The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-09-29

his money aud his Boosting, can't I'M
press one as this quiet German does.
Impress? Whom does he impress
m IS, Ell? Me or your"
"Oh, have your joke, papa; but you
know what | mean perfectly" Dora
was never embarrassed about men. As
an American belle she had been too
long surrounded by admirers to treat
their existence otherwise than a matter
Of course. So she Strengthened her
tichu in front Of the glass quite coolly,
and met her own reflected eyes with a
calm acceptation Of their limpid beauty
that was something more dignitied yet
more vain than vanity its elf.
About the middle of the following
June, when the family were home from
th";r European :U,lr, and settle. x:
their Rockport place, Mr.. Warren an
nounced one day at the dinner table,
"I've letter from Count Won Held
Mrs. Warren, long unused to chang,
ing color, actually flushed with delight
and looked Significantly at Dora, who
returned the look with frank compla,
cency.
Phil, the only son, and future iuher.
itor of all the mill property, bowled out
in loud voice that was his most re,
markable characteristic: who's Won
What's-his-name, anyhow
Dora calmly explained, "He's Ger
men gentleman whom we met in Berlin.
and found very agreeable"
"ls he coming here, father?' de-
manded Phil.
Eyes, he is coming tomorrow.
Tomorrow, accordingly, he came
Dora hoated into the dra"ing-room,
lovely as a dream, dressed in white
muslin sublimated with Valenciennes
and directly from the hand Of Worth.
Won Held's blue eyes promptly paid
to such beauty the tribute of an admir-.
ing gaze, ever returning to her face, and
as often deprecating its own Unsuitable
ness. A queen couldn't ask a more
respectful homage, and like a queen
the American girl received it as self
poised as the foreigner himself and as
perfectly well-placed in the luxurious
drawlng-room as gem would be in its
setting.
VERY glad to renew your acquaint-
ance, Sir" was Mr.. Warren's greeting.
81 hope you'll get along with our plain,
republican way CT living
''Plain?" echoed Won Held. "Why,
this villa is one of the finest l ever saw,
and your grounds are almost an Eng
lish park. There's nothing here but
taste and opulence.'
"Well'-and the happy proprietor
smiled contentedly-"well, count, l
don't mind confessing this seashore
place cost me something like half a mil
lion. A little money, you know, buys
everything"
"So!" responded Van Held, resorting
to his useful German monosyllable.
The guest was soon at home in the
superb house, and filled it with plenty
of distinguished callers. Members of
the German legation dropped in. in
friendly fashion; so did the French and
Italian ministers. Dora conversed with
each in his own tongue; then she would
play and sing to Won Held all the sum-
mer evenings, while the perfume of
rare flowers and the food Of moonlight
made sort of witchery in the room.
The count said to her one day: 81
never cease to wonder at your varied
accomplishments, your taste, your per-
feet self-possession and perfect-pardon
me-" He stopped, checked by the
slow gaze of her brown eyes; but she
understood the compliment as plainly
and with less sacrifice of dignity than
if she had received it in words. "You
have nothing of what l expected to find
in this new country. You would fit a
European court"
Thanks" answered Dora, with the
languor proper to a much-betlattered
woman. 81 hope you won't be shocked
by such crudities as still exist in our
society here"
"Oh," responded Won Held, "under-
stand me, pray. I like all strong char
acteristics. Independence, freedom of
speech, originality Of thought, quaint
ness Of expression, l admire, even if
they are not always in the most refined
taste"
Dora smiled, and understo cd another
and subtler compliment that embraced
even her surroundings.
Won Holds patience with Phil, the
most noisy of Yankee boys, made papa
Warren remark, with significant
laugh: "Y u see, Sarah, our guest wants
to be friendly with all the family"
Friends the two certainly We're, and
went off on long tramps and fishing ex-
cursions together. On such occasions
the boy, finding the foreign name too
hard, addressed Won Held as "Mr.
Count" Or oftener with only the jolly
hail, 81 say!"
One day Phil screamed from long
distance down the river bank (it was
Pills popularity to yell his converse
ton across wide distances): "Mr.
Count, say, to-morrow's the Fourth.
You'll have to get up early if you go
out with me-"
"Oh yes, III get up. It's your ma
tional holiday"
"Bab and me always get up early to
fire crackers. Got bite?"
"No. Is Bah the dog?'
"Dog? No; Bab's a girl"
A laborer in a field across the river
looked up, and answered, "Hallo !"
thinking the remarks were addressed
TO him. CANT talking to you," Phil
explained, fortissimo, then trumped
out the information: "Bab is Barbara
Chase. She's my cousin. Her mother
is fathers sister. Her fathers dead.
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