The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-08-28

NezzN tive"
My curiosity outran my manners.I ]
turned.
''NIiss Endcot !" exclaimed. "Irs
not three hours since arrived in Nice,
and my circle of acquaintances being
very small, to meet friend is pleas
ant surprise.
Miss Endcot blushed, prettily, il
forcedly.
"Now, Mr.. Give, your chatting me.
Why, mother and ! have not been
here a week, yet we have made most
charming friends upon the strength of
your mutual acquaintance.
'Tndeedl /" replied. care they
still at Nice?"
"Oh, yes, but not at this hotel"
'Their names?"
''The Comtesse d'Angiere and her
Madame Fleuvre."
''The Comtesss d'Angierel" 1 re-
peated. "Of course 1 met her once or
twice in London soon after her mar
riage to the Comte. A slim woman,
with fair hair, aquiline nose and
laughing blue eyes. Oh, yes, I remem-
Der her WELL.
Miss Endcot laughed merrily.
Fashions change, Mr.. Clive," she
said, holding up one finger playfully,
"and the color of women's hair and
even the shape of women's noses are
apt to change with them, aren't they,
mother? But let me warn you, Mr..
Give, not to inquire after the Comte
dAngiere. He is dead. The Comtesse
makes e most charming widow, don't
she, mother?"
Something in the last sentence exas-
perated me. The Briton in me resent
ed the allusion to the charms of the
widow so directly upon the announce
ment of the poor Comte's dea.n, and,
moreover, it contained an insinuation
that within the meshes of those charms
might easily become entangled.
Now, it was less than a year since Miss
Iris Maypel and her pseudo auntie
had so nearly ensnared me into their
marriage trap, and women of unceI-
tain social status no longer attracted
me. l felt that Mrs. and Miss End
cot, with all the formers American
isms and all the latter's smartness and
banter were more agreeable and emf
nently safer companions than Iris
Maypel & Co. So impressed was 1
with that truth that gallantly stuck
to the Endcots all that evening for
fear of meeting the Comtesse and
being carried off by her.
The next morning found me in the
came mood, though how much the
long tete.a-tete l had enjoyed with
Bertha Endcot overnight contributed
to it know not. Anyway, 1 proposed
ramble, and was not dissatisfied to
hear that Mrs Endcot contemplated
sitting in the veranda with novel.
Bertha and thereupon started for a
scramble to the heights at the back
OF the town.
As we left the hotel a telegram was
put into my hand.
Now, kilograms at home are too
common even to destroy your lethar-
gy, but kilograms received in ContI-
mental town within twenty-four hours
of your arrival, of which you have ap-
pIised nobody, are apt to startle you.
Bertha saw my surprise and began
to chaff me. l opened the telegram
and read:
~. and A. are at Nice. Beware r.
never knew how long it took me
to recover myself and laugh at the
warning l had received, but l know
that Bertha Endcot and ! were we'll
out from the town and at loast three
hundred feet above the sea level.
Iapologized profusely for my alb
sence of mind.
"Oh, don't apologize" replied
Bertha. 'If she cannot be with you,
she should at least be entitled to oo'
cupy your thoughts for an hour or so. d
''You're wrong, Miss Bertha" re-
turned "And here's the proof.
1 handed her the telegram.
"You're as puzzled as / was at first, D
I added, noting the contraction of her
eyebrows. "And as it is no secret,
but only story against myself, 1 will
explain it. ="
thought I heard a sigh of relief as
she returned the telegram.
"This must come from my old frienC
Bob Pallant," " L continued, "since no
body but he at least, nobody in Lon
dcn-knows my probable whereabouts
1 have been wandering now for si'
months and all on account OF the l.
and A. he mentions. !"
Bertha nodded, but did not inter
rupt.
1.-THE /. stands for Iris-Miss ri
Maypel-anG A. for Auntie. 1t hap
pened a year ago. Bob Pallant and
were both in love with Iris, who wa
in London ostensibly for the bened
of the season and in charge OF he
aunt. WelI, she gave the preierene