The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-09-26
THE LIONS CLAW.

Julien de Rhe, lieutenant in the navy, had
come lack in a sad condition from his eXpe-
dition to Cochin China; and when, after three
long months of illness in his Touraine home, he
grew strong enough to walk a few yards on the
terrace of the banks of the Loire, with his moth
err and sisteron each side of him-how lovingly
they had nursed him, the good souls!-those
shivering fits still came over him sometimes II
the autumn winds were colder than usual
"You should go to Pau for the winter" said
the doctor; 1.-THE climate is mild and not too hot
just the thing for you-calming and soothing;
and you will come back to your mother, IN three
months time, a man again"
And so it was that, toward the middle of No
vember, Julien dc Rhe, leaning from his sun
lit window in the Hotel Garderes, looked out on
the sublime panorama Of the Pyrenees, putting
the while at those cigarettes which seem so de-
licious to a conyalescent, and fell TO thinking OF
those he had smoked formerly in secret between
decks on the Borda. They brought back all the
sensations Of his sixteenth year.
''Why, the placeis full 0 fpretty women, said
the young fellow the first time he went out to
listen to the band in the Place Royale, and to
stroll in the sun in front OF the statue of good
King Henry; and though he was neither a
Hbsftine nor a fop, the sailor, beginning to en-
Joy life again, dressed himself in his best cap,
and his frock coat with the three new gold
bands, and the rosette of the Legion of Honor,
that his mother hau brought to him when
he lay in bed so i'll that he never hoped TO
wear it but once-on the black cloth Of his
coffin.
lt had been a good idea, all the same, to come
to Pau. How beautiful it was-the sun that
warmed without burning, the blue heavens
the wild landscape, with ITS far-off boundary
of hills, and beyond its snow peaks rising into
the sky! And how amusing it was to stroll
about in that cosmopolitan crowd, among the
fair foreigners, and listen to their voices talk.
ing every language in Europe, and mingling
together like the different songs Of the birds in
ar aviary. 1t is true that there were some dis
agreeable sights as well-such as the young
Engliahman, for instance, IN the last stage OF
consumption, who was wheeled about in q
little carriage by his servant, wrapped in
shawl and comforters; the Englishman who had
eyes like 4 boiled Goldfish, and wore y black
respirator over his mouth. All! it was enough
to make one shiver. And then after the first
movement of plty-men are such cyclists
Julien remembered what he looked like him
self when he landed st Toulon, as thin as
u skeleton. with circles around his eyes like
two rings of chocolate; and he thought
that now he was cured, he had had o narrow
escape.
And Julien de Rhe felt thatit was a good thing
10 be alive, 70 breathe the soft warm air out
there in the sunshine, well dressed, freshly
shaved, and proud of the rosette at his button
hole. And be gave money to the beggars,
gazed after the pretty women who passed
him, and az last stopped, feeling quite soft
ened at ths sight, to watch the pretty little
American girls, In black stockings and gloves
and floating white dresses, who were dancing
in 4 ring around one Of the trees of the Place
Royale, to the tune OF the doubfe-quick
march which the band was playing.
He was just ready to fall in love, this happy
convalescent and il wac a case Of love at first
sight the day he saw Mademoiselle Olga Bar
barine the most beautiful girl of all the Rus
sian colony, jump from her horse in front of
the Hotel Gassion, whore she lived with her
mother,
1t was five o'clock ia the evening, and she
had just returned from the aunt The five or
six admirers, in pink, who had accompanied
her had jumped or their horses together, to
help her down. She took the first hand that
came. and as soon as she was OF her horse,
she Knocked on one of the tables in the veranda
with the handle Of her riding whip, and CALI
ing for a cup Of milk, which She drank at o
draught stood there q moment, laughing,
looking like some goddess Of old with her
slender form distinctly outlined as If nodded
N her black riding habit, and the waves of her
shining aubHrn hair loosened from her mans
hat and falling on her shoulders. She held
her empty cup ia both hands, satisfied, and,
as Y wsre. Intoxicated by the fresh beverage,
and behind her the setting sun lit up her gold
en- hair till II e~ncircled her face like q halo.
Then, suddenly growing grave again, she
put down the cup on the table, gave a slight,
dts9-inful bow 10 the group in pink, and walked,
with q Queenly step, into the hotel, tapping
her boot with her riding whip.
Three DAVIS later Jnlien de 10 had
spent his time asking his friends, ssWllo il
sheg ! am madly in love with her; I adore
her, etc, was i~ntroducad--not a very dificuli
matter-to the Barbarines, and made one OF
the squadron Of sdmirers Of the beautiful Rus
sian
Was she really . russian, this Intoxicating
creature, who bad been galloping about all day
and WALKING all night, ever since the b~eeinnins
Of the season? Yes by her reputed father
her mothers first husband, the Count Bafba
xlne. But every one knew the mother baf
boon divoroedI 5nst at the very time OF hel
d2ughSer.s birth, and that Madame Barbarine
whose father WAS a New York banker nance
Jacobson had long kept up q iaison that was
almost public, With 4 northern prince-sSml
Christian or Oscar. Had she any nationality
THE child who had been brought up. by turns
IN 4 Scotch nnlserys In Q convent AT Naples. Il
= school at Geneva; VINO had slept half he
nights on the cushions Of express trains. an.
"a whose memory az IN 4 slereoscope. ther
WAS nothing hut a succossiOn OF v,a{erino
places, sc4-xldc touns, winter cities, and ofhe
places Of fashionable resort to which. for III
l4ef hfteen Years. heg mother~-still 4 hanaaom
Woman. IA spite 81 the eruption on her face
szakI carried her 'blase person, her emu f.he
>1o tountfy, this strange girl. Who. with al III