Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-07-01

with gesture halt or pain, nali OF
mpatience-"And now he is Thelma's
slave,-a regular servant to her, She
can manage him best of us all,--he is
as docle as lamb. and will do any
thing she tells him"
Il am not surprised at this said
the gallant Duprez: there is reason
II such obedienee!"
Thelma looked at him inquiringly,
| ignoring the implied compliment.
you think so?" she said simply, Il
am glad! | always hope That he will
one day be; we'll in mind,-and every
little sign of reason in him is pleasant
to me -
Duprez was silent. 1t was evidently
no use making even en- attempt at
/ flattering this strange girl; surely she
must be dense not to understand COM
pliments that most other women COM
!! pei from the lips of men as their
right? He was confused-his Paris
breeding was no use to HMM fact
he had been at a loss all day, and his
conversation had, even to himself,
seemed particularly shallow and
/ frothy. This Mademoiselle Guldmar,
as he called her, was by no means
stupid-she was not mere moving
statue of lovely flesh and perfect color
whose outward beauty was her only
recommendations she was, on the
contrary, of a most superior intell-
eence,-she had read much and
thought more,-and the dignitied ele
gance of her manner and bearing
would have done honor to queen.
After all, thought DupreZ musingly,
the social creeds of Paris might be
wrong-it was just possible! There
might be women who were womanly,
there might be beautiful girls who
were neither vain nor frivolous
there might even be creatures of the
feminine sex, besides whom a trained
Partisan cCQuette would seem nothing
more than painted tieni of the
neuter gender. These were new and
startling considerations to the feather
! light mind of the Frenchman,-and
unconsciously his fancy began to
busy itself with the old romantic his
tories of the ancient French chivalry,
when faith and love and loyalty kept
white the lilies of France, and the
stately courtesy and unfiinchin pride
of the ancient regime made its name
honored throughout the world An
odd direction indeed for Pierre Du
prezs reflections to wander in-he,
who never reflected on either past or
present as pleasantly as might be-
and the only reason to which his un
usually serious reyerie could be at
tributed was the presence of Thelma.
She certainly had a strange influence
on them all, though she herself was
not aware of it,-and not only Erring
ton but each one of his companions
had been deeply considering during
the day, that Notwithstanding the
unheroic tendency of modern living,
life itself might be turned to good and
even noble account, if only an effort
were made in the right direction.
Such was the compelling effect of
/ Thelma's stainless mind reflected in
her pure face, on the different dis
positions of all the young men; and
she, perfectly unconscious of it, smiled
at them and conversed gaily,-little
knowing as she talked, in her own
sweet and unaffected way, that the
most profound resolutions were being
formed, and the most noble and un-
selfish deeds were being planned in the
souls of her Iisteners,-all forsooth,
because one fair, innocent woman had,
lin the clear, grave glances OF her
wondrous sea-blue eyes" suddenly
made them aware of their own utter
unwortIriness. Macfarlane, medita-
lively watching the girl from under
his pale eyelashes, thought of Mr..
Dyceworthys matrimonial preten-
sions with humorous smile lowering
on his thin lips.
Ma certes! the fellow has an unco'
guide opeenion O himself" he unused.
He might as we'll offer his hand in
marriage to the Queen while he's
ABBOTT it,-he wad haze just as muckle
chance O. acceptance.
Meanwhile, Errington, having learn
ed all he wished to know concerning
Sigurd, was skillfully drawing out
old Olaf Guldmar, and getting him to
give his ideas on things in general,
task in which Lorimer joined
so you don't think were making
any progress nowadays" inquired the
latter with an appearance Of Interest
and a lazy amusement in his blue
eyes as he put the question.
"Progress!" exclaimed Guldmar
Not bit of it," 1t is all a going
backward; it may not seem apparent,
but it is SO. England, for instance,
is losing the great place she cnce held
in the worlds history and these
things always happen to all nations
when money becomes more precious
to the souls of the people than honesty
and honor. take the universal
widespread greed of gain to be one Of
the worst signs of the times.-the
forewarning of some great unheayal
and disaster. the effects Of which no
human mind can calculate. / am told