The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-08-31
~ 81. W ". ". ~. W. ". ~ ". :,
To What Base Uses
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E1OND Dleppe is talr country
ID skirting blue sea, and the peoples
grow red and tall in the rustling wheat.
The hedges are starred with blossoms
and powdered with dust, for the high
ways are the roads of many.
Half way down the steep hill is a
little hostel, a roadside in. 1t has a
face of flowers and is pleasant; it smiles
with the welcome of a courteous ma
tive to the casual stranger; it invites
inspections; it suggests refreshments
and it DISCUSSES the materialistic form
of its refreshment with the glamour of
roses and rustic porch.
The day was hot and l hesitated at
the porch. The room inside looked cool;
it had stone floor and latticed win
dow, which was thrust open. Then
saw the tlutter of pink gown and a
silvery laugh came to me. l had a
married sister waiting for me at Pour
ViSe, and l was all ready; but then, |
argued, l always had a married sister,
and she was generally waiting for me
somewhere, for L am invariably late;
and a pink gown, in conjunction with
so Silvery a laugh, was alluring. l
went in. The sunlight outside was
very bright, the half-light in the room
was dim, and l stepped upon q dog-a
pug dog, l afterward discovered
which resented my familiarity with his
teeth. That destroyed the effect of
my entrance. 1t produced a hurried
exclamation and a half-laugh trans
lated into d cough. The exclamation
came from me. l apologized profuse-
~ to the lady who had been indeter-
inmate as to laugh or ceugh. She was
! saw diyinely small, cool, sweet, in
nocent face, with mischief, however,
lurking in the eyes; a figure slight, will
lowy; an air of command and dress
Uncomfortable to an insular understand
5ng-a mere dream of light frills, soft
silks and color.
She drew herself up with some hau-
teur to the full extent of her five feet
four inches, from which l deducted two
inches in consequence of a glance at
her shoes. In the labor of buttoning a
long glove she spoke.
Monsieur, [ too must apologize. 1t
was i'll of Fido. 1t is pardonable that,
i'll the heat of such surprise, a man
should say-should say what you
said"
Yet to me it is a grief" protested.
81" she went on, buttoning her
glove, with her eyes fixed on me under
the curtain of their long lashes, Il
thought you were someone else"
l hate to be taken for anybody else
but myself like to keep the tlutter-
ing hope that am unique. was
piqued.
Madame" 1 answered. 81 am sorry
that l was not the other person"
She looked at me for quite awhile,
which made me feel uncomfortable. At
such moments l have always misgiv-
ing that my tie has wriggled. Then
she smiled. The smile began in her
eyes, spread to her lips, and finally
took refuge in her teeth. l smiled too
from sympathy partly, and partly to
show her that | bore her no i'll will for
her mistake.
Does monsieur generally enter aninn
TO tread upon little dogs?" l became
aware that l had not summoned the
landlord. | was also aware that l did
not wish to summon the landlord.
Il heard you laugh" l said. The
fact seemed all eloquent to me, it APP
peared so to her.
Il was expecting some one. We had
quarreled," she made reply.
He was to blame"
Il have not said that it was a man."
at was unnecessary. You were good
enough not to think me devoid of COM
mon sense"
''He departed in anger"
"a most ill-tempered man."
-'If were in the wrong"
(Which is a superstition very much
strained"
Il should be miserable, but as it is
j laugh"
And when you laugh the world
stops at your window"
Monsieur is pleased to regard him
self in very tlattering light"
And |, as the only tangible object
of the world, entered"
"Ah!"
She played short solo upon the
stone floor with the tap of her shoe, it
was crescendo. Her brow-it was a.
marble for wilderness and as soft as
rose leaves-wrinkled in thought, her
Aips--i hardly know whether to bless
the gods for permitting me sight, or
curse them for the' hot temptation
puckered. She WAS evidently ponder
ing.
1T is she said at length, IAN un-
ceKemonious entrance"
at is an unceremonious introduce
tion," corrected; the entrance was
not unceremonious--"
"Uness to Fido." She laughed a
little, and | began to find her laugh
rather irritating-at times. But the
worst of it is there has bean no intro
duction."