THE SUNDAY BEE; OMAHA. JULY 23. 1022.
The Romance of a Millio?i Dollars zeie-
By Elizabeth Dejcayis
wci. shinning; M ini- kiii lie was
to he (ml oil no longer.
Itdnre the dance was over hi
Stopped suddenly and drew lit'r
into the conservatory, lie took
hrr to a touch behind the p.ilms.
"Now I want my answer." he said.
He put his arm about her; r the
moment lie looked at Rniu
llieikl "What is it. Mane?"
Marie had determined oil hrr an
swer, hut suddenly her resolution
failed her. "Monsieur have pa
tiriix ami wait a little, until
A wild look crossed hit face. "I
won't wait!" He caught her to him,
kissed her again and again, pant
ingly, her head bent back against
hit circling arm, his hand beneath
her chia holding her lips to his. He
held her in a grip of steel. "Are
you his or mine!" he panted
gainst her lips. "I will have my
answer 1"
Marie lay perfectly still. When
he lilted his head and looked down
t her she lay motionless and with
eyes closed. She looked strange;
her face looked pinched and
shadows circled her eyes.
... He loosed his hold. "Marie!" he
laid sharply. "Look at met"
She drew herself up slowly and
pressed her hands to her face, but
she said nothing. There were long
moments of perfect silence.
West's flush had faded. "What
Is it?" he demanded. He looked
like, a man who had lost everything
on a throw of the dice.
Marie drew a long breath, then
she straightened. "It is only that
I know now how greatly a man
can suffer. I wish to be forgiven
that I have not understood." The
cotor had risen slowly to her
cheeks and her eyes grew brilliant.
"I have put uncertainty away for
ever and the man who is despic
able. I feel happy." She slipped
her hand into his, her head bent.
"Monsieur do you not under
hand?" He had" not realized until her
hand lay in his. "Marie!" He drew
her to him, breathing his relief. "I
thought I had lost!" He regained
iiis usual self-control. "If you arc
happy, I am the happiest man alive.
I know you well, little Marie if
you say you are happy, that you
have put away a man who is un
worthy you are speaking the
truth." He took her hand and
kissed it; took a ring from his
pocket and slipped it on her finger.
''It's a Dunbarton-Kent ring, my
father's gift to my mother," he said
gravely.
Marie looked at it, a cluster of
diamonds in an old-fashioned set
ting1. "I am glad it is of the fam
ily," she said softly. She lifted her
hand and pressed the ring to her
check, turned her lips to it and
kissed it, then looked at him with
(hilling eyes. "To your family I
aiall give devotion and you I shall
fry Jo reward as you deserve. And
bow, monsieur, I wish so much to
go to my room for a little and
think of what has happened. Will
you excuse me for a little time?"
West laughed softly. "You are
quaint being, my little Marie.
But you're much of a woman:
,vhen I let myself go, loosed my
hold on the caveman, i won you;
and now you want to dream a little,
ahut away in your room. But I
want to talk of the future.
When?"
He had stopped abruptly. Marie
had not noticed, but West had
seen through the screen of palms;
.Walter Greene had conic into the
conservatory ,and was looking
around him as if in search of
some one. "I'll be back in a few
moments, dear," West said hur
The $10,000 Beauty
that she hadn't had any expenses
so far, which, of course, was lit
erally true. But they took it for
a beautiful gesture, the final per
fect touch of the southern aristo
crat. "The joke of it is. you know,
that Marguerite wrote the story
that impressed you so much in ab
solutely good faith. So many well
bred southern people talk badly
that there was nothing in the girl's
speech to give her away. And all
the rest of the minutiae fitted in.
Her dress, her air, her reticence,
even her wanting nothing but cof
fee for breakfast.
"But about 11 o'clock they
brought her around to me to pho
tograph, and after she'd sat for
about IS minutes she began to
cry. When I asked her what the
matter was she said she was hun
gry. She was, of course, simply
starving. She'd been too excited
to eat any lunch the day before.
She hadn't had a chance to dine,
and the reason she'd declined
breakfast was because Marguerite
had handed her the bill of fare
and the sight of the prices had
paralyzed her with horror. She
had 22 cents in her ribbon bag at
that time and she wasn't dead sure
that she wasn't expected to pay
for what she ate. Naturally I took
riedly to Marie "Please don't go
till I c.itue back," and he went to
Waller Greene.
The detective said something to
him, then they left the room to
K''t!ier. Marie's hand went to her
heart. '"In my happiness I have
forgotten!" she said half aloud.
She sprang up and started to
follow t hi in. She had almost
reached the banquet room when
some one caught her by the arm.
"Wait a minute, Marie An-,
goulemc."
It was Bella who. had stopped
her. "I want to speak to you," she
said cooly. She was dressed in
street clothes and carried a hand
bag. She looked as if ready for a
jouriey, and Marie remembered
that Bella had said that she was
leaving that night, before the
party was over.
As always, Bella aroused vivid
antagonism in Marie; unconscious
ly she brushed her arm where
Bella's cold fingers had rested.
"Speak quickly, then, mademoislle
I wish to go to my room,"
Marie returned curtly.
There was a mocking, gleam in
Delia s eyes. "I was going to ad
vise you to go after I've told you
something that will interest you.
Come over here behind the palms
where people won't see us."
Maria hesitated, then followed
her, and Bella said, without pre
ambel"The jewels are going to be
turned over to Aunt Bulah tonight
in exchange for $500,000." Then
her lip curled in scornful amuse
ment at Maria's suddenly widened
eyes. "Mrs. Smith has done pretty
well, hasn't she, behind your back?
Aunt Bulah got their offer last
night and accepted it, and today at
nocyi she got a note fixing the
place of meeting the cottage, at
half past two tonight. They give
her permission to take two people
with her she's going to take Has
lett and a detective. It'll be an
interesting meeting I thought
youd like to know," Bella added
sardonically.
Maria said nothing. She looked
at Bella with eyes that did Tiot see
her; she was thinking.
"I knew you would be interest
ed," Bella continued with cool en
joyment. "I thought you might
like to have this key to the cot
tage," and she held it out to Mane
in the palm of her hand. "You're
not likely to let her walk off with
him and $500,000 dollars. It's a
considerable sum, even when di
vided by three."
Marie looked at the key, then
she took it, but she did not utter
a word.
Bella turned to leave her, the
smile still curving her lip. "I
won't keep you from 'your room'
any longer. Let us hope that some
body cleverer than either one of
you three hasn't double-crossed
you. Goodby, Marie Angouleme."
Marie paid no attention to her
going; she hetd the key tightly in
her hand and stood still thinking,
her little face carven. Five hun
dred thousand dollars! And worse,
an abominable scheme, theft and
extortion, being brought to a suc
cessful conclusion! Had she not
said to West, "To your family I
shall give devotion?" Marie's lips
tightened and her eyes grew hard.
She watched for a few moments,
until there was no one in the con
servatory, and then she stole out
and went quickly through the ban
quet room and the music room
and cut across the drawing room
into the hall. No one stopped her;
in the ballroom they were dancing
the last dance before supper, the
, waiters were arranging the chairs
her out and fed her full. And in
the course of the next couple of
hours she told me the story. An
amusing one, don't you think? Dif
ferent, anyhow, from the one Mar
guerite printed."
And here Zachary unlocked his
legs, looked at his watch, and
yawned, under the impression, ap
parently, that he'd reached the end
"Good Lord!" I cried, 'you can't
stop there."
But Zachary apparently thought
he could. At least, he pretended he
did. All the response I got to my
first attempts to learn what had
happened to the girl since was a
vituperative attack upon my pro
fession. He said he thought most
short story writers and he didn't
even in mere politeness except me
ought to be in jail, and would be
if the courts took proper views in
the matter of responsibility. We'd
be found to be accessories before
the fact in about half the non-professional
crimes that were commit
ted nowadays. We poisoned peo
ple's minds with romantic ideas
about what they were entitled to.
He went on at great and tiresome
lengths about this and I'd about
given him up when he swooped
down to earth again and snatched
Rosemary Brown's case as an example.
in the banquet room, Mrs. Ihmbar-ton-Kent
was at the far end ot
the drawing room, talking to some
people who were leaving. Ilaslett
was not with her. but Willed
stood not far away.
Marie gained the upper hall and
her bedroom door; her hand was
on the knob; then she paused,
startled, for she heard some one
speaking in her room. She recog
nized West' voice, raised in anger:
"This is some of his work I tell
you. What is the use of asking
why he did such a thing? Why
has he done a dozen other unac
countable things. Aunt Bulah wilt
never forgive this last outrage, nor
will I. Let him ever dare to show
his face at Kent House again!"
Marie did not go in. She flood
close to the door and listened. It
was Ilaslett who answered sternly.
"The pearls have been here; thev
have been hidden here. There is
the proof of it look at those pieces
of chamois and that ring that was
overlooked. The pieces- of chamois
have the imprints of pearls. The
jewel box that held the collection
was bulky the jewels were wrap
ped separately so they coutd be
put into this narrow space in her
trunk. I'm not accusing anybody
.but you can see for yourself
where jewels have been. Greene
made the discovery it was under
stood when h.e came out here he
would make a final search. He re
ported to you, and not to Mrs.
Dunbarton-Kent, for she's at the
breaking point as it is."
West's voice wa?, milder. "Yes,
of course. But I know Marii had
nothing to do with it. And there's
nothing we can do except to wait
and see what happens tonight. The
important thing is to get the
jewels."
"But will we get them? Who
ever took them out of this trunk
was in a hurry, a thief relieving a
thief of his plunder, it seems to
me."
"Or Breck taking them from the
place where he had put them,"
West said impatiently. "Doubtless
lie had his reasons for putting them
there, and certainly there is a good
reason for his having removed
them they have to have them to
night" It was Walter Greene's voice
that cut in. "I went through that
trunk when wc got it from the
boarding house two months ago.
There was no double bottom to it
then I'd take my oath on it. And
no pistol in the. trunk, cither. It's
an amateur's job, anyway, the way
that lining's been taken off and put
back. Any one could detect it.
Miss Angouleme would have, if
she ever went to the bottom of her
trunk. Perhaps she might throw
some light "
"Mention Miss 'Angouleme's
name again and I'll throw light
into you!" West interrupted furi
ously. "I know what he's capable
of any scheme to discredit her I
I've felt from the beginning that
they'd do her a harm if thev could.
She has no more idea that her
trunk ha been tampered with than
Aunt Bulah has. Miss Ango
leme's as honest as the day any
one who intimates anything else
shall answer to me!"
"There, there," Haslett said.
"o one is intimating anything.
I want to get the pearls tonight
that is all that's worrying me. We
can do our investigating and sus
pecting afterwards. Greene, put
those wrappings hack in the false
bottom and put hack the lining
as nearly as possible as you found
it. Put the ring back, too, and the
(Continued From 1'ima Four.)
"What happened to her?" he
quoted accusingly. "What could
happen to her? The girl was a sim
ple fanatic. She found out that
she was of age in Illinois and that
disposed of the last chance, if
there'd been one, of her going
back to Bowling Green.
"I got them to take her in at
the Carolina I've some friends
there who promised her a wing
and she settled down as serene as
if her $10,000 had been as many
shares of bank stock. Outside the
way she spent money for clothes
there was nothing silly about her
actions. It was just her funda
mental idea that was insane. She
was living up to that southern
aristocrat stuff that Marguerite
had wished on her. Some day a
beautiful young prince was going
to leap from his limousine on the
boulevard and fling himself at her
feet.
"I wanted her to get a job be
fore the last of the celebrity died
out while the getting was good
but it was weeks before she would
listen. Nice and friendly and
grateful and all that, but complete
ly impervious solid ivoryj At last,
though, I picked up something
that interested her.
"You know Braddocks, of course,
the big advertising, agent. Well,
pivot. Pack the trunk just at it
was, unit put it hack til the loei
where it wu. We'll go, and yon
can lock the door again. Keep
close u.itch on this room, and
Jones will be watching outside,
WillctH is going with tit to the
cottage."
Hasletl and West were coming
out, for Marie heard the key turn
in the lock. She sprang away
front the door.
Across the hall Bella's door stood
ajar, offering her shelter, and
Marie reached the room and closed
the door just as Haslett and Wc-t
came out of her bedroom. As on
the train, Marie stood braced
against the door: as a farewell the
enemy had dealt her a telling blow;
fastened suspicion on her, and sus
picion is a difficult thing com
bat; there had been good reason
for Bella's look of triumph.
It was some moments before
Marie moved from the door. Bella
had left her light burning; the
room wore a denuded look: and
the little things a woman collects
about her were gone. Evidently
Bella had taken ail her belonging.;.
For a few moments Marie walk
ed the floor, her clenched hands
pressed to her burning temples.
She was angrier than she had ever
been in all her life before, a pro
found, settled rage, a consuming
sense of outrage that demanded
reparation. "A doublccross," Bella
had said; well, it would be some
thing more than that! But she
must not stay here her plan
would succeed only if she was care
ful. Walter Greene would come
out of her room in a few minutes
and be on the watch; both he and
Haslett suspected her; they had
always suspected her.
Marie put the key Bella had giv
en her in her bosom. Then she
set the door ajar and looked out
The door of her room was closed
still, and she saw no one, so she
stole out and went downstairs.
There they were still at supper,
and Marie went to the card room,
where refreshments were being
served, and jat between Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent
and Mrs. Granveston.
The latter said, "My dear, your
eyes look like great black saucers
and your cheeks like two flames,"
and Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent patted
her shoulder. "Don't tire yourself
out go to bed whenever you want
to."
But for her own flushed cheeks,
Mrs. Dftnhartou-Kent would have
looked haggard; her eyes were
strained and tired.
Then West searched her out and
she danced with him several times,
smiling softly at the things he said
to her. At last Marie went to
her room and West went with her
to her door. It was 1 o'clock. "I
am most sleepy and tired Marie
sighed wearily. 'T shall sleep so
soundly even thunder could not
wake me."
"You've promised to tell Aunt
Bulah in the morning, Marie," he
said, and kissed her.
"Yes, she promised again; her
eyes were almost closed.
But when alone, with her door
securely locked, Marie was wide
awake. She turned on the lights
and drew down the window shades.
Without instituting any appar
ent search, she made sure that
there was no one hidden in her
room, in her bathroom, or in her
clothes closet. Then, with her
closet door half closed, she opened
her trunk and took from it her
chauffeur's uniform, but she wast
ed no time in examining the trunk.
She took out the pistol, hesitated,
By Henry
he was going to launch a cam
paign on a new condensed milk
Cornflower is the name of it. He
wanted a cornflower girl. Exclu-.
sive, do you see He was going to
teach 50,000,000 people to associate
that face with cornflower milk and
with nothing else. He was willing
to pay a hundred a week indefinite
ly for a year, at least.
"Rosemary didn't bite at that
hard, but she agreed to go and see
Braddock about it and she came
back from his office all signed up
and with that kind of look I've
told . you about, as if she were
walking in her sleep. I didn't know
what sort of fool idea she might
have in her head, but I warned
her that Braddock was a married
man with a couple of grown up
children. She said she knew that.
She'd met the "son that afternoon.
He'd come around, while she was
waiting in the outer office, to see
about getting an advance on his
allowance. Well, there it was!"
"I hope," I remarked severely,
that you warned the father at
once."
"Xo chance," said Zachary. "He
went up to Charlevoix for a month
that same day, and it certainly
wasn't my fault that he left young
Jim behind. And when the boy
began hanging around the studio
then put it li.uk attain in the
trunk; her rhaunVurS uniform she
left on the floor of the closet. Go.
tug back into her room, she un
dressed, donned her night dress,
and, goiiii to the window, raised
the shades; any one who was
watching; without would have a
glimpse of her in night dress and
with hair down. Then she turned
out the lights and got into bed.
But Marie did not stay there; in
let than 10 minutes she crept out
cautiously, and, as many and many
a time when a light would have
been a target for a shell, she
dressed in the dark. She twisted
up her hair in a knot and put on
her chauffeur's uniform, even her
thick leather driving gloves. Then
she went to the window, crawling
on her hands and knees, and when
she raised her head cautiously
above the sill and looked out. The
guests had not all gone yet; there
were several cars collected beyond
the porte cochere.
Marie sat crouched and saw one
car after the other circle the drive
way and watched their tail lights
vanish in the park. There was only
one car left. Mrs. Brant-OIwin's
limousine, and her chauffeur was
having trouble with it; he could
not start it. Mrs. Brant-Olwin
stood in the porte cochere .and
West tried to help the chauffeur
discover what the trouble was.
They both gave it up finally, and
ir was arranged that West should
take Mrs. Brant-Olwin home in
his roadster. He brought it from
the garage and Mrs. Brandt-Olwin
climbed in laughingly beside him.
Her chauffeur seated himself on
the running hoard. Then the
roadster slipped along the drive
way and disappeared in the park.
Some one turned out the light in
the porte cochere; there was dark
ness and quiet on that side of the
house.
Marie crawled over to the door
into the hall and laid her ear to
the crack. Presently several peo
ple came upstairs and went into
Mrs. Dimbarton-Kcnt's room;
Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent and Has
lett, possibly Willetts with them,
Marie thought, and they would wait
there until it was time for them
to go to the cottage. It must be
1 :J0. Green was on watch in the
hall, probably, and Jones might be
stationed where he could watch her
windows. But she would have to
risk that; she dared not delay any
longer.
Marie stole back to the window
and cautiously straddled the sill.
She reached and laid hold of the
ropes attached to the flag pole
w hich she had noticed in the morn
ing. Gradually she drew herself
out until she hung by her arms.
There was a moment of smothering
terror lest the ropes should break;
they gave a little; her body sank
suddenly a foot or so lower than
the window sill, a sickening sensa
tion.' But she clung to the ropes
then let herself down hand under
hand, setting her teeth against the
agony in her strained shoulders.
She reached the ground at last,
and she sank down in exhaustion;
until her arms ached less, she could
not move. She lay close pressed
against the house, smothering her
heavy breathing, dreading that she
would be discovered.
But she was not molested. Then
she began her crawling progress
across the lawn, across the drive
way, and into the park. She crawled
on hands and knees, lay flat every
now and then and listened, then
crawled on.
(To Be Continued.
Kitchell Webster
I thought I might as well use him.
He was keen on posing and he was
a- lot more the type I needed for
that work with her than anything
else I could hope to get.
"It is a bit awkward," he con
ceded, avoiding my eye and try
ing to maintain a false air of un
concern. "How well Braddock
will like having his daughter-in-law's
face plastered all over the
LTnited States in condensed milk
advertisements I don't know."
"Daughter-in-law!" I echoed
feebly. "Already!"
Zachary nodded. Married this
morning. And came into the boule
vard studio to have their pictures
taken. Didn't know they were go
ing to find me there and were as
startled as I was. I hope Brad
dock does forgive them," he added.
"I took about $200 worth of pic
tures of her, in her wedding dress
and so on. She wanted a whole
set to send to Amy Belle."
What I couldn't forgive Zach
ary for was his revolting hypocrisy
in talking virtuously to me about
accessories before the fact,- and
thia I plainly told him.
"Well." he said, prettv meekly
for him, "with a fanatic like Rose
mary on your hands, you're lucky
to get out at that."
(Copyright, l?:.)
