Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-02-12

renewing my acquaintance WIN ms le uiute
de Valdor," she said rapidly in French.
What folly !" said the stranger 10
italian with barely pcrceptible glance in
the direction Of Tom Archer.
"Have you learned no discretion, carra2
Present me to thy friend, amazed
There was shade Of command in the
voice, which made Tom look ready to knock
the speaker down; he noticed that Kath-
leen's hand trembled as she raised her
handkerchief to her lips.
81 beg Mr.. Arohers pardon she said
with bitter smile; :" let me present the
Comte de Valdor, an acquaintance Of mine
at Geneva. have altered 50 much as to
be beyond his recognition"
" Mademoisclle must be more generous to
my stupidity" said the Frepchman bowiug
ia response to Toms rather stiff saluiatiou.
" | am Of men the most miserable at my
gaucheric. Monsieur intcrcede for me-
" Are you going to visit the Macdonalds,
Comtc p said Kathleen brusquely.
have that honor," returned the i'm.
perturbable stranger.
" Then may / beg you 20 excuse Mr..
Archer and ! 7 The house is just before
you, We will resume our walk"
Nothing could exceed the naughty iuso-
leneo Of her tone. Tom glanced at the
girl in perfect ames<sssat. But there was
no rvsvntsasns in v isps's polite acceptance
Of his dismissal -fndecf, Tom could have
sworn he saw lurking amusement IN his
smile, as he left them.
" don't know what to say to you, Mr..
Archer" began Kathleen, hurriedly.-
You are thinking all sorts Of dreadful
things of me, no doubt
No." said Tom, quickly. " But |
am sorry that you did not know that
speak Italian almost as well as do
French
Katheens color changed.
hate that man !" she cried, passion
ately. For q moment she half resolved to
tell Tom the whole story of her acquant.
ance with Valdor then she remembered
Hayward Somors, aud felt, instinctiyoly,
that she had no right to make a confident
of any man but him, so she drew a long
breath, aud began again.
knew him at Geneva, when | was at
school she said. {" Mr.. Archer, please
do not looked so pained. I'm in dread
ful false position. | cannot explain it.
Do have a little faith in me-" Her voice
trembled she looked so child.like in her
distress that Tom fell more desperately in
love than ever.
won't ask you a question: said he,
" but that fellow looks troublesome. Prom
Use me that if there is anything which
can do to help you, you will let me know ?"
And Kathleen promised, and then they
went back to the house and found Valdor
comfortably installed on the piazza, devotng
himself to Mrs Macdonald.
Victor, seventh Comte de Valdor, was a
thoroughly bad, unprincipled man. His
ancient name gave him the entree into the
first circles of Paris, and there honest Paul
Macdonald had met him, and been so
charmed with his fascinating manners aud
handsome face, that he had given Valdor a
bluff, hearty invitation to visit him in
America. And the time had come when
Valdor could only retrieve his ruined for.
tunes by a grand coup, so he bethoughi
himself of the beautiful young girl, whom
fate had been cruel enough to throw in hi.
way one summer at Geneva, and about
whose charms hung rumor Of heirship
Kathleen would have opened her innocent
brown eyes in wonderment could she see the
triumphant smile with which Valdor placed
in his trunk little packet of six letter,
written in her pretty school girl hand, ant
) tied with bit Of rose-colored ribbon.
! But before ni4vu ~ ~ ,...d passed. Na,u
leen began to feel as if a net was CLOSING
around her. Somers had thought better o
quarreling with her, and was only too cage
to be reconcled when he saw Valdor's Do
yotion, who, with the prestige of his Pa
= risan success, and the aroma Of title tC
drive the women crazy with, bid fair t
cast the all-conquering Somers into the back
, ground. Naldor admitted that he had me
her abroad, and looked such unutterabl,
, mysteries when he said it, that Somers wa
! seized with frantic fit Of jealousy. VIVA
business had the Frenchman to be hanging
. over her chair, and usurping his place
7, Try, as Kathleen did, to avert the storm. i
came at last--and it was worse affai
, even than she anticipated.
, The Van Deusens were to have fete
aud as the Van Deusens were very gran,
i. people, their iute was to be totally unlikl
a any other iete which the human mind ha,
- ever conceived. Ii was an afternoon affair
!, with ball in the evening, aud, as TIN
. places were fifteen miles apart, the entir
A party Of the Mcdonalds were asked to sta
a all night in the Van Deusen mansion. Kath
leen was not so much impressed with tn
o honor as she should have been-indoed, he
!. remembrance Of that ponderous family il
). Washington, last winter, was not calculate,
to raise her spirits to any undue hight-bu
n she owed it to herself to appear at her bes
!, and she did So blooming out to surpass
ing beauty at the ball.
There were three scions of the house o
Van Deusen, each more lank, ponderou
e and ungainly than any other variety of tn
e human species, and Wilhelm, the superla
tive degree of the trio, elected to open tn
# dance with Miss Glare, proceeding whc
d struck terror to the soul of Mamma Va
II Deusen, who hated Mrs Wexford cordially
If aud included Kathleen in that charmn
sentiment to the last degree. And VII
o helm was so ponderous that the girl aC
q tually gave Naldor a gracious smile, whe
e he came toward her at the end of tn
!. dance--a smile which Valdor chose to il
d terpret ia a totally wrong sense.
d She realized how imprudent she had bee
when she found herself waltzing with hir
b "a proceeding which she had carefully d,
RI clined hitherto. His triumph shone in hi
t. eyes aud terrified her she stopped abrupt
and pleaded fatigue.
if There are lights in the conservatory,
y Valdor said softly leading her in thl
direction and before she realized bis pul
A. pose he was pouring passionate avowl
it OF love in her ear.
"Come WALDORF" she said haughtil,
N 4" this is very unsuccessful aud very rdicl
70 ous as well. You are saying less tha
D. nothing to me. don't see how you dare I
presume on the school days at Geneva.
81 believed in you then, | was very fond
you then in a dreamy way" A scarl'
s. blush lit her face. She hesitated. Pra
lie do not distress me any more. You hay
ID some letters Of mine.."
IN "Well2' Valdor's smile was cruell
le significant "Go on, cara"