly but firmly away well that Is settled she said now talk to me about other things Is there no news at the rooms has no one been breaking the bank there was something I 1 was wag going to tell you gerald replied with it a sudden flash of recollection 1 I sat next nest to a man at dinner last night in ciros grill who they bey say broke the bank several times during the afternoon I 1 belleve believe they sold gold that he was a russian I 1 suppose you know all about him however 1 I 17 she exclaimed why should I 1 because between the courses otliss dinner he wrote a letter and sent it off by messenger he was at the next nest tuble table and it was impossible tor ivr me to avold avoid seeing the envelope it was addressed to madame de Pon ron lere she looked at him amazed to my aunt she repeated but we received no letter from any one last night what was this man like they sold said that he was it a russian and that ills his name was zubin gerald replied they also said that he had won two million francs in the afternoon nl I 1 she exclaimed with a little start describe him at once it if you please that Is easy gerald acquiesced lie he must hate hae been at least six foot three or tour four and lie he had bad tremendous shoulders lie ile was one of the most powerful looking men I 1 have ever seen in my life ile he had a sallow complexion a lined face black eyes and a mass of black and gray hair she put her hand upon ills his stop the car please slie she begged turn round as quickly as you can I 1 must go home gerald ran on to an adjacent widening of the road reversed the car t and bended beaded back for monte carlo if I 1 had known that roy my news was going to shorten our drive lie he grumbled 1 I have mentioned tile the fellow fellom at all illy sly friend she bhe said earnestly 11 what you have told me way may be of immense benefit for we ice to know you recognize the man then ile he Is probably my aunts steward she confided after a moments hesitation there you see I 1 am telling you secrets do you know whether lie he played last night 1 I was vas only at the club gerald replied ile he lid did not come there them Is there anything I 1 can do would you like me to go and look for him yes you might do that she said thoughtfully when you have dropped me drive down to the rooms if you find him there touch him on the shoulder say that madame de confere awaits him you will not forlet this ill drive there at once gerald promised lie ile set pauline down Rs as usual nt at the gates of her villa she scarcely stained to say goodby hut but her smile brolle was more gracious and her manner a little kinder it wp was obvious however that site she was disturbed by his Inform information atlon gerald incurious though he was at most times felt a growing interest in his mission arrived at the rooms he walked straight through to the cercle visited each roulette and rente et quarante qun rante table and strolled round the baccarat room seated next to the croupier at the most remote table mith etli a little crowd of people behind his chair and with it great pile of notes cotes before ilia him sat monsieur the russian was betting in mail mums apparently on some system and with varying success to all appearances pe arances lie he had bad not changed his clothes bathed or shaved since the evening before there was an untidy growth of beard upon his chin a bloodshot streak in its his eyes ills hla collar and tle tie were crumpled his hair over luxuriant at the best beat of times was unkempt and disordered gerald leaned towards the attendant seated behind the croupiers chair under pretense of handing him a small stake who la Is this mysterious lou and beautiful pauline who takes take on royal alre and who li Is this mysterious and nd arrogant russian TO BE BB CONTINUED |