Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-09-17
A WINTER AT NICE.
TRANSLATED FROM the GERMAN By HfTIn E MILLER
Copyright. 1897. by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
by n. Won osTEN.

Copyright. 1ssr. by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
CHAPTER ".
The next morning had a severe
headache; we had been very merry.
The company was composed OF all ma
tionalities, Roumanians, Bulgarians and
Frenchmen predominating. Amongst
them, seemingly very much at home,
sat the man with the dark blue spec
tacles; whose name was Marquis de
Ville-Boisnet.
1t seemed to me as if at that CHEEKY
board he represented q living ''memento
mort" His deaths head face seemed to
call out to the frivolous youths: ''Re
strain yourselves while there is yet
time, or you will become like me!'
Count Degenfeld, the master of all
foreign tongues, was the life of the
party; his anecdotes were very inter-
esting.
They played very little, only baccarat,
which I, for the first time, tried my
hand at.
Champagne flowed, and conversation
became very uncOnstrained.
had a faint recollection that Count
Degenfeld had spoken quite freely of
vs.
whose striking appearance was familiar
to almost all. thought uneasily that
had promised to escort her to the con-
cert where, of course, all these young
people would be present. I blamed her
for having SO little delicacy as to ask
me, and, free from the charm of her
eyes, began to plan how could escape
playing the role of cicisbeo.
hot cd
and Lapotin entered: Last evening did
not agree with you,' said he. mo
wonder, it was SO with me! but some
thing else worries you; did you play?"
mot much, and I won. It is some
thing else; perhaps you can advise me,
Lapotin. Mrs. Clifford asked me to es-
cort her to the concert to-day. Yester-
day Count Degenfeld let fall some care
less remarks, which make it desirable
that do not appear in public with the
lady,
"Here," said Lapotin, chat can be
easily arranged. Come to dinner and
make yourself quite comfortable. Now
you must rest, in order to get rid of
your headache"
At dinner Mrs. Clifford had on a be-
witching concert toilette; her light blue
silk chung to her shapely form; delicate,
yellow lace encircled her round, half
bare arms and neck, and opened at
every breath letting her dazzlingly white
throat CLEAN through it. In her dark
curly hair were fresh yellow roses. She
was wonderfully beautiful and pleasant
to look upon. Sergius Lapotin fire.
quently glanced at her, a thing which
he was never in the habit of doing. He
was dressed very elegantly and it struck
me for the first time that he was q re-
markably handsome man. He usually
neglected himself.
Mrs. Clifford enjoyed the triumph Of
her beauty, kept very quiet, and only
conversed with her husband.
Suddenly Lapotin said across the
table: ''Is madame going to the concert
to-day?"
Certainly, she wished to hear Rubin
stein.
MAY I, as oldest guest here, beg the
honor of escorting madame to the con-
cert of my celebrated countryman, for
know that Mr.. Clifford does not like
music?''
Madame was embarrassed, blushed
and finally stammered:
"Baron v. Aschen promised to be so
kind"
YES" said I; madame accorded me
the honor
''Mais tant mieux," said Lapotin, with
his usual calmness.
'"Then madame will have two escorts
instead of one. Baron Aschen and I,
nous nous enteudons, a'merveille.''
Madame yielded smiling sweetly, but
I perceived that the delicate carna-
ton in her cheeks deepened, that her
small teeth bit her under lip until they
almost drew blood and the laces on her
bosom rose and fell.
Later, as we awaited our lady at the
foot of the staircase, she swept down,
her head enveloped in a white cloud.
leaning on her husbands arm.
"Ah, sirs!" said she, her blue eyes
glistening, ''many thanks for your kind
offer, but my husband has decided to