Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-09-30

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 1 ever saw
and your grounds are almost an Eng
lish park. There's n thing here bu
taste and opulence."
'WelP'-and the happy proprietor
smiled contentedly- well, count,
don't mind confessing this seashors
place cost me something like half mil
lion. A little money, you know, buys
everything"
''Sow responded Van Held, resortine
to his useful German monosyllable.
The guest was soon at home in the
superb house, and filed it with plenty
Of distinguished callers. Members d
the German legation dropped in. II
friendly fashion; so did the French anC
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 d
.are flowers and the flood of moonlight
made sort of witchery in the room.
The count said to her one day: q
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 thar
if she had received il in words. "You
have nothing Of what expected to find
in this new country. You would fit a
European court"
Thanks" answered Dora, with the
languor proper to a much-befiattered
woman. Il hope you won't be shocked
by such crudities as still exist in our
society here"
ooh" responded Won Held, under
stand me, pray like all strong char
acteristics. independence, freedom OF
speech, originality of thought, quaint
ness Of expression, admire, even il
they are not always III the most refined
taste"
Dora smiled, and understood 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 a significan:
laugh: "You see, Sarah, our guest wants
to be friendly with all the family"
Friends the two certainly were, and
went of 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, Il say
One day Phil screamed from long
distance down the river bank lit was
Pills peculiarly to yell his CONVEX a.
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, I'll 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"
"Dog2 No; Bab's girl"
A laborer in field across the river
looked up, and answered, "Hallo !"
thinking the remarks were addressed
10 him. "Ain't talking to you," Phil
explained, fortissimo, then trumped
out the information. Bah il Barbara
Chase She's my cousin. Her mother
is fathers sister Her fathers dead
Shes awfully poor We amt. But
she's nice girl. She's seventeen
She's little taller than | am. I'm
thirteen. I'll soon catch up to her"
I'm glad to be in New England on
your great national holiday" said Won
Held TO Dora that evening.
ooh, you mean the Fourth of July
Let me see. It's tomorrow. Such u
dreadful bore But we keep out Of the
blare and glare here. Fortunately the
grounds are large"
Then you do not care for the
day ?"
"Only children and the lower orders
celebrate these dreadful national fetes
Of course patriotism must be popular
lied, and this is the unpleasant, noisy
form it takes"
"Gou are entirely cosmopolitan; you
have no national enthusiasts, remark
cd Won Held, politely observa 1t. Then
he strolled across the lawn to smoke u
cigar
While he was gone box arrived by
express. Mr.. Warren ordered it
brought in, and explained Its full of
iire-crackers for Bah"
Surely, papa" exclaimed Dora,
that child Bah isn't coming here to
morrow ?'
"Why not ?"
Because she's such queer, plain
little thing, that
Samuel, you ought to know better, =
demonstrated Mrs. Warren, ethan to
let Count Won Held see such girl rs
Dora's cousin"
Nonsense Bab's not very stylish,
but she hasn't got money To buy that
sort Of thing. She's my sisters child,
anyway. and | mean to give her all the
irccrackers she wants. and place to
fire 'em oil in" Mr.. Warren was con-
scious of having done but little prae-
tcally for his niece, and was tena-
clous Of doing something sentimen-
tally.
Its your own fault, snapped the
wife, with an energy born of her new
ambitions, "if the count is disguised
with such queer-looking relations
Barbara was dressed in common
coarse blue flannel when | last met
her said Dora.
Don't you worry about the count, :
Mr.. Warren answered. soothingly.
I've shown him all the mills and the
Boston house. He's no fool He won't
mind Bah any more than he minds
Phil. Moneys money, my dear :;
moneys money.
The family (as ill-mck would have it,
We're seated that evening in full light.
the weather being rather cool and into
the parlor came the dreadful Bah
dressed in the condemned blue flannel.
II was an old dress, and not pretty nor
was Bah II very pretty girl. She was
rather small had warm reddish hair
dressed III two hard. ungraceful braids;
good, fearless gray eyes skin slightly
freckled nice dimples, little cleft
chin and fresh childish mouth.
Il came for my tireerackers, uncle. y
she said
There was murmur of introduce
ton, she bowed to Won Held, then,
with a laugh, tucked the box under
her arm. and throwing back some Jest
at the uncle, who saw her off from the
front door; she ran away across the
lawn toward the village.
The next morning at breakfasts Won
Held remarked. phil ana | have
been enjoying the Fourth of July.
I've been to the village, and I've fired
off crackers with your cousin, Miss
Miss Bah. rs You call her.