Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-15
WOOING BY PROXY
4 rRENcn LOVE sroRY, WELL TOLD.

one Is leaning Dack IN uceD tIllllsOH
chair, with a white dress sweeping in
long shining folds about her. She is
talking to two or three men with that
rather weary grace he has grown accus-
toned TO see in her and which is so differ
ent from the joyous smiles of the Jeanne
de Beauien whom he loved so long ago.
He is watching her from the opposite
side of the salon as he stands beside his
hostess, and he tells himself that it is for
the last time He is going TO her pres
emily, and he knows just how coldly she
will raise the dark eyes that once never
met his without confessing that she
loved him. He knows just what he, will
say and what she will answer, and there
is no need for haste in this last scene of
his tragedy.
:" A man should know when he is
beaten, " he is thinking, while he smiles
vaguely in reply to Nine. de Soule's com
monplaces. ''There is more stupidity
than courage in not accepting defeat
while there is yet time to retreat with
some dignity. For six weeks | have
shown her, with directness that has, |
dare say, been amusing to our mutual
friends, that after ten years absence my
only object in returning to Paris is her
society. She cannot avoid meeting me
in public, but she has steadily refused to
receive me when ! call upon her, or to
permit me a word with her alone. /
have been fool to forget that all these
years in which / regretted her she has
naturally despised me- but at least it is
not just of her to refuse me a hearing
The moment he has been waiting for is
come The little court about her dis
perses, until there is but one man beside
her, and she chances around with look
of mild appeal against the continuance of
his society.
De Palissier has escaped from his
hostess in an instant, and the next he is
murmuring, with the faintest suspicion
of a tremor in his voice, 9 Will Nine.
de Miramon permit me dance Z"
Thanks, NJ de Palissier, but / am
not dancing this evening" she replies,
with exactly the glance and tone he ex-
poets.
g Will madame give me a few mo-
ments' serious conversation n and this
time the tremor is distinct, for even the
nineteenth-century horror of melodrama
! cannot keep mans nerves quite steady
when he is asking question on which
his whole future depends.
lone does not come to balls for
serious conversation she begins,
lightly.
Where may l come, then r. he inter
rupts, eagerly.
. Nowhere There is no need for
serious conversation between US, NJ. de
Palissier,n she replies, haughtily, and
rising she takes the arm of the much
edited gentleman beside her, and moves
away.
1t is all he has prophesied to himself,
and yet for moment the lights swim
dizzily before him, and the passionate
sweetness of that Strauss waltz the band
/ is playing stabs his heart like knife.
For moment he does not realize that he
is standing quite motionless, gazing, with
despair in his eyes, after Nine. de Mi
ramon's slender white-clad figure, and
that two or three people, who have seen
and heard, are looking at him with that
amused pity which sentimental catastro-
phe always inspires in the spectators
Some one touches his arm presently
with her fan, and with a start he comes
| to himself and recognizes Lucille de Beau
J JShs tnC AOulg SISTER III l0ult. u6 MI
ramon, whom he remembers years ago as
a child, and with whom he has dai 4
several times this winter
And our waltz, monsieur2' she ask.
! gayly. Do not tell me YOU have for
! gotten it. That is evident Tough. but
| you should not admit it, j"
Mile pardons, mAdemoiselle, he NUT
tiers, hurriedly.
: am very goou tonight, F" she says,
/ putting her hand on his mechanically ex-
I tended arm Though the w.ltz is half
over, there is still time for you to get me
an icen
So they make their way through the
salon, she talking lightly and without
pausing for reply, while he. vaguely
/ grateful to her for extracting him from
an awkward position. wonders also that
she should care to be SO kind to man
whom her sister has treated with such
marked dislike
The refreshment room is almost empty.
and she seats herself and motions him to
chair beside her when he has brought
her an ice.
Do you think, NJ lie Marquis. that it
was only to eat ices with you that have
forced my society so resolutely upon
| YOUR she asks, with look of earnest
ness very rare on her bright coquettish
face.
q think you an angel Of compassion
to an old friend Of your childhood, Nile.
Lucille
II was compassion, but more for nv
y sister than for YOU she SAYS Urava1v