The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-07-27
MIME. DERLINE.

/ Prince Agenor was literally besid,
himself ON Friday, April 10, 1889, at the
opera during the second act of ''Sigurd.
The prince hurried from box tx, box, ani
his enthusiasm kept growing.
"That blondl All! That blond! She's
an ideal, that blond! Look at that blond
Do you know that blond?'
At last he found Palmer, the banker.
''The name, the name Of that blond
in the Sainte-M esmes box?"
"Mme. Derline."
els there M. Derline?"
"Assuredly-,a notary--my notary
the Sainte- Mesmes' notary. And if you
you want to see Mime. Derline close,
come to my house to the ball next Thurs.
day. She will be there"
After the opera, when people were go.
ing out, the prince took a position at the
foot Of the grand staircase. He had en-.
trapped two Of his friends.
"Come," he said to them, 81 want Ia
show you the most beautiful woman in
Paris"
just as he said that there was stand.
| LIZ fflbll1AA WV k0GC9 VI tAO p4lI1C0 oil
alert young man attached to one of the
morning newspapers, a newspaper widely
read. This young man had sharp ear,
He caught as it few the expression OF
Prince Agenor, whose high position in
society he knew. He managed to avoid
meeting the prince, but when Nine. Der
line was about to pass the young re.
porter was clever enough to overhear,
without losing single word, the con-
versation of the three brilliant noble
men.
Nine. Derline arose the next morning
at o'clock. Her maid came in, placed
salver on a little table, lit a big fire in
the open CRATE and withdrew. There
were on the salver cup of chocolate
and a newspaper-the same thing every
morning.
Mime. Derline touched the rim of the
cup to her lips and burned herself. So
she had to wait awhile. She put down
the cup, took the paper, unfolded it, and
rapidly, with look, ran through the
six columns on the first page. At the
bottom, at the very bottom of the sixth
column, she found these lines:
LAST night there was a very brilliant
representation of sSigurd' at the opera.
Many of the most distinguished women
of fashion were there--the handsome
Duchesse dc Montaiglon, the pretty
Comtesse Verdiniere de Lardac, the ad-
mirable Marquise de Muriel and the pi-
quaint Baroness de Myrvoix.
sWe have to announce new star
that has suddenly come to shine in the
Partisan constellation. The house was
in ecstasies over blond with sad eyes,
with eyes like steel, and whose Shout
ders-ahl what shouldersi Those shout
ders were the event of the evening. On
all sides people were asking: Who is
she? who is she? 10 whom belong
those divine shoulders?
ssTo whom? We know, and our read
ers will thank us for telling them the
name of this marvellous beauty-it is
Nine. Derline."
Her namei She had read her name!
She grew dizzy. Her eyes crossed each
other. All the letters of the alphabet
seemed to dance like mad in the news
paper. After awhile they grew quieter,
stopped and got back into their places.
She managed to find itagain-her name
and took up her reading:
sit is Nine. Derline, the wife of one Of
the most esteemed and richest notaries
of Paris. The Prince de Nerins, whose
word carries authority in these matters,
said last night to every one he met,
sThat is the NEST beautiful woman il
Paris We are entirely of that opinion"
She finished reading, and a sudden
anxiety seized her.
edward? What will Edward sayT
Edward was her husband. She had
newer in her life called any other man
than her husband by his first Mans. He
was loved, this notary, and 8lsnost at
the moment she asked herself what Ed
ward would say Edward hurriedly
opened the door.
stWhy do these newspaper men med
die in what doesn't concern them? This
is an outrage! Your namei Look at it
there; your name in this paperi'
Nine. Derline very sweetly and gently
set about bringing this rebel to reason.
"Why this rage, this great vexationi
They accuse you of being the husband
of the most beautiful woman in Paris.
Is that, then, SO horrible, misfortune so
frightful?"
Reduced to obedience, III. Derline
went down stairs to his Office to make
money fer the most beautiful woman in
Paris.
A very wise and a very timely occu-
patton. because scarcely had Mime. Der.
line been left alone vixen a thought
lame into her head that would rid thu
notary's strong box of very pretty
bundle of bank notes.
1t seemed to her that her new position
imposed new duties upon her. She
could not present herself at the Palmers
ball without a new dress and one from