Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-08-23

ySI hind you; it's Reg
" 81 gle Give, I'm posi-
My curiosity outran my manners.l
turned.
"N1iss Endcot!" I exclaimed. "It'
not three hours since I arrived in Nice
and my circle of acquaintances being
very small, to meet friend is pleas
ant surprise.
Miss Endcot blushed, prettlly,
forcedly.
"Now, Mr.. Give. your chatting me
| Why, mother and l have not beel
here week, yet we have made mos
charming friends upon the strength O
your mutual acquaintance.
'Indeed!" replied. care they
still at Nice?"
"Oh, yes, but not at this hotel"
"Their names?"
"The Comtesse d'Angiero and he.
friend-Madame Fleuvre."
"The Comtesse d'Angiere !'' I re
peated. "Of course 1 met her once OF
twice in London soon after her mar
riage to the Comte. A slim woman
with fair hair, aquiline nose ant
laughing blue eyes. Oh, yes, remem
Der her well"
Miss Endcot laughed merrily.
fashions change, Mr.. Give" sht
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, MIR
Give, not to inquire after. the Comte
d'Angierc. He is dead. The Comtesst
makes most charming widow, dom
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
l might easily become entangled.
Now. it was less than year since Miss
Iris Maypel and her pseudo auntie
had SO nearly ensnared me into their
marriage trap, and women of uncer-
tain social status no longer attracted
me. I 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 emil
nently safer companions than Iris
Maypel & Co. So impressed was
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 I had enjoyed with
Bertha Endcot overnight contributed
to it know not. Anyway, l proposed
n ramble, and was not dissatisfied to
hear that Mrs. Endcot contemplated
sitting in the veranda with novel.
Bertha and l thereupon started for a
scramble to the heights at the back
OF the town.
AS we left tho hotel telegram was
put into my hand.
NOW, kilograms at homo are too
common even to destroy your lethar-
gy, bnt kilograms received in Contl-
mental town within twenty four hours
of your arrival, of which you have ap-
prised nobody, are apt to startle you.
Bertha saw my surprise and began
to chaff me. opened the telegram
and read:
II. and A. are at Nice. Beware ~
never knew how long it took me
to recover myself and laugh at the
warning had received, but I know
that Bertha Endcot and J were we'll
out from the town and at least three
hundred feet above the sea level.
Iapologized profusely for my alb.
sence of mind.
."Oh, don't apologize" replied
Bertha. eff she cannot be with you,
she should at least be entitled to oc.
cupy your thoughts for an hour or SO. .
"You're wrong, Miss Bertha" I re-
turned. "And here's the proof"
handel her the telegram.
you're as puzzled as was at first. .
! added, noting the contraction OF her
eyebrows. "And as it is no secret,
but only story against myself, I will
explain it.
thought heard sigh of relief as
she returned the telegram.
'sThis must come from my old dfriend
Bob Pallant," continued, "since no.
body but he ut least, nobody in Lon
dcn-knows my probable whereabouts.
/ have been wandering now for six
months and all on account OF the 1.
md A. he mentions.
Bertha nodded, but did not inter
rupt.
"The I. stands for Iris s-Miss Iris
Maypel-anG A. for Auntie. 1t hap
pened year ago. Bob Pallant and
we're both in love with Iris, who wat
in London ostensibly for the benetiI
of the season and in charge OF hel
aunt Wall aha Oava Tho prafarnncf