St. Paul daily globe., 1895-10-21
), THE LaDY WITH
4 eaaA>-THE PRIJ1IULAS.

that she mas seen lady with primu-
| las In her hair-such a terrible decora-
tion-seated in Baron Kurz's box this
evening"" said Mrs. Waldo in her loud
clear, penetrating voince that carried
further than any voice 1 have ever
heard.
noticed shade fit across Lord
Sa1ntsbury's face. He turned his head
sharply and glanced back. Then.
stepping quickly into the box, he shut
the door behind him.
why so mysterious?" asked Mrs.
Waldo, smiling.
kurz was just behind me- He must
| nave heard what you said" And the
ola gentleman was genuinely dis
tressed
But why not? We were only laugh
ing at my young friend here. Are you
going, Mr.. Venning?"
began to be afraid that 1 had made
goose of myself. And Lord Saints
bury was looking so solemn. Per-
maps that was because he was in the
! ministry.
Mrs. Waldo,' he began, as soon as
MI. Venning had disappeared. "don,t
repeat that little story about-the-
lady with the primulas. It"
MY dear Lord Saintsbury. wbv
mayn't 1? 1 love a little anecdota ana
this is such thrilling one"
But you would not like tn causa
pain, 1 am sure"
ana you think Miss Linthrop is so
very th1n-skinned that She cannot
take a little chaff?"
1t IS not on her account that I am
S Spedhlhg. You may or may not have
reaiu tnat Miss Charlotte was not
nrst wife. No? Well, she was
not. HIS first wife was a. girl of the
peopie-soIne SAID a nursemaid, some
peasant. 1t really doesn't signify
which. AT all events she was nei+bay
q laoy by birth nor a, person of educa-
ton. After a time he grew tired of bnr
HIS -1ather died and he came into
money. He began to 60 in for en-
clety. He met Miss Charlotte One
night-it was at the grand onera in
Far1s-he was seated for some time
IN Lady Jane Charlcote's box. His wife
was alone in the loge opposite. What
she saw or thought I don't know. hut
when he returned to her she comn1ain-
ed of feeling very tired, and he sng-
gested that they should go home. She
tainted on the staircase and was car
rled to their brougham That same
night she died. 1t was very sudden and
rather mysterious
Good gracious! Did any one SUSPECT
the baron of having poisoned his wffer'
NOT that l know of. But they did
say that his neglect had broken her
heart. But to come to the point of nv
story The first Baroness Kurz-
hoslne-Was fair, blue-eyed woman.
Wlth a passion for primulas. In Paris.
"here she had no acquaintance and
was only known by sight, and by MANY
people was not supposed to be Kurz's
Wlte, she always went by the name of
the lady with the primulaS That was
why L was startled and upset by what
you told me. That was why was dis
tressed that the flower should have
been mentioned in Kurz's Harrington
hear I am sure he did,
1t was my turn to feel distressed
distressed, but at the same time viyidly
interested. was just going to ask Lord
Sa1ntSbury whether he had ever known
Rosine personally, when Mr.. Venning
reappeared, and at the same moment
noticed that while we had been dis
cussing the first Baroness Kurz, her
successor had disappeared from the
opposite boX-had left the house, prob
ably, bored by the dullness of Act I.
Such am awful thing has happenedr'
Mr.. Venn1ng's face was pale and his
voice sounded low and hoarse, ssKurz
has fallen down dead-just out
side the omnibus box"
Good gracious, how dreadful! But
very likely he has only tainted
Mr.. Venning shook his head. "CIeve-
land met him looking ghastly-you
know he does sometimes. And he ask
ed him, Are you ill, Kurz?' And the
other just stared at him and muttered.
True, true. She has come for me- and
fell back dead.'
I started to my feet. Mrs. Waldo,
must go home-please-let me. Don't
you come-but-''
MY dear child''-and her voicu
sounded a shade louder and harder
even than usual-"don't make a scene,
please" Our visitors had vanished at
the bare mention of such a possibility,
ever dreaded and held in adherence by
the sterner sex.
But I cannot stay. Didn't you hear?
He is dead''
Mrs. Waldo stared az me with a look
of derision on her handsome, stony face
But you did not know him. 1t is not
customary for young ladies to make
scenes over the death of a man thu
never knew. Such things are not done"
''Ah, but you don't understand. I
saw her"
Her? Whom?''
''The lady with the primulas-his first
wife. She came to fetch him; he said
heard
MY dear child, what nonsense, You
were dreaming, of course. Hush. We
must not talk any more now; we must
listen.''
And the curtain rose, upon Act II.