Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-10-20

COUNTESS BEAUREPAlRE.


first time that he ever saw Kate Rivers
He was one of the stateliest young gen
tlemen that ever stepped, welded to al
the prophecies and conventionalitle'
with precision of manner that would
have been priggish had he not been o
such superb stature and shape that i
became almost rlajestic-had 1t no
been for his beauty Of countenance anc
for an intellect more than common. y
an old family of moderate wealth, witt
a good legal practice and with fine
political outlook, what fate, asked tn,
gossips of the air, led him to the eide o
Kate Rivers?"
For Kate Rivers was the very oppo
site of Mr.. Maurice in all respects
young, childlike, everybody's friend
with no perception of difference of rank
or degree, full of mischief and gayety
and light good -humor-a nature utterly
incompatible with that of the naughty
young gentleman who stepped on the
earth as if he made it.
One would naturally have supposed
that it would need be something quite
the antipodes of this that would have
attracted Mr.. Maurice; something cold
chiseled, with manners having the calm
glitter of an iceberg; and one could
only premise trouble if such incongru-
Gus elements rs these came together
That she should have admired him was
not at all remarkable; but what in the
world did he see in her?
He saw--on the bright May day that
he went into the country to call on his
stepmother, who was visiting there
and sauntering over the grounds of his
hostess, found himself in those of toe
next place-he saw child asleep upon
a bank of violets, rosy young girl
exquisite as a beautifully carved piece
of marble, with one arm tossed above
her head, rising round and lovely from
its purple pillow, the nut-brown hail
blowing all about the ivory brow and
bosom. He seated himself on an ole
vine-colored tree trunk and surveyed
her; and the more he gszed the more
intellectually that sleeping face wa
stamped on heart and brain; and he
was just becoming aware that he was
taking an enormous liberty, when she
opened large pair of half-alirayed blue
eyes, and he felt that the time in which
he had gazed was long enough to have
given him something like familiar &C.
quaintance.
"Can you tell me-" he said, in his
most reassuring manner, "on whose
grounds | am trespassing?'
''On mine, sir" said the young thing
half rising
"You are, then"
kate Rivers. And | suppose you
are my cousin Francis / heard you
were coming. Mrs. Stanton said she
should bring you over"
Fate did me that kindness first"
said Mr.. Maurice, gravely. But"
"Ah, WELL" she said, quickly, ''it
doesn't matter, so long as you are here
Mrs. Stanton said you would be so in
terested in the old manor, it has SO
many of your ancestors portraits on
the walls, as well as mine" And she
rose, and before he quite understood II
they were walking on together "Will
you come upY she said. Glow stupid
of me not to have asked for your fam,
ily Are they with you? Is your wife
well? Is"
'I-I haven't any wife, said Mr.
Vincent Maurice.
"No wife, What do you mean
Surely But here, probably lest he
might have lost his wife, and her words
be recalling painful memories, she
stopped herself, and ran after flower
she espied. THERE she exclaimed
81 knew there must be some left stillH
coming back presently with her hands
full of straw-bells. Don't you love
them?" she said. They don't know
whether they are flowers or grass, anC
they are so shy about it. They seen
to me to be full of all the happiness
that there is to be in summer"
Il suppose you find great deal o
happiness IN summer, then?'
ooh, always The days are not hal
long enough. Are they for your"
II don't know. Sometimes, perhaps
too long"
"Ah, now, you don't mean TO sa,
you're like that Mr.. Vincent Mauric,
who is coming to visit Mrs. Stanton
May | ask what is the matter will
MIR. Vincent Mau.;ce'"
His name, | guess. Vincent, con
quering-and he signs for more worlds.
"Blase2"
Il hate the word How can any
body be that in SO beautiful world a
this? How does any one man suppos
there is nothing more to learn or TO Ell
JOY in all this universe of beauty, {
art, of the secrets of science?"
And presently they We're deep in
discussion of fayorite ideas and theories
all of which the pretty creature ha
evidently thought for herself, whethe
wise or foolish, in her loneliness, &c
she was too young to have read or stu(
led much; and all the time that the
were talking she was darling off in pu
suit of leaf or butterfly, or of tn
greyhound that had joined them, an
returning to his side in confiding wa
that Mr.. Vincent Maurice found ind
scribably agreeable, with a sweet brigl
innocence that he had not met befoI
and all the time so beautiful Hel