The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-25

but very handsome and excalte-~
Adon!"
Nothing" said Dick, hurr.edly, go
yShe beseeches him why! He says he is
Il! She faints away on the instant,
fre-regard me.-on the edge of the
fods-she says. But her mother and
lie Cure find her pale, agitated, dis
4ssed on the sofa in the salon. One is
ked to believe that she is transported
rough the air-hke an angel-by the
trit of Armand de Fontoneles. In
edible"
}'Well, what do you think?" said Dick.
l'arply.
The cafe proprietor looked around him
irefully and then lowered his voice
gnifcantly:
"a loverw
| "a whatr' said Dick with a gasp.
"A loverr repeated Riband. You
l'mPrehend! Mademoiselle has no dot
e property is nothing-the brother has
yerything A mile. de Fontonelles can
OF marry out of her class, and the
oblesse are all poor Mademoiselle is
9ung-pretty, they say, of his kind. 1t
an intolerable life at the old chateau.
| ademoisille consoles herself"
| NJ. Riband never knew how near he
h@.to the white road below the hailing
| thsft>. particular moment! Luckily,
Dick eontfoled himself, and wisely, as
+. Ribands srnxt sentence showed him.
| "a romance-ah innocent, foolish La
on, if you like, but ar the same If
lnown Of a Mile. de FOntonelles-ia COM
lromising-a fatal ENHANCEMENT. There
You are-look. For this, then, all this
tory of cock and bulls and spirits!
Ilademoiselle has been discovered with
Ter lover by some one. This pretty
tory shall stop their mouths!'
"But wot," said Dick, brusquely, "wot
lf\the girl was really skeert at some
Iaing, she'd seen and tainted dead away,
S she said she did-and-and-' he hesi-
lated4"some stranger came along and
licked her upY'
NJ Riband looked at him pityingly: "a
ollie. de Fontoneles is picked up by her
servants, by her family-but not by the
Foung man in the woods alone. 1t is
sven more COMPROMISING!
do you mean to say" said Dick fu-
tiously, that the ragpickers and sneaks
hat wade around in the slumgallon OF
shis country would dare to spatter that
young galF'
e Il mean to say, yes-assuredly, posi-
lively yesr' said Ribaud, rubbing his
bands with certain satisfaction at
Dicks fury. "For y@ comprehend not
1.-THE position Of Ia Jeune file in all
France! All! in America, the young lady
She go everywhere, alone; | have seen
her-pretty. charming, fascinating
alone with the young man! But here,
mo! never! Regard me- my friend! The
l1reneh mother she say to her daugh-
Der's fiance Look! there is my daugh-
ter. She has never been alone with a
young man for five minutes-nCt even
with you! Take her for your wife, 1t is
monstrous, it is impossibe!-it is so!'
There was a silence OF a few minutes
and Dick looked blankly at the iron
gates of the park of FontOnelles. Then
he said:
GIVE me cigar.'
NJ. Riband instantly produced his cigar
case. Dick took a cigar but waved
aside the proffered match and, entering
the cafe, took from his pocket the letter
to Mile. de FontOnelles, twisted ut in a
spiral, lighted it at a candle, lit his
cigar with it, and returning to the We
randall held it in his hand until the last
ashes dropped on the floor. Then he said
gravely to Riband
you've treated me ike a white man,
Frenchy. and l amt goin' back on yer
tho your ways amt my ways allez, and
l reckon in this yer matter at he Shot
to you're n little too previous. For,
4 though / don't as a ginral thing take
stock in ghosts, / believe every word
that them folk said up thar. And" he
added, leaning his hand somewhat heav-
lily on Riband's shoulder, "if you're the
man take you for you'll believe it, too.
And if that chap, Armand de Fon-
tonelles, hadn't hev picked up that gal
at that moment he hev deserved to roast
| in hell another 800 years. That's why l
believe her story. So you'll let these
yer Fontonelles keep their ghosts for all
they're worth, and when you next feel
inclined to talk about that girls lover
you'll think of me and shut your head.
You hear me, Frenchy, I'm shoutin'
And don't you forget it!'
! Nevertheless, early the next morning
Riband accompanied his guest to the
railway station and parted from him
with great effusion. On his way back
| an Olu-IdSulOueu CdIIldSe Will u pOotll-
ion passed him. At a sign from its oc-
cupant, the postilIion pulled up, and NJ.
Riband, turning to the door, approached
the window, and the pale, stern face of
dignifed, white-haired woman of go
which looked from it.
"Has he gone? asked the lady.
"Assuredly, madame; l was with him
at the station"
"And you think no one saw him?"
"No one, madame, but myself"
"And-what kind of man was he"
M. Riband lifted his shoulders, threw
out his hands despairingly, yet with a
world OF significance, and said:
'An American"
"Ahr'
The carriage drove on and entered the
gates of the chateau. And NJ. Riband,
cafe proprietor and social democrat
Strengthened himself in the dust and
shook his fist after it.
-S6MEFHING TO DEPEND ON.