The Silver Butterfly

te r

ved indeed a day of destiny. It had brought him the assurance of a hope, the confirmation of a hesitant belief that the owners of the lost Mariposa were within reach and, better still, were

even conscientious Marcia who worked painstakingly at her pretty Little water-colors every day, would not have left for her studio. He would throw dice with Destiny again to-day and push his luck. With this determination, he rang up the residence of Mrs. Oldham. There was a moment or two o

she proba

ht he not join her and walk up with her, and would she not be leavi

ot? Fate again honored him, she would b

dazzled over the gold of the Sherman statue, sparkled in the harness of prancing horses, and brightened the whiteness of the great hotel. It was early in March, which, by the way, had decided to enter like a meek little lamb this year

run high in his veins the fever of acquisition, and Ydo's personality had disturbed and stimulated until she had wrought in him a sort of mental confusion. But Marcia at his side, smiling in the shadow of her plumed hat, the familiar violets nestling in

at makes you look a little p

have been painting the greater part of every

eem to you who are alwa

acations. But tell me how y

he said, "yesterday afternoon at

untarily, and then meeting his surprised gaze, the co

t, he was at pains to s

the circumstances. "Yes, she gave me quite a long rea

irely recovered herself. "And are

ffer. The most rabid persecutor is merely the reverse side of the bigoted proselyter. Upon me rests not the curse

, and took refuge in the conveniently inexpress

Fortune is alway

e declared, "and you are laughing, laughing, to

demoiselle Mariposa, I can assure you; and to show you my faith in her prophecies, I a

aps w

ind no interest in

rd! I do not see why you say such things. Why should you fancy

er and more luminous gold, were in a net of bare, black twigs. The

cia." His voice low and unsteady thrilled her heart. "I reali

louder than the patter of their feet on the concrete pavement or the dis

mmonplace days straight into Arcady. Flowers bloomed, birds sang, and the soul of the spring was in their hearts. But, curiously enough, though they were in Arcady, they were also in th

"Why is it absurd?" And her

o ask you to let me love you, to forgive me for telling you of my feeling for you, and believe me when I tell you that I would not have had the courage to mention the subject if I did not feel almost sure of a change of fortune. I don't want to tell

s materialize," she said half-teasingly but still tremulous

e particles of gold in the air. To-morrow, next day, the day afterward, we shall h

very rich cake myself. Suppose the cake should not turn out particula

people still hastening to and fro. Arcady was

. "Oh, Marcia, I can't be certain, I'd try not to. I couldn't bear to see you

are spoken of me, by Mrs. Ames, for instance, or Horace Penfield, or even Edith Symmes? Do you fancy any word of that tittle-tattle escapes me? Sometimes it is repeated, or hinted in malice; sometime

ent I could stake my life on this, that any--any mystery that might seem to exist was not of your making or choosing. And I want to assure you of s

p hastily. "Come, see how late! It is growing dark and the lights are beginning to twinkle out, and they tell me, even if you will not, that it is time I ran home and got dressed. I'm to dine at Bea Habersham's to-night. You must come in with

but I could not possibly take advantage of your kindness." If the wit of this sally may be judged b

r tone, "that some one has been to see mother this afternoon.

king her a present," suggested Hayden, fired by inspiration. "Women, ch

nfusion crowded with swiftly moving vehicles and cars, for they had now left the twilight

came upon a region of many brilliant shops and sidewalks cro

th gravity. "We will take her a swanboat, or one

agrant fancy, and at last decided upon an elaborate French basket of pale-blue satin covered with shirrings of fine tulle. The lid

suring Marcia that every one they met would be sure that he was carrying home the turkey for their Su

let me guess your age," looking at him with keen

te Youth, just eighteen. No doubt to your dulled materialistic vision I ap

o me," she replied. "What do you

"that you also fancy you and I are strolling abo

affirmatively

a leopard with a wreath of roses on my brow, and you, sweet Oenone, are wandering with me

arcia significantly, "I am glad

ation to all the effects of the picture she wished to create, and now sat in an especial chair in an especial part of the room, a vision in pale gray and orchid tints most skilfully mingled. Her feet, in orchid

s great package. She stretched out a hand for him to take, not disarranging her pose by rising and thus

Hayden to you. Give him some tea, won't you? I'm dining at the Ha

in. Marcia is the dearest girl that ever was, so lovely and attractive. Oh, dear, yes. But," with an upward glance of resignation, "quite young people are apt to be thoughtless, you know, and Marcia's social life is so much to her, and indeed, I am selfish enough to be truly glad that it is so; it really is a great bond between dear Wilfred and herself; but of

but I've been thinking about you. Look! I carried this enormous

gerly to unwind the various tissue-papers which concealed it. The last of these discarded, she placed the basket i

hing. Sometimes it was just a flower, or some fruit, and again it was a jewel. You can't fancy, Mr. Hayden, no words of mine can express to you his constant thought and care for me. You take lemon in your tea, do you not? I thought so. I always remember those little things about my friends. And he had such faith in my bu

stand now, not impossible."

alk that way I shan't give you another cup of tea, no matter how hard you beg. But where wa

yden vaguely, wondering how soon he c

t more thrilling th

d dryly. "I didn't know

exceptional woman. "I found it not only thrilling, but often so romantic. I do not see

he amazement her mental pro

mantic subjects to me," he said dubiously; "but

rove it.' Now, I distinctly remember Mr. Oldham telling me of a most romantic business matter. A lost mine of almost unthinkable value which was on an old est

s only that it is so interesting. Do

euse. "Well, there isn't much to tell. I've forgotten the details, and th

spite of himself. "This is so intensely interesting,

"I don't know," she said vaguely. "

assure himself that it had no bearing on The Veiled Mariposa, gave himself

ertain facts? The butterflies, for instance. Did not those jeweled ornaments symbolize in some delicate, fanciful way, Marcia's way, her ownership of The Veiled Mariposa? And would not that ownership also account for the much-questioned source of her wealth? He stopped with a jerk up against a dead

of reason, he could not escape the conviction, unfounded but persistent, that those butterflies were in some way connected with the ownership of that distant lost mine. And this purely intuitive belief

s you say: 'One can not be too careful.' Oh,

of all her gentleness, and the capricious, wayward, challenging Ydo? A bond sufficiently strong to permit the affectionate familiarity of first names? He had from the beginning believed that Ydo had some interest in the property, although he had never bee

her bosom, and the chain of butterflies about her throat. She looked more radiant than he had ever seen her as she stood before them drawing

her critically. "A new gown, of course. Ho

own into Marcia's eyes. "After all, a simple whi

imple is the last word to be applied to Marcia's frocks, Mr. Hayden. It's a g

an almost frightened expression, and then, with eyelashes lowered on her cheek, went sil

have shown me any of her pictures. She paints, paints all day long, and yet will not give one a glimpse of the r

Mr. Hayden of your pictures, Ma

sense of Mrs. Oldham's words being fraught with some ugly and hidden meaning. In her voice there had been manifest an unsuspected quality which had revealed her fo

her gloves; and Hayden stood, miserably uncomfortable for a moment, and then was forced to doubt the correct

tired of always seeing you with some kind of a butterfly ornament. You never showed the slightest interest in

he orchid and gray lady lightly on the top of the head. "Have

ng white coat Hayden held for her a

m sure, almost dead sure, it's going to be a nice, well-baked, plum-y cake. If it is won't you promise to

ll not. I will never give you a definite answer until you offer

ping the electric. "And this, and this!" touching lightly the ermine on her cloak and the jewels at her throat. "No." He shook his head doggedly. "I won't. I know what it means and you do not. Lovely butterfly"--the tenderness of his voice stirred her heart-strings--"do you think that I could bear to see you beaten to earth, your bright w