Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-06-24

Thomas i. COrbins lives mile or
two out of Hartford, on rising ground,
above pretty tributary Of the Con-
necticut. He is an excellent fellow,
and though his establishment is on a
simple scale, because lie happens to
prefer ii, he has made his pile.
His wife is dead, aud he has only
one child, a pretty daughter. At
present Dorothy was acting as cook,
her cook in fit OF wrath having taken
French leave and her waitress having
her hands full caring for the house.
II was q warm summer afternoon,
and Dorothy was alone in the kitchen,
the ingredients for sponge cake
neatly laid ont before her. The clock
struck three, and just as 1t struck the
electric train stopped before the house
and dropped young man. He was
fair, his eyes blue, his moustache
light, but II was not the fairness OF
the Anglo-Saxon race. In fact, Max
de Resal had only very lately arrived
In America
Opening the small wicket near the
larger entrance, through the high red
paling, he walked up white pathway,
Swallowed by tall trees, and took in
the character OF the house he was APP
preaching at picturesque, ivy.cov-
cred angle.
A Lapland wolf-dog, aroused from
his slumbers in an armchair on the
verandah, broke the intense stiffness
that hung like spell over the house,
and his noisy alarm brought lousy
mop OF hair to one Of the Queen Anne
windows in the roof. Max felt he
was expected to explain himself aud
said, interrogatively: Mr.. Corbins'?''
but the maid, seemingly misunder.
standing him, waved him around to
the kitchen.
"Let us find the kitchen, them" he
said to himself; ''but Pierre shall hear
Of this, sending me to such place,
wasting my time"
A little farther on door was open
with screen drawn across IL inside,
and Max, without any ceremony, walked
in. The shutters were half closed to
keep out the light and flies, but he
distinguished woman's figure.
~ have an introduction for Mr.. Cor
bins" he said, addressing her.
Miss Corbins took the envelope
from his hand, pulled out the card II
contained and, to the horror Of Max,
calmly read IL:
'The Marquis de ST. Cybars begged
TO remind Mr.. Corbins Of their &C.
quaintanceship and to introduce his
great friend, the Vicomte de Resal,
who was travelling in America for q
few months"
While Dorothy read the letter, Max,
becoming accustomed to tue dim light,
was making up his mind that the
beauty OF American cooks was quite
as uncommon as their manners, and
Dorothy was turning over in her mind
schemes for battling this would.be for
tune hunter. She spoke French fair
~, and her next speech was in thai
language.
80 it's not on business you want
10 see Mr.. Corbins?"
Up went Max's hands as il word:
were inadequate to express his amaze
ment.
"She speaks French, tool" he cried.
'Madamoiselle, in my country should
think you disguised princess. But
here have sworn that, after all the
strange things have seen in the last
month, nothing shall astonish me.
Still, l must confess think Mr.. Cor
bius' cook breaks the record, as you
say. Yes, il I have still any vestigt
OF sense left, think may say l onl,
wanted to pay Mr.. Corbins visit Of
courtesy"
Travellers like you," she said, {
spice of malice in her tone, "are not
very common in America. French
men, especially don't generally visit
us just for the pleasure of it,"
"But," he went on, seating himsel
on a pitch-pine chair, 81 give you m.
word / nm neither an engineer, 1
painter, a writer nor a singer"
swell, then," said Dorothy, using
Tho egg-beater vigorously, IL know
what has brought you here. You
want to catch an heiress! Oh! yot
may MS we'll tell the truth to apoor ser
want like me-"
"When a young man wants wife,
said Max, "of course it's an heiress.
"Then you had better go to New
port, sir. It's the season there jus
now. But stay, Newport is perhaps
too grand for viscount. Such YER.
rich girls 60 there. What a pity
now, you're not q marquis, like Mr.. d
ST. Cybars. He managed his afiai
quickly, i can tell you'll might al
most say saw the bargain struck
Servants do see 80 much, you know
and guess more. Poor Lily Everson
Tn afraid she knows by this time tina
1t does not make girls life happ,