The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-26
The Lions Claw,

/
| the autumn air, and was ordered by the
| doctor TO Pau: Just what you want
mild but bracing climate
So in mild November Julien sat IN his
sunny window in Hotel Garderes. gazing
AT the Pyrerees and smoking cigarette
in honor of his recovery.
How jolly Pau was anyhow, with its
| vast horizon, its snowy peaks, its brill
! liant sun. the cosmopolitan crowd, where
pretty foreigners chartered all the Ian
guages OF Europe. like tropical birds in
| an aviary. A few sad sights, to be sure
the consumptive young Englishman in
! bath chair, wrapped in plaids, with tae
| eyes of boiled fish. a black taffeta
muff1er over his mouth. II gave one
| shiver, yet-man is so selfsh-it made
Julien remember what a skeleton he nan
been three months ago, with chocolate
rings under his eyes, and here he was
| cured. tossing silver coins TO the beggars
and watching the hearty little American
girls in fiyaway frocks and black gloves
| and stockings. dancing 'ring-around-a
| rosy to the bands quick-step.
Just the frame of mind for falling in
| love, wasn't it? Which the happy con-
| valescent proceeded to do the first time
he set eyes on Mile. Olga Barbarine. the
belle of the Russian colony, as she dis
mounted in front of the Hotel Glasson--
fox hunting one evening at ). she had
slipped from her horse into the arms II
the nimblest of the pink-coated adorers
who rushed for the stirrup. Striking the
veranda table with her crop, she had call
ed for cup of milk. and drank it off at
draft. Looking like a primaticcio god
dess, her slim figure and copper-colored
hair Illuminated by the faring sunset,
she paused, laughing merrily, a creamy
F111rC ~srl7a i
grave. with a curt, imperious nod. she
left the redcoats and entered the hotel,
tapping her riding habit with her whip.
Three days later. after many a ''Who
is she? l must know heri" to his &C
quantances, Julien got himself introduce
ed-not a difficult process-and Joined the
fair Russian court.
Her real father, the Oscar or Christian
so often referred to by Nine Barbarine
had been dead some years, and the Rus
sian count, her legal father, never both
cred his head about her. Utterly bank
rupt, civilized Leather Stocking who
won at all the pigeon matches, his uner-
ring gun gave him a living. The countess
in spite of periodical attacks of maternal
devotion-painfully holow-was gifted
with one Of the perfect, absolute, spheri-
cal egotisms that never show flaw: when
Olga a had almost died of typhoid Nine
Barbaraine of the white hands-for the
sake of decency sitting up with her child
did not once forget to put on her grants
gras.
Ali this De Rhe learned after enlisting
in the flying squadron that Unanswered
about fair Olga. He began to love the
strange girl who let him look straight
into her eyes, and who said to him as she
lit cigarette, the day friend presented
him: 'Ah, you are the man who is so
much in love with me? How do you do?"
giving him hearty handshake, like a
man. The sailor, true-hearted fellow that
he was, loved her the more as he grew
to understand and pity her.
Julien, sensitive and discerning discov-
cred the secret h-heartedness of the
thoroughbred as Olga was called. He
loved her, too, for her beauty, of course;
and his head would swim when, at a
pause in the dance, the authenticated
goddess with the black eyes and the tea
rose skin would lean on his arm and
would intoXicate him with her starry
gaze and violet breath. But he loved her
above all for her sufferings, so proudly
hidden. How his heart ached when he
caught the sombre look Olga turned on
her mother at afternoon tea, when Nine
Barbarine, seated with the light directly
behind her, evoked her royal conquests in
northern courts.
He would marry her-snatch her out Of
this poisonous air, take her to his own
sanity mother. show her a true family
save heri He sometimes fancied Olga IN
derstood his purpose, as she handed him
his glass of Russian tea He thought he
now and then caught, deep in her eyes,
a gentle light that seemed an answer to
his generous pity.
49,, Iaa,.. 49,
week. / leave Pau tomorrow and after
a few days with my sister in Touraine, I
shall go to Brest; in year 1 shall be at
sea again."
They were standing in the hotel wait
ing room near the open window, with its
palpitatng night sky.
Goodbye, then, and bon voyage" said
Olga, in her frank firm voice But you
must give me a little keepsake-that lions
claw you wear as a watch charm-a
trophy Of an African lion hunt didn't you
tell me? 1t appears to the fierce and free
in me, you know"
Julien took off the charm and put it into
the girls fingers. Suddenly grasping her
hand in both of his, ardently: Il love
yOu-will you be my wife?"
Olga freed herself. keeping the lions
claw, folding her arms. she looked straight
a him. apparently unmoved. Mono
and yet you are the first to love me and
to tell me so in that good way. That's
why I refuse you
Olga cried Julien, in a choked voice
Listen 10 me and l will explain. l am
not worthy Of you-you would be I'M
happy with me. You remember your sis
ter's letter that you said you had lost?
Well. picked it up here and read it, She
replied to the confidence you had made
her Of your love for me--a love I had
long guessed Her words showed me the
vast difference between a true. simple girl
and me. And I saw, too, what a real fam
lily Is, your family. Be grateful for the
mother you have. NJ. De Rhe. I have a
mother too. but l have been forced TO
judge her. You have seen only her ridicu-
lous sides, but l know her better She
would refuse you my hand because you
are only of the gentry and in moderate
circumstances. She has decided that /
am TO make a brilliant match. Horrible.
winter We were at Nice. last summer at
Scheveningen, now at Pau
Mamma was most princess royal you
see: and from Is I've been given 70 under
stand that I was meant for an arch
duchess at least. even If a left-hsnded
one. Marry mere gentleman. almost a
bourgeoise! Al, you are Disguised, and
I'm ashamed Of myself Do not protest.
Besides. l am expensive and useless. and
you don't need me and wouldn't make
YOU happy-and I don't love you. ! don't
love any one. Love Is in the things that
I've always been forbidden Goodbye.
Get Up and go without a word Bu- leave
me your lions claw 20 remind me OF the
honest fellow whom I've treated honestly
Adieut''
,7-s--.. ,.esrs ,a.e- o-a stormy rgr-.