Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

Days of gentleman, escorted her gallantly into the shade of a palm, which grew close to the water’s edge, but at.some distance from the point where the boats were landing. “Mademoiselle,” said he, taking off his hat, and making ‘her a sweeping bow, ‘“‘it honors me to offer you the protection of my hand, and my heart also,” he added, with mock courtesy, and yet with a note of man- liness in his voice which the girl, giving him a quick glance from her dark eyes, was not. slow to recognize. “Monsieur is an impetuous lover,” she smiled, sarcasm, raillery, and pathos blend- ed in her low tones. ‘He wears his heart upon his sleeve.”’ ‘You misjudge me, Mademoiselle. No sudden fancy drives me thus to a declara- tion of tenderness toward you. Long since, when first I learned of this project of the Governor’s, I made up my mind to wed the first woman who stepped ashore, would she but have me. I, you see, am a fatalist. You were the first—and quite well satisfied I am, Mademoiselle, with the kindness of fate.”’ “Merci! You turn a compliment prettily. You offer me your heart and hand. I accept them,” and Cherie held out her hand to him, and grew suddenly shy when he took it and pressed it to his lips. “You flatter me, and raise me in my own estimation. I can not be so low a creature as I have sometimes thought myself to be, since you ‘ ‘Monsieur flatters himself,’’? she inter- rupted, laughing. ‘A Wie? “T, too, am a fatalist.”’ “T do not comprehend.” “T made an oath, when I turned my back upon all that lies behind me, that I would take for lord and master the first man who offered me that honor, were he the devil himself.” ‘You are frank, Mademoiselle.”’ ‘“‘As you were.”’ “Quite true. We are well met. bargain, then.” “T am ready when the priest is.”’ “I have no name to offer you, Mademoi- selle.”’ “T understand. Nor I one to surrender. I did that long, long ago, when all the world was young. ‘Thou art getting no vestal, Monsieur,” she added faintly, turning her face, her eyes upon the ground, while the blood mounted to her cheeks. It isa Morgan ie) ‘Thou can blush still, Mademoiselle, and so thou art not bad. I take thee without knowing, or caring to know, who thou art. If anybody from whence thou camest would have thee, thou wouldst not have come in quest of me. I do not desire thee to give me an account of thy past conduct, because’ I have no right to be offended.at it at the time when thou wast at liberty to behave either well or ill, according to thy own pleas- ure. Give me only thy word for the future; I acquit thee of the past.” He raised from his shoulder the musket which he carried. “This,” he added, “will revenge me of thy breach of faith. If thou shouldst prove false, this will surely be true to my aim.” She bent her head in assent. “And thou?” “IT will cherish thee and love thee and be kind to thee until the end,” he replied with increasing intensity, so that she looked at him, full into the eyes, then turned her head aside. When next he looked at her, her eyes were wet. He smiled at her and took her by the arm, as Nancy and Barney, who had been searching for them in the crowds, came up to where they stood. Cherie motioned to her companion. ‘“‘We are to be married,” she said simply, throwing her arms around Nancy’s neck and weeping. ‘Ah, Mademoiselle!”’ ‘““Mademoiselle!”? exclaimed the man, looking at Nancy more closely. “Mon dieul Pardon, Mademoiselle. I mistook you for a petit gargon. I assure you your disguise is perfect. Perfect! And—” with a signifi- cant glance at the rough crew frolicking on the beach—“‘if you will accept my advice, it is that you preserve your incognito.”’ “The advice is excellent,’? answered Nancy, “but unhappily it comes too late.” ‘Ah!’ a “The discovery was made on shipboard. I fear it is too late now to pretend to be aught save what I truly am, a very forlorn and unhappy girl.” ““Sacré! It is too bad. If that is so I greatly fear that before nightfall you will find yourself wed to one of these greasy cattle-hunters—and then, may God have mercy on your soul!” Nancy looked afar off to where the waters of the sea blended blue with the azure of the tropic sky. CoOMmMichoooks CO