The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-10-03

Of the State, so was soon pretty popular.
In short, my dear, was the fact of the season.
Everybody talked of me, but especially OF my
diamonds. If I'd care to let them, more
than one of your peers would have married
| those diamonds. Elder sons were nuts upon
them. But rm Californian, don't you see,
and suppose you English girls would call
ME romantic; anyway, didn't feel TO want
blessed one Of those peers; j had sort of
notion the peers were more dead stuck ON the
diamonds themselves than on the girl that
wore them. That put me off, of course; for
an American women likes 10 be taken for
herself, not for her real estate or her family
iewelry.
AT the end of the season, when London
began to thin. Lady Cowperthwaite observed
we mustdo the right thing, and pay round
Of visits at country houses. Well, wanted
TO do the right thing while / was about it,
of course-I was paying my money for il !;
so / let Lady Cowperthwaite walk me off
like lamb, wherever she'd mind to.
That suited Lady Cowperthwaite down 10
the ground, you must know; because, with
me and my diamonds in tow. she got invited
everywhere; and, as ] handed her over her
IS guineas a week, in town or country,
board or visit, why, she was pretty pleased,
yon may be sure, to trundle me off to her
fine acquaintance. She was glad | hadn't
taken fancy, my first season, to any OF her
Marquises; it was mutual convenience.
1t suited me to pay her Is guiDeas week
for chaperoning Inc about through the Eng
lIsh arlstOcracy, and 1T suited her TO pocket
ID guineas a week for being asked 10 houses
she'd never have entered but for the Amer
lean heiress and her diamond necklace. /
tel. you there were no flies on Lady Cowper-
thwaite.
About the third visit we paid was to
country-house down in the hills in Hamp-
shire. They had laid on n courtesy Lord
specially on my account, a Dukes youngest
son, with an eye to the diamonds. For the
first three days / felt rather bored. Every
body about the place seemed so painfully
conscious that Poppa was the biggest holder
of Sacramento Southerns in the State of
California. And it was dull-oh, dull -
my dear, you know your aristocratic fellow
countrywomeni But the third night an in
cident occurred that lightened the gloom
bit. / had an interesting episode with
real live man; romantic episode, like bit
out of story.
At dinner that night / wore my famous
diamond necklet. The courtesy Lord took
me in; he eyed it bungrily. But he wasn't
amusing. About IL o'clock we all went TO
bed-the women, that is TO say; for the
men stopped mp, the same usual, saying
ugly things about rs to one another in
the billiard-room. fOh, don't talk to me,
my dear; i know the ways of them.) went
to my own room, and sent away my maid,
as soon as she'd taken down my hair.
never was accustomed to maids, of course
before Poppa struck silver, and I've got
no use for them. Then | began to undress,
and took off my necklet, which / laid on
the dressiDg-table. meant to put it in the
jewel-case; but / was lazy, presume, for
anyway didn't. Then took off few things,
and looked about for my dressing-gow 1t
wasn't on the chair, SO / went to the ward
robe. j was just going to unhook it, when,
TO my great surprise, something moved quick
ly away in the bureau, and hid itself behind
one of my best evening dresses. At first
j thought it was rat, and was just going to
scream then / felt conscious il was white
and warm, like human hand and feeling
sure it was only man after all, | didn't
scream, but just pulled back the dress and
looked at it. /.
My dear, ii was man; and he was
standing there skulking. j ought TO have
been frightened, / suppose; but, somehow,
j wasn't, not TO speak of, that is TO say. /
just stood a second and looked at him. He
looked back at me, such a look! Rather
curious and inquiring than angry or fright
ened. Then all at once it came over me that
was half undressed and the man was staring
at me. i blushed Till / could feel my face
and neck like fire. The man seemed to
know what was thinking-he couldn't well
help it, seeing / had turned as red as n
turkey -gobbler; and without one word he
unlocked my dressing-gown, and flung it
carefully round ne. He flung it like n
gentleman accustomed TO offering ladies