San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-03


Mr.. Valois treated Mrs. Wallis as he
would have treated my mother, and he
seemed perfectly unconscious of her
infatuation for him.
But for the first time since we had
known each other there was little
GOODNESS between Mrs. Wallis and my
self. 1t was nothing defined, just one
of those uncomfortable, constrained
states that seem to come sometimes be-
tween friends like the breath of north
wind.
One day we had been drinking tea
and were standing about with the cups
in our hands when there was commo-
ton in the street There had been a
collision between carriage and cart.
The occupant of the carriage was just
alighting as we looked out He was a
small, wien faced creature In the most
correct afternoon costume, and he SEEM
ed to be in terrible rage.
Mr.. Valois looked and then started.
"Whatp' he cried excitedly. "That
is the Prince Gortcboff. will go to
| him"
But Just then the old man stepped
into the carriage again and was driven
off. A maid had just come in after the
tea things
MIR. Valois took a'card from his pock-
ct, wrote something ON it and, putting
it into an envelope, babe the maid run
down and send the missive after the
old gentleman's carriage. 1t was all
done in second, but Mrs. Wallis and /
| looked at each other. We had seen that
| the card was not like the one Mr.. Va
| lois had sent us. There was title after
| the name.
The next day Mr. Valois didn't come
until evening. Mrs. Wallis was out
first, evidently waiting for him. AS l
opened my room door to go into the
parlor / saw that they were in earnest
conversation, and l could hardly help
overhearing a little of it, and I did
want to know if he made love to her.
He didn't
"And did you go to see the prince
l cannot remember his manner" she ask
ed sweetly.
prince Gortchoff? Yes, madame; I
was with him today. He is Russian,
one of the great mobiles of that empire.
last saw him in Vienna, to which city I
had travelled with him from St Peters
burg"
Icould see Mrs. Wallis fairly pluming
herself at knowing so great parsonage
even at secondhand.
"And when," she said softly, "are
we to see the cards you send to the
prince?"
Mr.. Valois gave a little laugh and
walked away. "Oh, ! am of service to
you here as am, madame. Ipromise-
when you reach France.
Then opened the door and walked
in.
Two days after we left England and
crossed the channel to France. At the
last minute Mr. Valois found that he
could not accompany us, but promised
to meet us in Paris within few days
l don't know why, but 1 didn't believe
he would come. felt that Twas saying
"goodby" to one Of the pleasantest ac-
quaintances had ever made. And, as
sometimes happens, my presentiment
was not far from wrong.
at is not 'goodby,'" he said. ut is
only au revoir. We shall travel long
roads together over there" And he
looked at me.
After we had embarked upon the
chopping channel we were glad that
Mr., Valois was not with US, unless his
seasickness remedy was also on hand
We were frightfully ill, as were all the
rest of the passengers, and the piles OF
washbowls were in constant use. We
only stopped in Calais for one day. Our
rooms were already engaged in Paris.
Mr.. Valois had attended to that for us.
Mrs. Wallis and were anxious to get
into the whirl of life. We were nc
longer good comrades for each other,
and we both moped in the absence of a
companion who had done so much to
enliven us of late. 1t seemed absurd
when we realized that we had only
known him fortnight.
We had been in Paris q week, had
shopped at the Bon Marche, bought q
dress or two of the immortal Worth,
and had found some American friends
who had rapidly seen the sights of the
French capital and wanted us to push
J ON into Switzerland and north Ger.
! many with them. Winter was the
time for Paris" But we were awaiting
! some one whose Judgment was infalli.
BILE. We were to go the next day to say
goodby to them and were sitting il
our parlor talking in a desultory way
of their plans, carefully leaving out
Mr.. Valois' name when we spoke of oul
| own, when there was knock at the
: door, and servant came in with
} large salver-a brass sea, islanded by {
tiny white note. 1t was addressed tC
, Mrs. Wallis, and we both recognized
! the writing as that of Mr. Valois. She
broke the seal with almost trembling
! hands, and after she had read it handel
it over to me:
MADAMT-Tou are now in Paris, where / cal
: refer you 10 almost any gentleman in the cit!
Cos inf mt 20, n haxra