Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-28
HER FIRST LOVE.

Adelheid Eichrodt was h young and
lovely Berli nese, who at the age of II had
been introduced to the Count de Morier,
q Frenchman of family and distinction.
He became deeply enamored of her beauty
an simplicity. The offer of his hand was
g~raciously accepted, and he brought her
in triumph to his hotel in the Faubourg
St. Germain, where, Notwithstanding the
little discussions that a difference OF ma
tional tastes and prejudice is apt to occa.
sion, they lived in the very plenitude and
perfection of conjugal concord.
They had been married about a year and
a half when De Morier fancied he OBJ.
served an alteration in his wife's habits
and manners 1t appeared to him that his
adored Adelhoid was becoming less frank
and conflding toward him; she was re-
served, distract. There was an air of mys-
terry in her proceedings. In fact, 1t was
evident that she had some secret with
which she was sedulously DESTROYS he
should remain u~nacquainted. He was
constantly in the habit Of finding scraps
of paper scattered about the floor, for the
appearance of which she accounted in
various unsatisfactory ways. He more
than once surprised her in whispered con
ference with old Karl, a German domestic,
who, having lived In her fathers service
since the period of Adelheid's infancy, had
on the event of her marriage requested to
be allowed to accompany his young mis-
tress to Paris. On his approach they would
suddenly separate, and, as 1t seemed to
him, in something like confusion.
INo1 o1so ~, ~ ~ oanncint> Ioan ovnoo1
ingly perplexed and mortified by overhear-
ing two ladies In society, after extolling
the undeniable beauty and grace and affa-
bility OF Nine. dc Morier, make an excep.
tion to her prejudice (the "particulars'
did not reach his earl, which was imme-
diately followed by an exclamation of
"Mon Dieu! ce nest pas possible-une
bette, I'm monsieur-affreuse, degoutante. "
He was not quite sure that the epithets
were applied to his wife, but he more than
suspected they were. 1t was not long after
that, on entering her apartment unexpect-
eddy, be saw her rush toward the open
window and dash something to the ground.
"Bah, bah! Adelheid, why, surely I have
entered Houbigant's fabrique in mistake
for my own hotel! Essence de millefieurs
Altar du rose! What are all these scents
that you are scattering about the room?
You will suffocate me with your many
sweets. have told you Of my aversion to
strong perfumes"
The suspicious husband. having observed
madame in one of her late mystic meet
ings with the old steward conflde a large
purse Of gold to his possession. hastily
quilted the room full of vague apprehen-
sions and surmises and fully resolved to
take all early opportunity Of satisfying
himself In what ann his wife was in
the habit Of employing the intervals of his
absence from home, which, owing to a
pending lawsuit, had become Of late very
frequent and %protracted. Yet he loved and
respected hcr too much to distress her
with open and direct inquiries on the
subject of her visible confusion. Accord
ingly on the day following this little
%brusquerie he took occasion during break
fast to signify that he was engaged out on
business for the whole of the day and
should probably be detained until the
evening Of the morrow. Not long after
the usual hour of dinner he made his ap.
pearance. The old steward opened the
door.
"What, Karl! AS I left you in the morn
ing I find you In the neutrality-suspicious. la
pipe! Always smoking! Is madame at
homer" "Non, monsieur, non." "Noi I
think you are mistaken, Karl. I am near
ly positive that ! saw her close the ~jalousie
Of her boudoir this moment in a white
dressing gown. Is she alone?" "Yes, sir
alone, sir! To be sure she's alone-at
l%east-that Isl will tell her you are
come, and II thank you, I can inform
her myself" why, no; that is-just If
you please, sir, to allow me-may be she
might be engaged, orr "Engagedl How
-what-with whomp" "Oh-h, with no.
body, sirl" "Let me pass, old man! What
does this meanp" "Nothing, sir, but II
you would only now-do, sir, only just
wait q moment, that I may tell my lady,
sir. She will be so frightened-you will
be SO angry "Angry! Yes, I am angry
at your ~unaccountable detention Of me-"
The counts brain instantly took fire.
Imagination mastered reason. Yet he
adopted a reasonable course in resolutely
shaking the old man from his hold and
striding swiftly and silently along the
range of rooms that led to his Adelheid's
apartment. In q state of considerable ex-
o1ooAI0Ao LIZ puoAou OpSu uuo OuuOII uOOI
with vehemence, but stood transflXed on
the threshold at the spectacle that present.
Cd itself to his view.
His young and lovely wife was reclining
listlessly in the large armchair, her foot
reposing on a low footstool, her elbow
resting on a small table at her side, willis
her delicate hand sustained an enormous
chibouque, from which she pulled oloude
Of fragrant incense!
His establishment soon relaxed into i'm
moderate laughter. $50, so, my fair Mus
sulman, l have caught you at last-now
the secrets out, and the mystery, like
most other mysteries, ends in smoke. That
cunning old Karl. too, to conspire against
me! Truth, Adeiheid, I don't know that
I ever saw you look more gracefully
charming-more femininely lovely. Nay,
don't pout and blush and cry and throw
down the most magnificent chibouque SO
disdainfully. I'll buy 1t OF you, mignon.
Will you sell it me, eh2" And throwing
his arms around her he hid her tears of
modification In his bosom. "And now,
my sweet wife," resumed De Morier as
Adelheid released herself from bis length
ened embrace, 1--WE will put away this toy,
II you please, until we 60 back to Berlin.
Custom here 10 everything. Now, the Pa
risian ladies are not yet accustomed-that
Is, 1T is not yet the fashion herein short,
my love, the Partisan ladies don't sinokc!'
Exchange.