The Silver Butterfly

k. The Thursday which Hayden had regarded as so remote was actually here, and he, opening his eyes to the fact after a sound ni

n certain facts, touch certain clues which might change and direct his whole future existence. As he dressed he caused

f the law. And all his diligent efforts to find the owners of the property had been in vain. Then he had come to New York, largely to enjoy a long-anticipated vacation, and before he had had time to make definite plans and decide upon the best methods of prosecuting his search for

extravagant fad; but what was the inner meaning, if indeed there was any? Yet, look at the matter dispassionately as he would, he could not rid himself of the idea that these delicately fashioned, fluttering things had a significance. Well, perhaps the day would disclose it. There was no use in his attempting

t was that there was nothing definite in these reports of Marcia's engagement to Wilfred Ames; and there were secret intimations prompted not of his vanity, but

tself only in a more calm and leisurely demeanor; but when on stepping from the elevator he realized that his hands were like ice, he was for the moment irritated at his lack of nerve, and then he quickly bolstered himself up with the reflection that the day of destiny comes only once in a lifetime and

m through a narrow hall and into a small reception-room where she r

and sunshiny. It was furnished with several comfortable chairs, and a large round table in the center of the

and then the dark-eyed, rosy, white-capped maid reappeared a

e for Hayden to enter, letting the portiere fall noiselessly behind him. But Robert instead of advancing and taking a chair, a

-toned background, were painted the bare trunks and branches of leafless trees, a forest of them apparently, so admirable and so illusive was the perspective. The eye seemed to plunge into interminable forest

ment was scantily furnished. Two or three chairs, a small table or so. On one of these tables was a bronze tripod upholding a crystal ball and a silk cus

l black gown, the mantilla and the mask. It was the most effective of disguises and yet, it was negatived, nullified by a positive force of p

to his note and speaking with a marked Spanish accent meanw

edly. "The waif of the wind! The lovely di

am and Mademoiselle Mariposa were identical; but a personal atmosphere is unmistakable, and in spite of her excellent and efficient disguise, Hayden felt instinctively that this was no delicate and wistful

palm-reading, the crystal-gazing or both?" she asked, and although the words were the usual commonplace phrases that she probably repeated a

to her question, and falling in wit

resting." Without waiting for his answer, she lifted the crystal ball from i

ariposa were not the hands of Marcia Oldham. Marcia's hands, as he had particularly noticed, were small and white, with very pink palms

ne-teller began to speak in low familiar contralto tones, tones so n

, Indians--much work in building railroads in many lands. Ah, clouds, clouds, clouds! Now they clear a little. Oh, senor, it is mountains again, ranges of them. They become more clear, always more clear, and now your figure. I see you very plainly. You are in the mountains. You follow a little trail. It winds curiously among the rocks, twisting, turning

to its tripod. "I thought so," he said. "There, mademoiselle, I believe we can tal

the brink of music and falling in sparkling cascades into an o

as you desire me to know. But you forget, mademoiselle, that you revealed your rather wide knowledge of my affairs the other evening over the telephone. By the way,

"nothing more, I assure

e up matters where we dropped them the other evening?

ied suddenly. "You are right, quite right. It is an opportunity

ls of it which sprang thickly about her brow and neck. The mask which concealed her face was held by a ribbon tied at the back of her

se, s

hining like gold in the warm, yellow glow of the moon skylight, curled abo

thank

ief, and looked up, encountering Hayden's curious and admiring gaze.

d to win it. All she asked was the game, the game with the odds against her. Cool, resourceful, she was concerned with neither doubts nor scruples. To such natures all roads lead t

and rare shade of olive. Her mouth was large, merry and inscrutable, with a particularly short upper lip, a mouth as reckless as Mercutio's. It would be difficult to say which impression predominated, beauty or force of ch

then touched an electric bell. It was answered by her private secretar

n that time, tell them that it is impossible for me to give them a reading to-day. Make other appointme

tch shut. "Now we can talk. I fancy you are quite right. The cry

d the other evening, we shall probabl

Several of t

ncluding butterfli

even teeth. "Including bu

ty which, I assure you, would otherwise continue to com

of prescient reserve. He could see that if not actua

do you

catch you tripping in that faultless accent of yours. It must be

r. Hayden, if not in blood, in kind. That kind that is so much more than kin. You are here to-day, there to-morrow. The doom of the wanderer is on you, and the blessing. Take it on the word of a fortune-teller." She spread out her hands smiling her wide

senorita, and a student of Kipling. We brothers

demand their secrets and they will not withhold them.'" She mused a moment. "One must learn from all sources, knock upon every door. When I weary of gaining wisdom from the ant or considering a serpent on the rock, or the way of a man with a maid, why, I turn to

ts of his hair. There was the vaguest something in her smiling gaze, the merest flicker of an

f looking about her cautiously as if it were a state secret of the most tremendous importance. "B

ct might be The Veile

e diplomacy, as a master of fence might his foils. "You, Mr. Hayden, have been lucky enough to find the lost Mariposa, the lost Veiled Mariposa. Is it

true," Hayd

ize a company and begin to operate the mine or rather group of mines, for the reason that you can not secure

t do you know, I think that you are wrong on one point. I think, indee

still questioned

would like to ask them. They may regard it as an awful i

the nature of t

years now, they should have let a valuable property remain idle. Even if they have the wealth of Midas it is s

zzle?" She was looking steadily at a r

a faint ring of triumph out of his tone. "This, senorita. There

on his, eager, almo

uble and expense of attempting to do so. That they have allowed the estate to lie id

for the sake of argument

if either of my suppositions is anywhere near correct their hands are tied

ou and I should add,

better," he echo

died her nails, pink as al

ced, that this lost or abandoned mine is all

of it, and I know that it contains a fortune. A fortune"--he struck

tulate you, 'O gallant knight, gaily bedight, in sunshine or

der height, and made him a curtsy, a flower bending

e did you find Eldorado? That's the history a daughter of the road wants to kno

cascades down to the ocean of melody; her sun-flecked eyes held the heart-w

Some one actually longing for a traveler's tal

iness of the mind, perhaps of the senses,

d except as a matter of business. You are k

n by the movement of a finger, and yet, the whole expression of her figure became suddenly

ommon sense, mademoiselle," he said shortly. "Of course, I made a map, and h

ourse, na

answer reassured him. He did not not

etary stood on the threshold. "It is half-after four o

ut, senorita, when do you think the h

anwhile I will communicate with you. Oh, by the way, in private and domestic li

made in Spain; in color it is red a

s description. "The Roma

"How did you know my travel

Good-by." She held out her hand. "You can't sa

hat evening at the Gildersleeve. But a further surprise awaited him; for just as he reached the door leading from the apartment the rosy and sm