Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-05-01

evening, pFoDapi1 ~ uihncrS lie nae
mentioned Charing Cross. 1t is absurd
"a suppose that he did not know what
train he would come by. The thing
seemed more ridiculous the more she
thought of it. OF course he knew when
he would arrive-but he did not want
her to. That seemed clear.
She walkeI up to the top of Wilton
Place, took u hanson, and told
the man to drive to the Charing Cross
hotel Arrived there, she entered and
said she expected a gentleman 10 meet
her in few moments, adding that she
would like to 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 10 be rewarded by u great
SUGGEST 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 case BY
any mischance she should come to
meet her own husband.
No one was in the coffee-room. 1t
was an hour at which meals were not
wanted. So much the better thought
Lady Lynx. she went to an armchair
in an obscure corner of the room and
established herself there, providing
herself with a 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 ia her little brougham. A
very short time after Lady Lynx had
settled herself in the coilee-room Mrs
Valery walked into the hotel and in
CURED whether count of an unpro
nounceable name had arrived. After
considerable consultation and much
mental effort the waiter informed her
that foreign gentleman, whose name
was like a sneeze, certainly had come
to the hotel, taken room and gone to
it,. But he had not said that he expect
ed a lady to see him, for 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, y
said Mrs. Valery, with laugh. "How-
ever, he expects me to interpret for
him. will write him line on this
card, if you will take it up 10 him.
will wait in the cotlee-room, and whom
he comes down show him in there
Mrs. Nalery wrote line in Russian
beneath her name, and then gave the
card to the waiter. 1t 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 q little nervous
about this meeting with man she had
never seen. Ii would be quite easy if
he we're nice; il he were not, it would
be horrid She thought to herself, as
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 n great hotel cotfee-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, as most foreign
ors are, in the first hour he 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, how long he
kept her waiting She glanced around
the room. She could Just see the top
of a black bonnet over distant arm
chair; lady was there reading 4 pa
per She felt glad there was no one
TO observe n pretty woman waiting in
apublic coflee-room for some one who
did not come.
At last the door opened and gentle
man entered quickly. Mrs. Valery saw
in a single swift glance that he was eX-
tremey handsome, tall and distin"
guished-looking and that he had the
air which one is compelled to ascriDe
foreign, for want of better word.
That is 10 say, though he was not very
Russian in appearance, yet he did not
look like an Englishman. Mrs. Valery
called mp 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
90 talk rapidly in Russian. He did not
answer uCT5 bUJ Lucu Sllc HdNC nm ~
time TO. for her nervousness made her
talk rather more than she intended.
He held her hand in his and gazed adj
mirngly INTO her face, which, with its
slight flush of embarrassment, was
even loyelier than usual. This went on
for two or three minutes, then Mrs.
yaerv tried 10 draw her hand away,
and looked about for chair, But her
new friend held her hand fast, which
discomposcd her a great deal, yet It
ala not s,artle her so much as the sight
which greeted her eyes rs she looked
around Lady Lynx had advanced
',eiihily and stood close beside them
Her face was awful Mrs. Nalery ut
Tered an iuarCculate cry Of aston
,auenL This made the gentleman
tooS around also. He Immediately
lropned Mrs Vtlery's hand.
"Now," SAID L dy Lynx, before any
one else had time TO speah-''now,
Mrs Ealery, / know you for what you
are
This speech produced q different
etge. from what she intended. Ger
t0H.y, FL startled Mrs. Nalery as much
F. .a hoped it would; but, before that