Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-06

IS what the forked spray of maple was,
or what it meant, or even give US a
hint.
In the end, when we did come to find
out about it, it was not Carrie herself
who enlightened us. But we did find
out.
I myself was one of her most constant
clients I mean, I never missed a
Wednesday afternoon tea in her private
den for anything less serious than a
toothache. And then, besides, we used
to meet at half a dozen other places, and
sometimes she woul let me take her to
the theater. There was never any one
man whose special privilege it was to
take Carrie Bake to the theater. She
granted that to four or five friendly and
generally well-behaved men in rotation.
This being the state Of things, I consid-
cred myself in a position to introduce a
new man at one of her afternoon teas
without first asking special leave. In
this way it was that / proposed to Ernst
Ligrid to accompany me to Miss Balke's
on the very day after he had come to take
up his abode in our town.
Ligrid had brought me a very cordial
letter of introduction; beyond what the
letter told me, I only knew of him that
he vas a big, athletic Norseman.
ITO be quite candid he said. when I
suggested thisp plan of spending the after
noon, 81 rather think / should be a little
out of place. Why? Well, not hat I
affect to look down on ~society-nothing
Of the kind. But, to be thoroughly at
ones ease in the atmosphere of an after
noon tea party, one has got to get used
to that sort of thing early in life. Isn't
it sop
II don't know / said. IT can only
tell you that l meyer miss one of Miss
Balke's afternoon teas myself, if l can
help it. and ! never saw any human be-
ing who didn't seem perfectly at home
there. And l think you'd better make up
your mind to come. If you find the at
mosphere too close, you can easily es-
cape-nothing easier"
Ligrid stroked his squarc-cUt, reddish
~beard-whlch always reminded me of
Wotan in the Wagner operas-and, smil-
ing, said:
Very well then"
Carrie received him next day in much
the same easy, pleasant way in which
she generally received d new conner. She
seemed very glad to meet him, and no
doubt she was. A tall man, with fine
shoulders, and, altogether, what is called
"a fine presence,'is an agreeable acqui-
sition to any afternoon tea party.
On his side, Ligrid's manner was en-
tirely conventional, except in one little
detail. When l introduced him to the
hostess. his fine scandinavian eyebrows
first arclled themselves and then fell
into a thoughtful frown. 1t seemed to
me at the time that he was scrutinizing
her face very closely, for a first meet
ing.
Ligrid was not-is not--a very laxative
man. Still. he made himself very com-
Portable on a little square lounge-as
comfortable as his generous proportions
would allow-sitting by Annette Henry,
who was telling him all about everybody
and everything in the room and in the
town. as she very well could. There was
no sign Of his trying to make his escape,
as from an uncongenial atmosphere.
And then, Of course, he had to notice
the forked spray Of maple engraved on
the back OF a New Orleans souvenir
spoon with which he was stirring his
coffee.
There was a sudden Jingle, as II the
big Nerseman had dropped the spoon