Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-20

of their niece, and proposed to adopt him as
Their He eeq tfe for a
black proved Italian cured, She
In short, this Imaginative Jehu had gone
his knife first in the pocket where he knew
that it was not, then In the pocket where it
was, and drawing 1t laeoriously out.
"Open the largest blade, please, James," said
Signing as If his heart would break, James
did as he was bid, and taking the murderous
steel between ms trembling finger and thumb,
presented the handle to his mistress. At the
same moment he stealthily let fall the reins,
and gathered his forces to be ready for spring
when inc e desperate young woman should raise
Mrs. Breton rose to her feet. So much the
better; he would be able to reach her more
readily. He held his breatk his mouth re-
manned slightly open. and he half stretched his
arm out and half turned toward her. She
stepped from the carriage. She was going to
XII herself there among the thistles, quite out
OF reach or bis saving arml
ON, cont, ma'am! himplore you, don't!"
James burst forth, quite beside himself, and
stretched his leg out over the wheel to Jump
Gown, adding, rather ANONYMOUSLY, "Soh,
:.Stay where you are, James, Mrs. Breton
SAID. with quiet authority; Il can cut them
thistles.
James drew his leg back from the wheel. took
up the reinS, and became coachman again.
Inc Ltoertd Osse1pdtore. and Fa,yutta, the
Cnree journals taken In at Casa Blanca rustled
mocklngly past In upper air, names OF kings
princes and cardinals printed in large letters In
Lhelr naughty columns, and Major and Mrs.
Ratured indifference.
Mrs. Breton cut thistles, tossing them into the
carriage, making little cutlery when her hand
II they had been roses, she would not have
looked at them, but she found thistles sinipa-
tcht In her present circumstances. Besides. had
one ever seen such thistles in all ones ltfe
reds along the roadside, and quite filling the
space from the road to the wall, each plant
thtckly set that their outer leaves overlapped
leaving not an inch Of earth visible. AS to other
plants showing their heads in that brilliant and
pungent society, they knew better. And what
leaves! Some were three feet long; all were
curled at the edges. and corded and Veined and
filmed with silver over and through their rich
green.
"If had Aladdins lamp" murmured Mrs.
Breton, 81 would order the genii to build me
palace with frosted silver colonnade, and such
leaves as these should curl over for capitals to
the columns, and run in a crlmped wreath
through the midst OF the entablature.'
She drove back to the city, her carriage laden
with the glittertng spoil, tossed all her flowers
into the court-there We're none from Luigi
fontana That day-and put thStleS in their
places. She filled the fireplace, the vases the
the feet of the little Cupid in the niche with
them Lastly, she put on black velvet dress,
the evening being cool, and fastened one of the
smallest leaves In her bosom with a ruby pin
set In the midst of 1t like drop of blood.
"Well, II that isn't hands off. l don't know
what hands off isl" exclaimed Major Graham,
coming in at sunset.
over the majors shoulder. as he stood in the
doorway, looked Signor Fontana's dark and
bearded face
Ibid you mean it for hands off ?" he asked.
In his measured tones, glaneing about.
81 mean nothing, except that the leaves are
beautiful" she said, looking at him wlstfully.
"Do not you think them sou
% Certainly" he replied in careless tone,
"But they are rather uncomfortable
She FLUSHED. 1t seemed to her that he had
fortable
While she was searching for the right word to
say he went to speak to her aunt, who was en-
tering the room. Again Mrs Breton blushed,
this time painfully. She recollected that, in
stead OF Looking at him with that pleading
greeted him brightly, and Immediately have
found urgent business somewhere else. She
knew how to do it beautifully now that it was
too late. The foolish th1stles, too! OF course
he took them as hint.
The poor little woman called up all the wis.,
dom and Self-control that she had learned in
her trying ltfe and courageOuSly began over
again, putting this new modification out of her
mind. She knew the value OF forgetting. She
was not broken-hearted, nor even deeply un-
happy, but she was hurt, and felt like crying
The call to dinner was welcome relief
There were good many people In Case BIZ
anca, who were intimate with each Other, chiefly
IOftstte' anu Iuty udu arranged 10 nave Ulolr
dinners together in large hall in the primo
piano. There were fifteen in all, and rather
gay company, and the Signor Fontana was the
only Italian among them.
He offered his arm to Mrs. Graham while Nina
walked with her uncle,
The dinner table was the scene of small daily
tween two gentlemen and opposite third, all OF
whom were determined either to f1irt with or
marry her. and the manner in which she steered
through these reefs, seeming all the while to b:
W q nf OBI
the innocent DeholderS. Such delicate and al
most fmperceptible Snubbing, such cool forgive.
ness, such frozen Kindness, such placid unconsci-
business, OF remarks plainly uttered and as
plainly repeated, never were seen before. And
when the daily battle was over the three would
rise from the table wondering If they had made
an inch OF progress either backward or for
ward. and Nina would have a private little
sigh OF contentment that she had passed un-
scathed another trial, and that no one could
say that she had behaved like flirting girl
In the OLD times, before that unfortunate bal
cony affair." she had caught the Signor Fon-
tanas eyes looking at her occasionally, and had
though that lie was listening; and during the
had been dazzled by that balcony moonlight he
had more than once mentioned the subject to
her, had complimented her on her wit and dig
nifty, and had suggested that she should change
her seat to one near him. They had had, In
deed, their first delightful make-belieye quarrel
because she had preferred not to change fer
nounced.
"They are as useful to me as knife. grinder
10 the kitchen folks" she had said to him. ST
Whet my Self-control on them. and my pride.n
But to-day she did not once look in Signor
Fontana'S direction. When dinner was over,
she rose very promptly, and while the others
fingered In groups about the dining room,
speaking few last words before separating,
went directly to her own sitting-room. 1t was
beside her aunt'S, and though the door was
usually open between them, there was no dam
ger o. any gentleman coming in without an in
yltatton. Signor FOntana would not have taken
the liberty before dinner II her uncle had not
Brought him.
She seated herself and thought-thought
deeply and seriously. Her little foolish grief had
passed away. She was a baby no longer but
woman; and She knew that she could live and
be happy without the Signor Fontana- He was
Kind, very kind sometimes; but she had found
that he could forget kindness when his pride
was touched, He mad been cruel to her now
sic had to own. He knew that she had had q
sad life, and he knew that she loved him, yet he
had been severe with her. How often, in spite
OF his affection for her, had he shown haughti-
ness, and how many times she had made hum
Bile and coaXing apologies for trifies! At the
time 1t seemed nothing for she was generous
and loving but summing 1t all I'D now it
seemed to her that she had been treated as
beloved subject who must not presume as an
equal
There was a little tap at her door, and Mrs.
Graham put her head in. "Signor Fontana
wants to know If he may come in and speak
with you minute, she says.
Nina consented with some trepidation. OF
course she knew what that meant. ''If he should