Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-08-07


would like 20 wait in the coffee room.
Her heart beat with excitement as she
went in. Was she about to discover
something? Was the amateur detect
i've about TO DC rewarded by great
success? She gloried IN the thought
of how instantly she had seen through
Mrs. Valery S absurd story, which she
concluded had been told her in ease by
any mischance she should come 20
meet her own husband.
No one was in the cofiee-room. 1t
was an hour at which meals were not
wanted So much the better, thought
Lady LYNX. Sac went to an armchair
in an obscure corner of the room and
established herself there, providing
herself with u newspaper with which
to screen her face. She was now pre-
pared to wait for what time might
bring forth.
Meantime Mrs. Valery mad put on
her bonnet and driven down to the
same place in her little brougham. A
very short time after Lady Lynx had
settled herself n the cotlec-room Mrs
Valerq walked into the hotel and in
CURED whether a count of an unpro
nounccable name had arrived. After
considerable consultation and much
mental effort the waiter informed her
that foreign gentleman, whose name
was like n sneeze, certainly had come
to the hotel, taken q room and gone to
il. But he had not said that he expect
ed Il lady to see him, Tor the very good
reason that he could speak no language
but his own, which no one in the hotel
understood.
"Oh, nonsense! he speaks French, "
said Mrs. Nalery, with q laugh. "How-
ever he expects me to interpret for
him. l will write him line on this
card, if you win take it up TO him. l
will wait in the cotlee-room, and whom
he comes down show him in there.
Mrs. Valery wrote line in Russian
beneath her name, and then gave the
card to the waiter. IL was sent up
stairs and she was shown into the cot
fce-room. She went in and sat still a
few moments; then began to walk to
and fro rather restlessly, her eyes on
the ground. She was a little nervous
about this meeting with man she had
never seen. 1t would be quite easy if
he were nice; il he were not, it would
be horrid. She thought to herself, rs
she waited, that if one of her dearest
friends had not asked her to do this,
she would have refused.
Probably her sudden dislike of her
task merely arose from the depressing
effect OF being stranded alone in the
midst Of great hotcl cotiee-rOom and
having TO remain there. At all events
she resolved that she would be cordial
if the man looked at All nice; she would
not let him be chilled, rs most foreign
ers are, in the first hour ne spent in
England. And then she began to think
how kind his friends had been to her
when she was IN Russia. That gave
her new courage; but, oh, bow long he
kept her waiting. She glanced around
the room. She could just see the top
of Il black bonnet over distant arm
chair; a lady was there reading 4 pa
per. She felt glad there was no one
to observe {. pretty woman waiting in
apublic cofee-room for some one who
did not come.
Al last the door opened and n gentle
man entered qU!ckA. Mrs. Valery saw
in a single swift glance that he was eN-
tremely handsome, tail and distin-
guished-looking and that he had the
air which one is compelled to ascribc
foreign, for want of a better word.
That Is TO saw, though he was not very
Russian in appearance, yet he did not
look like an Englishman. Mrs. Valery
called up all her courage and pretty
manners and with an extreme nervous
ness which no one but herself could
perceive, advanced eagerly to meet
him. She held out her hand and began
10 talk rapidly in Russian He did not
answer her; but then .he gave him no
time to, for her nervousness made her
talk rather more than she intended
He held her hand in his and gazed adj
miringly into her face, which, with its
slight flush OF embarrassment, was
even lOvelier than usual. This went on
for two or three minutes then Mrs.
Valery tried to draw her hand away,
and looked about for chair. But her
new friend held her hand fast, which
discomposed her Il GREAT deal, yet it
did not startle her 50 much rs the sight
which greeted her eyes rs she looked
around Lady Lynx had advanced
stealthily, and stood close beside them.
Her face was awfal. Mrs Valery ut
tered an lnaHllculdlc cry OF ASTON
ishment This made the gentleman
look around also. He Immediately
dropped Mrs. Valcry's hand
Now, said Lady Lynx, before any
one else had time to speak-'now,
Mrs Valery, l know YOU for what you
arer'
This speech produced q different
effect from what she intended. Ger
tainy, it startled Mrs Valery rs much
SIS she hoped it would; but, before that
lady had time to speak, the handsome
gentleman said in an easy manner,
and with a knowing twinkle in his eye:
Then. my dear Kate, / wish you'd
tell me. | took her for an amiable and
very pretty Iunatic. Was right? Per-
haps YOU can tell me also if she speaks
any language but Hindostanee, or
whatever the unknown tongue Is that
he's been talking.
That frivolous tone is useless now,
Sir George, said Lady Lynx, with iron
dignity; lit has been tried too often.
4. 81 . t,s,, INIT