Life — September 28, 1905 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LDF E= ‘An English lady, whom I found sitting quietly on the third rail, powdering her nose.” the passengers was an English lady, whom I found sitting quietly on the third rail, powdering her nose. As 1 ap- proached she looked up with an adorable smile. ‘Will you very kindly gather up my maid and put her decently together?’ she asked. ‘It looks so shockingly un- tidy to see her lying about in every direction. That is her foot, yonder, and that is her arm, I fancy. She is very much scattered, is she not?’ with a trill of irrepressible laughter. “I heard only the sweet seductive voice. saw only her smile and failed to notice the shallow insincerity of her speech. “While piecing out the maid as well as I could, Ko-ko, the lady’s dog, an engaging animal when not annoyed, leaped upon my back, and scalped me as neatly as an Indian “That cemented a friendship between the lady and my self, Fool that I was I loved her and T thought that she loved me; but [ discovered that she had embraced the Mormon faith, and that I was but one of many. How ever,—" breaking off abruptly, point. Each of ts must wear a tiara.’ “T detest tiaras.” cried Bil; one.” “We will wear ti goat and he yielde ¢ straying from the “T never wear The firm tones impressed to the stronger will Cuarter X The first evening Loaded spent in Bilgoat’s apartments, he met Bilgoat’s wife Grieve Bilgoat was a woman of rare beauty, and she was dressed with exquisite art in a gown of the same pat- tern as the wall-paper, thus harmonizing delightfully with was dressed simply, but her her ‘roundings. Her h long eyelashes were exquisitely marceled. Loaded noticed that she did not come within ten feet of him, and that her delicate nostrils expanded and contracted in an unmistak able sniff. “You have changed,” she said softly. Almostly unconsciously he ran his fingers over the nd touched the tiara, Yes, I have changed,” he answered shortly. Then I shall speak plainly,” both pain and pride were in her gaze. ‘or more than two years I have known that you ate onions, and that you have given up your coun- try’s welfare, your own ambitions, your wife, in order to find meaning in James's novels.” Her voice faltered. “You must believe me,” he said slowly, “for the last three weeks I have not eaten one onion nor read one line of James.” Cuarrer XXXI. Loaded had been invited to dine with Lady Handsup and now quite by mistake he found himself in her home. As she came down the room, he recognized with a thrill of horror that she was the Englishwoman who had sat on the third rail after the accident. Lilian Handsup wore a simple little gown of embroid- ered cloth of gold which matched the aureole of her hair cat-like eyes. murmured, “won't you take off your and her bew! “Dear Jack,” tiara and be quite at home 2” Thanks,” he said quickly, “I never take off my tiara.” “But just to please me,” she urged. In his embarrassment, he leaned forward. The action was fatal. Lilian snatched the tiara from his head. How long she gazed at the bald spot he could not tell. Then she said very slowly, “Ko-ko’s teeth marks. You are not Jack Bilgoat, and 1 believe you are wearing a mask, al- though I have no real proof.” She had given him a clue. He laughed gaily, “Prove it.” he cried, “tell people to believe that I wear a mask, when the: n't see how it is fastened on, Tell people that because I am wearing a simple, little diamond tiara irri. “For more than two years I have known that you ate onions.” comicbooks.com