The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-11-13
beuf, looking slightly relieved, though

bnuf, looking slightly relieved, though
she feigned supreme Indifference.
ga very trifing one. The fact is,
am very much interested in Lad,
Blanche Dulcimer," said his lordship.
'Ohl Is that SOP" observed Madame
Lebeuf, glancing at him sharply.
eyes, that is SO" returned Lord Ley
&onstone, with shade of embarrass
ment. "Her-her husband was &
| friend of mine. To come to the point
want to know the meaning of the
mystery"
"Quel mystere?"
"Come, you know what mean, Er
nestine! Where does the money come
from? She pretends you supply hel
with fine dresses out of gratitude, but
that I fatty declined to believe, having
the honor of your acquaintance" sale
| his lordship, becoming suddenly brisk
| and matter-of-fact.
'That is my secret. There is moth
ing to tell" said Madame, rather enig
matically.
"Well, there isn't much, because Tn
pretty sure I've guessed it; but I want
to make quite certain" said his lordship
"Why-what does it matter to you
Milor?" demanded Madame Lebceuf
sinking her voice.
''You were always curious, Ernestine
Supposing were to whisper in conf
dence that I contemplate marriage p
said his lordship, stroking his nous
tache.
''With Lady Blanche Dulcimer?"
"That depends" returned his lord
ship, meaningly.
''In that case, everything explains it.
SELF" said Madame Lebeuf Chow
much will you give me if I tell you?"
''Pshaw! you see 1 have already
guessed"
''4ou may suspect, but that is moth
ing. You want to know more. You
want figures" said Madame Lebof, with
conviction.
s'Well-yes. 1t comes to that after
ALL said his lordship, after thought
full pause. ''You are quite right, Ern-
estine. L am in your hands. Name
your price,
ga thousand pounds"
sIt is extravagant, but I won't hag-
gle with you, Ernestine," said his lord
ship. 'I will say a thousand payable
in six months after my marriage with
Lady Blanche, if it takes place. VIII
that suit you?"
''That will do"
every well then. It is bargain.
"One moment, Milor. I will take
your note of hand" said Madame Leb-
oeuf, unlocking drawer in the table
and producing q stamped slip of blue
paper in a very business-1ike manner.
''Hullo! Is this sample of your stock
in trade, Ernestine ?" exclaimed his
lordship, laughing, as Madame placed
the stamped paper, with pen and ink,
enticingly before him.
ssBah! You are not so simple as to
believe that ladies only come to me for
dresses" said Madame Leb@uf, con-
temptuously.
His lordship was tickled by she re-
mark and Madame's manner of uttering
it, and he paused with his pen in his
hand to laugh good-humoredly. Then
he squared his elbows, and wrote few
lines on the slip of blue paper, to which
he affixed his lordly signature, while
Madame looked over his shoulder ap-
provingly.
''Well?" he said presently, after care
fully blotting the document and hand
ing it to Madame Lebef.
The same evening Lord Leytonstone
proposed to Lady Blanche Dulcimer,
and they were married three months Ia
ter. Every one was amazed a. so pru-
dent man choosing a wife with no for
tune, and who must have been head
over ears in debt to Madame Lebeuf
into the bargain; but, then, nobody sus-
pected that Lady Blanche had invested
the money she received at her hus-
bands death in starting fashionable
and dressmaking business. 1t
would, indeed, have caused sensation
had it ever transpired that Madame Lee
beuf was simply Lady Blanche's agent.
The little Frenchwoman had the
reputation of being the hard
est woman of business and the most re-
lentless creditor that could be imagined,
while her money lending transactions
were marked by rapacity and unscru-
pulousness. A nice scandal would have
arisen had it become known that Lady
Blanche personally directed and super
vised all Madame Lebeuf's operations
while acting as tout among her unsus-
oecting friends. But, fortunately for
1er, no one but her husband had any
dea of the truth, and as Madame Lee
o@ufs business brought in 100000 q
year, he was more than reconciled to
MS wife's enterprise. Truth.