The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-08
CHAPTER III.
THEIR NEXT MEETING

THEIR NEXT MEETING.
Never had Eta looked pretTier than when,
with alternate joy and regret, she came Into tn e
drawing Dom and 1urtlYely watched Ihe hands
of lie clock till they pointed TO the hour al
which La COmtesse was to appear.
She had spent long time al her toilet, putting
on and taking of one gown after another This
was 100 simple; she must be We'll dressed in
Difference TO The rank of the visitor; that was
too fuSsy, and might be condemned by the cIIti-
cal taste of a Partisan.
AL last she fixed on a modest gray silk, and
with bunch of White aud pink flowers al her
throat and her color coming and going with
every passing thought, her glass told her that
she looked her best.
Wearied with The heat and a morning spent
among the poor IN the village, Mrs. Grayey law
back in her armchair and sIumbered; while Eta
having administered a few dainty touches o the
geraniuns IN tile epeTgne ana the ornaments on
The table, picked up book 10 while away he
lime.
But il dropped from her fingeIs as II it had
sting in 1t, for on lie tlile-p7ge she saw tie
name of The donOr-Ad2lph Ernstein. During
this week Of excl ement size had SeduOusly
oanished him from her thoushtsi why could size
not do uow2
against her will she found herself comparing
the Two men who loved her, aud tTembled She
did How little she knew OF Albert 81 ont
mOreucy! now many Instances she could recall
OF Dolph ErnsteIn's integrity aud nobility OF
Such an adventure as this would never have
happened 10 him. Was II because he had no
tendency TO romance, or because he would never
induce young girl whom lie loved and res pected
to trausgTess The rules society lays down for her
guidance, and deceive her mother?
That dear mother? what would she say when
she learned that her Child had been meeting a
stranger, not once ONLY. but day after day, and
permitting him by his looks, his gestures, his
bursts oil poeileal quotations, 10 Tell her he loved
her?
Eta wruug her hands.
I" 1t has been wroDg; all wrong. l feel de-
graded IN my own eyes; what shall l be In those
Of mamma and her relatioHs?"
But she was spared The ordeal she now dread
came.
At first Eta made excuses for her, She might
have been detained at Paris, or she might have
| felt too much fatlsued with her journey to be
| equal 10 another.
Yet whatever might he the cause of her nom
| appearance, why did not her nephew come or
write? Monsieur MOnim0TeGcy did neither, and
| Eta, ashamed and miserable, ceased at last to
| expect 1t.
AL times she assured herself that some dread
full accident must have befallen him. or bis rela-
| lives, bnding sne was neither wealthy nor well
| born, had Interieredi ana thea she pitled her
| self aud enacted the part Of Mariana in the
"MOated Grange" growing paIer aud more hOl-
low-eyed with her fasting ana mOplng, till DOiph
Ernstein, alarmed for her health, aroused Mrs.
Grayley to sense OF The danger OF letting this
| continue.
The now anxious mother carried her, much
against her Will, TO London, ana to a physician
who prescribed cheerful society and simple
tonic.
Ashamed Of the UneaSiness she had caused her
mother, Eta endeayored to atone for it, She
could not bring herself TO confess the cause; II
was her secret she would pensiveiy murmur-Ihe
one AWeet yet sorrowiul rom1nce OF Der youth,
and no Que must ever know that in her soul she
would cherish for aye tile memory OF Albeit
MontmoTeney's alteration.
Her favorlIe songs were stIll "Some Day" and
"He VIII Return, Know He VIII I" and she
sang them with pathos very puZZlng to Dolph
Ernsteln, who had made her ndiSposition an
| excuse for renewing his visits, and whose eyes
| often told her that she was still dear To him.
Partly to avoid him, Eta started on morning
TO do some eIrands for her mother. There was
| tie physicians prescription 10 be made up at a
| chemists not far OF, ana thitDer she bent her
way. The shopmau handed her a chair and she
was coming the list OF purchases she had 10 make
While he was connecting the dTaught, when q
| door opened, aud against her Will, she became
| the auditress Of a half whispered conversation.
ION, here you are at last what time IL has
taken you 10 20 az lar as - street But sup
pose, Master Bert you stopped to hirt with my
lady's maid"
"Psha I've better game in view than a red
haired cOquette," was The reply.
80 you said when yOu thought that Madame
Trouyille, who was old enough TO be your mother.
might be persuaded TO marry you; apd 50 you
thought when you borrowed my best suit OF
clothes TO go counting Niscount Grayley's pretty
reialive-and what came of it?"
| DIDN'T tell you That / was duped In that
| analr; and didn't give 1t up as soon as found
Tue poor dear child was penniless? Heigho |!
| How she idozed me to be sure I"
| "Slr there's some one 10 the shOp, waiting for
this draught; give 1t to her, Will yUu?"
| And The next moment tile delIcately white
| hands OF Albert Moutmorency were rendering 10
| Eta the neat little parcel.
"Can we do anything else for you, madam /?
| Allow me 10 show you some of our perfumes; we
| pride ourself on the excellence aud variety Of our
| perfumery."
| But here he stopped. Tor Eta flew out of the
| shop, leaving her tonic behind her, thankful that
the thick veil she wore had prevented recogni-
| ton.
| The first thing she did on reaching home was
| TO burn half dozen wIlheted flowers and pOr-
| trait from memory OF The ad1red one. On that
| she could have effaced at The same time all
| recollection OF the eredullIy that now made h"r
! Jingle with shame and long to hide herself from
| every eyei
Mis-. Grayley has never learned what mas
| brought about such pleasant change IN her
| daughter, making Der lis sensible and unaffected
as OF old; but INTO the ears OF DOlph Ernstein,
when he once more asked Eta TO be his wife, a
| cred
lie knows that she has at last learned to value
MS patient devotion aud surrendered her heart
| 10 his Keeping; that she Will be The best OF
wives, and he can afford 10 forgive and help her
TO forget the girlish folly that has cured her of
sentiment and romance forever. L.C.