Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-04-25

ucVcC S'tW you mere Oc1OcC last
Wednesday," said Della with fln,-
tering cognizance of tho strangers
movements " 49,
''Ihe first part of my stay. my duties
kept me away; was particularly en-
gagged. and had little timo TO call my
own" 49,,
He spoke with tho stiff curt brcvity
Ut habitu Il self-restraint. but his Dyes
did not withhold Ill appreci:.tive trib-
ute to the engaging, coquettish. un-
conventional girl before him. Della,
In her Impotence to know his name,
simply asked him what it was. He
hesitatod second-perhaps he was
embarrassed by 80 free an address
then. remarking that Americans rare
ly caught an English name correctly.
ne drew out card case, extracted q
card. and handed it with polite bow
to Miss Mulholland.
Della, spite her cool selt-possession,
blushed slightly rs she read the name,
Lord Fitz Maurice" A lord at last!
The handsome man lord! And evil
dontly smitten. for she had never seen
him talk to any other woman. What
would pa say nowP However, she
carelessly pocketed the card. saying:
well. l guess Pm going now II
you like to call on ME, Lord Fitz
Maurice, come between five and six,
and ask for mc-Miss Della"
Il Know said the stranger "All
Monte Carlo knows who Miss Della
Mulholland Is"
so they do. mostly" she ans wered,
with unconscious arrogance.
The team was henccforth increase
by one. but it soon became plain to
all who was the leader Fitz Maurice
made the running in his quiet, un-
demonstrative. reserved way; his po-
likeness and attentions did not, how
ever, exclude at times certain proud
humility, as ono accustomed to tender
homage where homage is due. Per-
haps in her heart Della would have
preferred more freedom and less ro-
spect; but a secret instinct told her
nevertheless that whatever road he
selected she was certain to lead him
70 the goal she had in view. and, as
she said: It's the way of all the
Britishers.''
Lord Fitz Maurice had not actually
made an Offer of marriage to Miss Null
holland-which. perhaps, 50 limited
an acquaintance did not warrant-but
ha onntrivo1 RI ,,o1-o his I1o-ot;o.u....
perceptible whenever he was alone
with her, which was not infrequcntly
the case now, as Della had quiet, but
indisputable. way Of indicating to the
Vicomte, Marchese and Baron that
they were de trop. which they could
neither ignore nor resist; and Delis
knew that whenever she chose she
could bring her Britisher to the point.
Shire wd and practical by nature and
education, she had already, by an at
tentive study of Burke. aScertained the
status of Lord Fitz Maurice IN his
native land; and if she regretted that
he was not IN Earl. the antiquity of
his family and his alliances in the Peer
age were such as to compensate for
that inferiority. OF his relatives he
spoke little. if ever; but rs Della felt
herself perfectly able to cope with
them and to hold her own, however
they behaved to her in the future,
she felt little interest in them.
She heard occasionally of 'our
place in Suffolk and ''our box in the
Highlands" and was 50 far satisfi ed.
Yet. as Burke is inconvenientiy silent
about the rent-roll of the nobility. and
she could not very we'll ask the ''dear
man how much he was WORTH" she
resolved to prosecute little private
inquiry on her own account. So one
morning she started early for Men
tone. walked to the hotel where her
noble sultor resided, and with the
most m latter GOODNESS, proceed
ed to queslio 4 the concierge about his
lordshlp.
The man was communicative. Eyes,
MILFORD has had the granest suite of
rooms since Christmas; he spent his
money like prince. had the best of
every thing and paid for it ruby on the
nail. Ali! Milford was so Britannia,
he had all that superb apartment r@.l-
ly only for himself and his valet de
chamber-his man of confidence; and
MILFORD was, after all, more oftca alb
sent than in it."
''Thats So" said Miss Della. And,
having provided herself with a return
ticket, she forthwith returned to Monte
Carlo in u state of bissful security.
On the evening of that same day Lord
Ftz Mauric met her with an I'M sual
disturbance of manner and restless,
eager look in his serene blue eyes.
Without preamble, he led her TO Il
sheltered arbor in the gardens. and
asked her point-blank: DO you love
mop
why do you askP' said Della,
feeling tho crisis had come. but un-
willing to commit herself by hasty
avowaL
'Bccause-circumsta oblige me
to discontinue my daily visits to
Monte Carlo. because l may have TO