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

III was q rainy Gay III JdIudTy. Large
drops were beating monotonously against
the windows of a red brick house whose
white stone trimmings and other heavy
architectural Communications wore that
air of having been manufactured by
The thousand which characterizes the
dwellings Of those good people who have
gained wealth without gaining taste.
Behind the guipure curtains on the
first floor stood a handsome blonde look
ing out with a bored expression in her
cold blue eyes. This was Solange Tar
venue, the only daughter of respect
able bourgeois who, having made his
money in trade, now lived gentleman
Of leisure in this fine new house.
Heaven" exclaimed Mile. Tarvenue,
show tiresome this rain is! One can't
go out to make any calls and no one
comes to see one"
The bell rang.
There! I'm sure that is call. You
see, mamma, you were very wrong to
say that you were not at home to visitors.
Every one is not as much afraid of bad
weather as you are"
My dear child, what are you think
ing of Such a day as this. Why the
parlor furniture would have been ruined
Dy peoples wet clothes.
Peoples wet clothes! 1t is to be
hoped the people we know would wear
waterproofs-as long as they come on
foot" added the young lady, bitterly.
She rang the bell. A young servant
girl came in.
Bring the cards that were left Just
now
The servant returned. Solange threw
an Indifferent glance on the bit Of
pasteboard. Suddenly her face lighted
up; she exclaimed, quickly:
Mammal 1t was NJ. de Prevaret!
And you didn't receive him.
m. de Prevarer" walled Nine. Tar
venue. Dear mel What a pityl"
1T does great good to say What a
pity, nowp" cried Solange, sourly.
N. de Prevaret was considered the
and handsome and clever, and the pos
SCISSOR of a large fortune, he lived with his
mother, the dowager countess, in one of
the most sumptuous residences in the
town. And this young man, on whom
every woman of rank with a marriage
able daughter smiled, had rung the door
bell of the Tarvenues and left his cards
for them! How had this ever come
about? He bowed to them, because they
bowed to his mother, but he had never
been introduced to the ladies.
What can it mean?" asked Nine. Tar
venue, anxiously.
Solange was standing before the glass.
''Why, it seems to me that it is very
clear" she replied, with deep compla-
cency. Haven't you noticed, my dear
mamma, that every time we go to hear
the band play IL. de Prevaret is there
too!'
"What.-why-do you think?'-Mme.
Tarvenue did not dare finish, so audaci-
Gus did her thought seem to her.
And why not?" demanded Solange,
throwing up her blonde head with a
triumphant air that made her really i'm
mensely handsome.
You are right, murmured poor Nine.
Tarvenue; you are pretty enough"
1t was quite true that Solange Tar
venue was handsome enough to inspire
passion, but she would never have had
any attraction for a fastidious man.
This young person, with her sculptur-
esque form and her dazzling coloring,
was absolutely lacking in innate refine
ment or distinction. No reflection of a
gentle nature, an elevated soul, ever
gave that indescribable charm to her regu-
lar features that such attributes only can
convey. She was clever enough, but it
was thoroughly material sort of clever
ness, and it was joined TO a most extra
ordinary amount of egotism and vanity
She had played, in childhood behind the
paternal counter; but she had been edu-
Gated in a fashionable Partisan school,
from which she had brought away all
manner of ambitions. In her dreams for
the future she saw nohlemen at her feet,
and she would not have thought crown
misplaced had it been made to rest on
her magnificent yellow hair. 1t was
therefore no wonder that the Comte de
Prevaret's visit had not much surprised
her. She saw in it simply the natural
result of her beauty. She received her
father when he returned with superior
smile Of calm fatuousness, while Nine.
Tarvenue, whowa more unsophistcated
in her new grandeur, exclaimed agitat-
edly: IF you only knew whom we have
Just miSsedr'
"Oh! You think / don't know" re-
piled the good man, trying to look very
subtle. 80 he has come TO make his
proposal, has he?"
TO make his proposal:" quavered
Nine. Tarvenue. 'You knew, Them
1T is to be hoped that did know"
remarked NJ. Tarvenue with importance.
He said to me only this morning: 1t is
time we came to an understanding. Eu-
sebe is fairly wasting away, he is SO much
in love with Solange'"
''Eusebe! Of whom are you talking?'
''Of my friend Ramiilat, who is most
anxious that Solange should marry his
SON."
..ns 1o-fr. IA 10. III n. ~,
Comte de Prevaret rang the doorbell
while you were away" And Solange,
having pronounced these words, males
tically left the room.
M de Prevaretl' exclaimed VI. Tar
venue.
why, yes" said madame, initiating
ferent mien. 'Solange is not aston
ished. He has been noticing her a great
deal Of late. And if he should want to
marry her there would be nothing sur
prising in that either. She is handsome
enough TO make mesaliance possible"
4 discussion then arose between
Mn'e. Tarvenue and her daughter as TO
whether they should call, in their turn,
Oh the dowager countess-a discussion
which was thus concluded by the young
lady:
"On general principles it should be
papa who returned the call. But he
would not know how TO appear in a way
that would do US justice Now. if it
were L, having the habit of the world, |
should know how to manage perfectly.
So 1t Is best that mamma and should 60
TO call on the countess Bv Goirs 50 ne