River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-04-26

the presiding goddess of slavish and
fascinating coterie. The two or three
American girls admitted into it had
dropped off rs the season advanced.
and Miss Dslia alone remained the
idOHzed center of attraction Of her
''beaux." rs she called them.
The most conspicuous of these. der
own team" were French VieOmtc.
an Italian Marches; aud German
Baron; without one or. all three Of
these she was never seen in public.
The women OF the world looked at her
askancc and paragingly; the wom-
en- Of all nations not of the world
looked at Ter disparagingly but envy
ingly, all. without knowing it. were
unanimous in marvcling at her sue
cess; but, careless and unconscious
alike Of envy and dIsapproval, Miss
Della went her own glad way.
In time-Rot long iime-the
VicOmte had offered at her shrine COM
pliments and flowers; the Marchese
candied fruits aud opera tickets; the
Baron. his heart. and nothing with it.
Miss Dslia was. to use her own cx-
preston. cute. and was moi disap-
pointed that none of her wOrshipers
shout have supplemented his gener-
Gus gifts with the additional tender
Of his hand. She had prompt
| ly aSccrtained that the VicOmte
receive a scInty monthly allowance
from his father; that the Marchese's
hereditary CASTILLO was in a rural
cheese growing district OF Piedmont.
where he spent ten months Of the
year IN patriarchal retirement; and
that the Baron had been engaged 10 a
cousin in Pomerania since lac was six
teen years old. She was determined
TO marry a title. but at no personal
sacrifice 10 herself. nor did she in
tend to regild it with pas money
NOT shel
Once on twic3 al the course of the
afternoon she would flash into the
salon de roulette. stand Il minute be-
hind Mr. Benjamin J. w. Mulhol-
llnrs chair playfully toy with his
hair look round on the company and
dance of with discOmpOSing frou-
frOu Of skirts aud palter IF high
heels. escorted by her SWANS
During one of these raids she had
noticed a fair. tall. somewhat portly
man. faultlessly dressed. gardenia
in his tightly-buttoned coat. smooth
short. shiny hair. and clOse-shaven
face. IAN Englishman. had been
her first mute comment; ~ hand
some Englishmaa. her second; Il
wonder who he is?'' her third.
Miss D,lia's glanccs must have been
eloquent Is they were magnetic. for
the stranger not only met them fully.
but. after the fourth of these silent
and distant meetings. followed her
boldly. contrived to pass the doorway
ut the same moment and trod on her
flowing dress
i beg your pardon he said re-
spectfully, raising his hat
Mss Della. seeing her opportunity.
gra>ped it. She first volubly and
laughingly assured him there was no
harm done. then added:
You might just look anyway if the
frilIing is torn Off No? guess not
Dreadfullv hot out here" she con-
tinued. stepping out into the sunshine.
I'm going over there in the shade.
Good bye"
She had already asked her team"
" no the stranger was. but before she
could bid one of them go and inquire,
he had sauntercd after her under the
palms; casual remark 10 the
Vicomte. authorized b. passing in
cidcnt and the freedom of Monte
Carlo life. was considered by the
group sufficient introduction. and
ID lila began To chat with her new ac-
quainiauce a glibly and confidential
IL n with Others.
What hotel are YOU stopping at?'
she asked. presently.
Il am not staying here. but at Mem
tone. | only come over for the day
when do come"
Have you been in Montone longs"
'No-no-since January.
That's not so little. either. and
never saw you here before last
Wednesday. said Della, with a flal-
tering cognizance of the stranger 5
movements.
The first part of my stay, my duties
kept me away; l was particularly en-
gagged. and had little time 10 call my
own.
He spoke with the stiff curt breyity
Of habitu Il self-rcstraint. but his eyes
did not withhold an appreciative trib-
ute to the engaging. coquettish. un-
conventional girl before aim. Della.
| in her impatIcnce To know his name.
simply asked him what it was. He
heSitated second-perhaps he was
embarrassed by so free an address
then. remarking thit Americans rare
| ~ caught an lglish name correctly.
| he drew out "a card case. extracted a
card. and ha1ded it with polite bow
80 Miss Mulholland.
Della. spite her cool self-pOssession.
blushed slightly as she rea the name.
Lord Fi;z Maurice. A lord at lastl
/ The handsome man lord! And evil
/ IDENTIFY smitlen. for she had never seen
him talk 10 any other woman. What
/ NhUui it NdN HtNF AipNtfttt SHt
careIessly pocketcd the card. saying:
We'll. l guess I'm going now. If
you like 10 . call or me, Lord Fiiz
/ Maurice, come between five and six
and ask for me Miss Della"
i know" said the stranger. "All
Monte Carlo knows who Miss Della
Mulhollaud l..
so they do. mostly she answered.
with unconscious arrogance.
The team was hcnceforth increased
by one. but it soon became plain TO
all who was the leader. Fiiz Maurice
made the running in his quiet. un-
demonstrative. reserved way; his po-
likeness and attentions dill not. how
ever. exclude nj times certain proud
humility. rs one accustomed 10 tender
homage where h omage is due. Per-
/ haps in her heart Della would have
/ preferred more freedom aid less re-
spect; but a secret instinct told her
nevertheless that whatever road he
selected she was ccl Tain 20 lead him
40 the goal she had in view. aud. as
she said: ITS the way of all the
/ Britishcrs."
Lord Fiiz Maurice had not actually
1 atla an IA n. Of NJ M.a