Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-03

The plan was cleverly conceived, and q
week later was carried out.
On the same day the dowager Countess
de Prevaret was chatting with her son il
a large salon filed with fine old furni
ture He, who was the most touchingly
devoted of sons, had been asking his
mother how she had passed the after.
noon. She had been too tired to receive
she said; but there had been several
callers. among others these"-and she
took up card.
.'Mme. Tarvenue" and mademoiselle.
"Do you know these people?" asked the
countess. 81 was surprised to get their
card"
II know them and / don't He used
to be linen draper, think. He is out
of business now. They sit near you in
church-the father is little man with
spectacles; the mother very stout and
rubicund; the daughter superb crea.
ture, blonde, who dresses very well.
You must have seen them?"
"Oh, yes, / remember now. I believe
they bow to me. They are good souls, ]
should think-they go to church very
regularly"
Good souls, perhaps" laughed her
son, 'but frightfully ordinary. The
mother is impossible. As for the
daughter, we call her the empress. ]
assure you the name suits her. She is a
tremendous poseuse."
''But why should they come to see
me-" asked the countess.
Perhaps to solicit subscriptions for
some charity. The mother and daughter
belong to different church organizations,
l think"
Perhaps. / don't care to know them,
but I want to be polite. l might leave
my card some day at their house. That
would not commit me to anything"
"Of course not. Especially with the
Tarvenues."
The lady little dreamed what a COM
motion the square OF pasteboard her foot
man deposited at the Tarvenue doors
one afternoon would cause in that house
hold. When Solange, who was at the
window, recognized the Prevaret livery,
she forgot all her assumption of indiffer-
ence and rushed down to the kitchen to
tell the servant that the ladies would re-
ceive. Then she threw a hasty glance
into the drawing room to assure herself
that all things were in order there, and,
still running, returned to her room and
began to make an appropriate toilet.
What was not her disappointment when
she heard the carriage drive away again.
''Idiotw she cried to the servant over
the bannister. ''Why didn't you say we
were at home as | told your"
But, mademoiselle, the footman
didn't ask. He gave me the card, and I
said, Madame is at home Then he
said, We'll, give her that then ,"
Very well, said Solange with ascer-
bity. "But you might at least have re-
Trained from saying that we were at
home, since you hadn't been asked"
Nevertheless the sight of the countess
card somewhat appeased her. That a
grande dame of the countess age, too,
should have taken the trouble TO drive
out in the cold in order to leave a card at
their house proved conclusively that she
wished to sanction her sons course. Thus
did Nine. Tarvenue think likewise, and
the two ladies resolved that the least they
could do would be to call once more upon
the countess without delay.
This had been arranged, when NJ.
Tarvenue, who spent an hour at his club
every day, came in with a very clouded
brow.
Something very serious has hap
pened," said the retired linen draper.
Then-''We have no secrets from you,
my daughter, and you know already that
my friend Ramillat has spoken to me of
his desire of making a match between
you and his son. expected an official
proposal from him three weeks ago. I
did not receive it, and since then he has
seemed to avoid me. l did not like to
call upon him because that would have
been undignifed under the circumstan-
ces. Finally l met him today on the
street and, although he pretended not to
see me, l accosted him. What's the
reason one never sees you any more,
RamiQat? 1T seems to me, SIR he an
swered stiffly, that it is scarcely my
place to call upon you again after the
step / took three weeks ago and which
you failed to recognize in any way
And now it turns out that he came here,
left his card, as was not at home, and
thought of course, as we had had con-
versation on the subject the previous day,
that would understand the visit as
formal demand on his and his sons part
for Solange's hand. Here we are at log
gerheads, and all because you did not
give me his card"
But he never came-he never left
card." cried Nine. Tarvenue.
In any case, there's a good match off"
grumbled II. Tarvenue.
do not deplore it, l beg" remarked
Solange with her most superb mien. Il
should not have accepted NJ. Eusebe Ra-
millat il any event. hope before long
TO present to you son-in-law of quite
another stamp"
In less than eight days Nine. Tarve-
nue. and her daughter repaired anew to
the dowager countess. Solange was en-
handsome in suit Of dark
blue with astrakhan trimmings, and
toQue of the Same on her golden hair.
Nine. Tarvenue, in plush and jets, had
an Indifferent and contemptu-
Gus air which she thought in the best
possible form.
When the countess saw the two ladies
enter her drawing room she suppressed
a movement of surprise, but she received
her guests with that gracious amiability
which so successfully keeps people ct a
distance.
Il was sorry," she said in her slow,
musical voice, mot TO have been at
home when you came some little time
ago to see me-"
1.-The loss was entirely ours, madam"
said Solange, with emrressement.
Certainly, certainly" said Nine. Tar
venue, who was very red and very i'll at
ease.
Il regretted the coincidence all the
more that l thought you might have
wished to see me with regard TO some
church charity"
Solange understood the aEusion, and
Ger eyes flashed fire.
No, madame. l am interested In
,hurch work, but I do not solicit aid
from Others" sheannounced trenchantly.