One Wonderful Night

lle on the parquet floor of the passage. The outer door wa

and the strong, vibrant note in his voice might well have won any woman's confidence, "but if you fee

with one swift

e powerless," she whispered. "And the

despite her Parisian name, was unquestionably American in every inch of h

p the hall-porter to ask if you wis

forth such a ridiculous mouse. Curtis did actually laugh; eve

e," he added, turning to Miss Grandison, "the man put me down as a newcomer, and,

led a state of piteous uncertainty and confusion that was more distressing to Curtis than anything which had gone before. Nevertheless, remin

aracteristic of plain speech. Let me explain that I am not married, that I have no ties which prevent free action on my part, and that nothing on earth will stop me from helping a woman who pins her faith to me. With that preamble, as the lawyers say, I purpos

ed by the hall-porter's errand had advanced him a long way in her esteem. "There are only two persons living who dare pretend to exerc

is quickly, for his active mind was already gr

es

fellow-passengers of m

on board the

discarded that

ficulty. "The Switzerland has broken down. We passed her early to-day. She is staggering into po

sure?" came t

acts were signaled by wireless, and, to some extent, they governed his own movements. I myse

glance at the overcoat, which he had placed over the back of a chair. To his dismay, he noticed that one of the sleeves, the left, was bespattered with b

wealth of brown hair which crowned her smooth forehead, almost hid her tiny ears, and clustered low at the back of her slender, well-shaped neck. Where the rays of light caught the coiled tresses they had

or more. Seating herself on the opposite side of a square table, and resting her elbows there

a very extraordinar

ile, wise in the knowledge that the

an in the world who should wish to secure my happiness has become my persecutor. I am here to-night because I have run away from my father, and I have

flective frown was deep

he cried. "Have you seen anyth

ndison?" he said, meeting

es

the Earl of

es

rom some apartment in the Rue de Rivoli, on the ev

t Ladislas

e-with Monsieur

ndly aid, but I was buying the security of his name as my husband, and he had given me hi

e coldness in her tone. He was

of guarante

e, his word

-a gent

ery other sense. He was

art that he might be crediting Jean de Courtois with motives which would not pass muster before a j

scertain that you were

ore a marriage license could be obtained, and it was unavoidable t

not married unde

d me that such a thing would

o some small legal penalty, but you would be just as e

en. Monsieur de Courtois made

rtis, divided now between the fear of shocking her and the paramount import

rried two days ago, but

lan, who, I take it, is with your father on board the Switzerland, have not arr

this afternoon, and he was jubilant because we had pl

e ceremony to

everything in the hands

for any reason connected with the license, he took that document from the table, where it had lain since he produced it, and affected to examine it judiciously. There

he monosyllable migh

irl, rising and coming nearer, to stoop over

said Curtis, who had suddenly become aware that the propin

, straightening her supple fo

its ease and clearness, found some slight difficulty in resuming the conversati

her huskily as to the first few words, "but would you mind telling

ur unhappy history is so widely known that there is no harm in telling you that my mother and he were separated during many years, and when mamma died three years ago she left all her money to me, absolutely und

ny," said Curtis, with a slow gravity

ives to force me into the power of a beast.... Yes, it sounds horrid on my lips, but the man is really a beast," and she stamped an emphatic foot on the floor; Curtis could see the white circles over the t

rget him,"

ld rather die than marry Count Vassilan, and again I would rather die than figure in a vulgar brawl, such as the newspapers would ta

her grief maddened him, and

ersonally are concerned, Lady Hermione," he said, making the effort of

is true.

way out of your trouble. Y

her eyes were glistening with t

ly mean that

d

tell me that the age

un," he said, though the

nly a brief half-hour? You see, I understand that you are a gentleman-I realize that, although

e agree

implies? You are merely to pose as my husba

es

are to obta

are,

stinction withou

erms save one-you, of course, can divorce me at your own pl

r an instant, indeed, she was somewhat disconcer

ould be different if I could repay you in some way. Surely, although you may be a wealthy man, there wi

y construction in China. I really don't see how I could

e make-

t of a child, and make-believe

take you at your word, how ca

de Courtois. By singular chance, the change of name is not such a w

rtis impressed her as a far more serious undertaking t

w where to get mar

tively small sum of money, New

y will be legal if you ap

e pos

unished if it

run th

had Lady Hermione Grandison been vouchsafed the least premonition

heart, Mr. Curtis," she said. "I must trust

is was an occasion on which hand-kissing was permissible, but contented himself with returni

al compact between us two?" she murmured, unaccountably shy, and seemi

happened had this husband only in name strained to his heart the bride whom he had vowed not to embrace. But Cu

"How soon will you be ready to com

ds rather dreadful, Mr. Curtis, to talk of marriage, even as a mere means of cheating the law, at a moment when a ma

he Fifth Cavalry during the

that interesting

h never retreat, and the habit

to put it on in the hall while her ladyship was rearranging

hings?" she whisp

e," sai

uessed it. Nobody can

Curtis, wriggling i

ime. What a piece of luck I

ione had joined them. Sedulously keeping that tell-tale sleeve out of sight,

. He appealed to the attendant when the elevator came up, but that worthy thoughtfully tickled his scalp under his cap, and suggested a consultation with the taxi-driver. Indeed, to

hey mostly can't afford 'em, but I do happen to know where one old gentleman lives,

r?" deman

et, near Seventh Avenue. Lives n

icle, which whirled out of sight in the pec

fter it, and tickled anot

s odd, too, that they shouldn't know where to go, unless they mean to pick up Froggy on the road. Well, wimmen is queer creetures, they are, sure, an' the English ones are just as q

ors, sniffed a keen wind which was rustling the last crisp leaves in Cen

two," he said, "so I'll just give the furnace a sha

rkable developments of a night already noteworthy for its strange happenings that the elevator attendant at No. 10

d not obtain, and the trivial space of time which was demanded for the shaking-out and re-coaling of a fu

for work. He burgeoned with delight when a servant announced that two young people wanting to get married were waiting in the vestibule; he hobbled out of the library, where he was poring over an essay on the Sixtine text of the Septuagint, and ushe

sperate hurry," he chirped. "Got the license-yes? Complied with all the forma

even Marcelle's aplomb yielded under this unforeseen str

What shall

r their discomfiture. He limped to

ing has no legal significance, but it is a fine old custom, and should be preserved. Among the Romans the ring was a pledge, pignus, that the betrothal contract would be fulfilled. Pliny tells us that the ring, or circle, was of iron, but the ladies speedily determined that it should be of gold, and the Church went a step farther in recognizing it as a symbol of matrimony. Hence, pe

rriage rite,

examine the license-my eyes fail me a little, but I take the utmost pains to be accurate, beca

s so calm and self-confident that even the prospective bride was deaf for a

t making so

looking her stra

of the defects in his other fac

and stick to one another in sunshine and in storm, and you shall be blessed even unto the fourth generation.... Now, all is in order.... Is this your witness?"

man appeared suddenly, having evidently wa

me Mr. Hughes had completed the ceremony, he had pronounced their names so often, and was so accustomed to their form and sound,

own daring. A dread that the tie she was so lightly assuming might be harder to undo than she had contemplated was fluttering her heart and almost paralyzing her limbs. But Curtis was unemotional as an icicle; or, at any rate, he looked it, which was all that the half-hysterica

tell, for certain, whether he wrote "Jean" or "John," "Courtois" or "Curtis," though, indeed, the balance of probabili

een paid for the ring, he handed H

rs. Curtis," he said. "May it be a cha

ttle gold ring on the third finger of her left hand was becoming intolerable. Iron, it used to be, said the minister, an

ipped him so lavishly that a queer littl

both you and your wife, and a s

one but a shell-back would put his

sake of breaking an awkward silence. They were descending a few steps from the door, and he noticed that a private automobile was speeding down the street from the same

d out. The street was rather dark in that part,

, and the fear in her voice

walk knew that a long chase had ended, or he fancied

"Got 'em, by --! You see after Hermion

There was no time to rectify mistakes. Curtis met his rival's onset with a beautiful half-arm jab on the nose. Scientifically, it was perfect, since the blow was delivered at the back of the Count's head with complete disregard of intervening tissues, an

acquaintance with the ethics of a street row, sprang at the automobile, pushed back a man who was

no real hurry to alight, because he had noted the Cou

cheerily, adding, wit

f we win clear.

five minutes he pulled up somewhere in Madison Aven

to no