The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-08-25

return and look for her fan, which sh,
had dropped; and as it led me towar,
YOU, / came willingly"
There it is" said Jeanne, sullenly
and as Roller stopped to pick it up, sh,
snatched il from the ground, and in an
instant her strong white fingers had brok
en- it into dozen pieces.
Roller caught her wrists "What ar
you doing that for ? he cried
Because said Jeanne" it belongs to
her,and because you came to look for it. y
She took the shreds and splinters in her
hand, and threw them with no ignoble
skill into the pond. fifty feet away.
Roller stared at her blankIy Was it
possible that rosebud Lillian ill-treated
this dependent? His heart swelled with
in him, as a mans heart is apt to swell at
the idea of injustice to ANYTHING young
and pretty of the other sex Does she
ill-treat you?" he asked.
Jeanne looked at him with fine scorn.
Do you not think she asked, in her
pretty uch-English, that / could
take care of myself from that-that little
thing? But tell you what, monsieur" /"
she continued as koller remained silent,
you need to take care of yourself. She
knows you are count. Bah, these
Americans !"
Roller bit his lip and looked annoyed
but at last burst out laughing, and then
sighed German sigh. Mademoiselle," T"
said he, do not deprive me of my only
friend. This Miss Lillian Burt Robinson
is kind to me when you are not. She
feels sympathy for ME, a stranger and an
exile /; you do not
Jeanne, being desperately in love with
koller by this time, could make but one
answer to these reproaches, which was to
burst into violent weeping.
Roller remained calm. He knew some
thing about women, and was not inorii-
nately disturbed by their sentimental
tears. He attempted respectfully. after
the Continental fashion, to take her
hand, but Jeanne rudely repulsed him,
and rushed past, saying, between her
sobs: " Yes, yes, youare the lover of that
little thing. Take her, and be happy.
Forget all about Jeanne Lefevre. | am
rightly served. The Germans have done
harm to me and mine from the first. |
wish l could hate you as | ought, and
and"
Roller saw her slim figure darting
ahead of him in the gloom.
As he walked slowly back, pulling his
blonde mustache, he concluded that he
really loved this little French girl, and
the only thing for him to do was to mar
~ her and take her back to Munich. In
the joy of the prodigafs return his par
ents would probably forgive him, and he
would be free from the prosecutions he
endured in regard to falling in love with
a certain Baroness Won kafelstein, who
had eyes like the bottom of a pewter
plate, and weighed twice as much AS he
did. 1t is easy to convince ones self of
the wisdom of what one strongly desires;
so Rollers mind was pretty well made
up before he reached the Burt Robinson
cottage.
Lillian was waiting for him in dark
corner ofthe porch. well, where is my
fan ?r
Koller's heart gave a jump. He had
forgotten all about the fam "I-I assure
you mademoiselle, earched-and-Im
sure it is not in the path, he added, with
sudden boldness, for it was surely at the
bottom of the pond.
You probably met the governess,"
said Lillian, with sarcasm in her smooth
voice
Il did," replied Roller, lamely.
"Ahir
She reflected it was now or never.
Roller, in his supposed position, would
never dare to'make the first advance to
her; that had been fully decided. Coun-
tess Maurice Koller-Well, it was worth
the stake and she had read in several
novels where the heroine had very sue
cessfully proposed to the hero, and had
been accepted. She rapily ran over in
her mind the general form of the pro-
position.
Roller" she said, dramatically, YOU
are poor-unknown-a wandering min
strel-"
Il beg your pardon, mademoiselle,
have a regular contract with the proprie
tor of the Brandon House, for four
months, beginning last June
That is nothing" said Lillian, vexed
TO have her exordium 50 disturbed. But
do YOU not see how it is? Do YOU not
feel for me?''
To have two women throw themselves
at his head the same afternoon was more
than even German stolidity could stand
Roller seized his hat and retreated to-
ward the steps.
'Mademoiselle," he said, earnestly, :" I
assure you feel for you To lose an or
nament like your fan, cherished for a
thousand tender associations, the gift,
perhaps of foyored lover-a-ah!- =
gone.
Lillian stood, angry and irresolute.
Just then she saw the lamps lighted in
the little drawing-roOm,a and Jeanne enter,
with Gwendolen tagging after her as
usual. 1t suddenly occurred to her that
perhaps it would be as well to send the
French governess home. She stepped in
through the open window.
"Fve been thinking" she said, amibly,
to Jeanne, that you might find it rather
stupid up here, and perhaps you'd like to
pay visit to your friends for a few
weeks. am sure mamma will agree to
it
But / have no friends nearer than
France" replied Jeanne, doggedly, sit
ting down and disentangling wonderful
piece of croeheting belonging to Gwen
dolen.
Then you can go down to the house
in Fifty-eighth Street"
But why doyou wish to get rid of me,
mademoiselle? Do / interfere with your
plans in any way 2"
Ii will be seen that the two young
ladies were rapidly drifting into quar-
rel. Opportunely Mrs. Burt-Robinson
entered