Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-12-16
A FIN DE MEcLE LOVE STORY

"Luvrctia,' exclaimed Mrs. Conrad,
kissing her guest cnusivcly again and
seating herself in "a rocking chair in
her guests room I'm SO glad to see
YOU. dear. And some one else will be
Just rs glad as / am. I'm determined
l,u shall tall in love with him As
for him he's already devoted to You,
Really said Lucrcua, taking OF
her hat Its too kind of YOU. Alice
and wish you'd give il up I'm not -"
You needn't be cross, Lucrcua,
He's delightful, but shan't tell YOU
who he is, because you're so hateful
that you'd only dislike MIN because
of my plan Noull meet him IN a
crowd tonight at dinner
Alice, You're absurd, | haven't the
laintcSt intention of being cucrccd i'm.
to matrJmony I'm comfortable "a
ann And if you don't give up match
making OF my account I'll stop listing
you' TO YOU hear madame|
"Well, I've done nothing hui toll
him about the charming artist who was
coming But III do nothing more
Don't hc cross I'm going of TO give
YOU chance to dress"
Luyretia was annoyed 1t seemed
tu her as She dressed for dinner that
most of her thirty years hat been
spent In trying 10 escape the natri-
monial snarcS Alice set for her
She fastened tive old fashioned cameo
brooch in her silver gray dress with
% vicious snap. She had purposely
dressed herself as lmacsthchcally as
possible because OF the annoyance at
Alice and 10 pleased her to think how
extremely commonplace she looked
The man who took her out 10 dinner
seemed commonplace also. When they
had been seated few minutes, he
Remarked
10 ten me If Mrs Conrals pet
lioncss, the famous artist is here and
II You see her anywhcrcT
Luarctia started slightly, Thcn she
glanced about the table,
81 DO not see her" She answered.
I'm glad of that said her compau,
ION confdonually. no tell You the
truth, Miss Ir cr ~ he paused, but
lmcctia did not help him out. so he
resumed Il copied from Greece
Rome and medieval Conrad has done
nothing but sing her praises and tx.
hibit her sketches ever since we've
been here. Some Of the others who
know her say she Is really charming,
but personally do not want to see
her"
"Oh. she isn't bad, said Lucrctia,
pleasantly II know Mrs Conrad's
capacity for praise and dare say
she's quite oyerdonc the matter, but
really this Miss Benton is "a nice, or
binary woman"
The unfortunate man, thus Iwcd on,
continued.
81 cannot believe IT, ! assure you my
eyes were glued to the dining room
door tonight expecting to see a woman
with loose, rough hair, and a flimsy,
grccnish grayish br0wnish sort of Il
dress, and Il girdle or necklace Of some
thing, floating IN. | can't toll you how
relieved / was when Miss Benton failed
to appear
"Oh! What led you to think size
dressed that wayy
Mrs, Conrad and all the women
here rave over her aesthetic frocbs.'
Does she ever wear anything that be-
longs to the nineteenth century, or
are an her gowns the samcI / have
simply dreaded to meet her Mrs Iul-
land"
Really, III have to stop you, laugh
ed LNcrcta Miss Benton frequently
wears such commonplace things as
tallormade frocks. But what do you
think Of her paintings"
ION. the coloring is fair enough, but
the drawing is exccrable. I wonder
why it is that when a woman fancics
herself an artist she straightway loses
her eye for measurement What do
you think of Miss Benton's pictue3
] suppose you've seen some of themP
Yes, "A few But I'm 40 critic Of
art | never undertake to express an
opinion on paintings"
You're very wise, Miss-er That is
one thing the people who know nothing
CT art are fondcst of doing"
Then | take IL that YOU paint" re-
marked Lucretia.
There was a look Of indignant sur
prise on his face for a second Then
he said 1ryly: Yes little 1 fancy
You must have failed to catch my
name, even as / did yours"
And then Alice gave the signs! and
the women filed out Lucretia's face,
above her silyery gown, was brilliant.
Her eyes shone with depressed amuse-
lucut She sat down ~ the piano and
began to strike tho keys aimlessly.
Alice rushed over 8nd breathlessly call
ed her a dear, and then rushed on to
the next woman BY ana by the men
came IN, and her table companion
promptly crossed TO Lucretla Alice
rushed up again.
"Oh, / am delighted" p she said. I
knew you and Miss Benton would find
Il lot to talk about, Mr.. Teele, since
you've hoth-why what's the matter"
Miss Benton" gasped Mr.. Tecle.
aAtr tlal.tar' s,gquad uprpti1 'tWlO