Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-08


cess did she disburse that gold, "
so you mean TO insinuatc," cried
Priscilla, drawing up her slight young
figure Indignantly "that criticism is a
matter Of dollars and cents?'
THAT is putting it roughly" Dcs-
moulins smiled, with a swiftly dissimu-
lated scowl, speaking almost under his
breath. Turn the phrase more pleas
antly, If | may be SO bold as TO ask it.
Your nation has "a straightforward way
of speaking which is Il trihe--confusing
Can you steal pictures, madcmoisclle?
Can you steal law: Can you steal medi-
cine; Why, then, should you steal crit
icism"'
Priscilla hcsitated an instant Then
she asserted firmly, "Thcre is such a
thing as principle, monsieur"
DcsmoulinS made IA wry face and rails
ed his handsome brows.
There is such a thing as conviction
have read of men who starved on a
crust rather than renounce one little Of
what they believed. "
Critics are not of that order, made.
moiscllc "
"When they are not, what they say
shoull no cou.idorcd of no ,ol,o - no.
| turned Priscilla hotly.
softly, softly, mademoisclle What
they say is of vast importance. The way
tbov cav II ia of ma ,crount At;ss Bill,
has ,von bor instruction VII, bos Il
nnver occurrod to bor IN win bor po..i.
bile dctroctocs9"
"put saw eho has M ,norovsn
"TL,t il bor mi sfor+rno NOT o,,re 7
have M do,,bt we r,ioL+ IN +i,ro IN.
str,ct vour fr;ord in rho r,o+bods to
nnreuo a. ro,,,rds tho coroor c,,,co,,,i,,,
which she is So obviously ionoront
She could ontortain bo, friend. ,t s,,,,.
nor She corld ofror tbcn from t,,,,o -
timo q scat at nor norfor,nnuros Sbo
could recommend them ne supnrl,tivnIv
conabln in their nrofossion Shn could
domrcb-I sneak disinterostedlv. ,vhat
| saw for Miss Brilla is AN evidence Of
trun frieudsbin-whichI bove no ti,,e
TO cxplain here.
..Tbanl, Won " said Priscilla art,oss.
" 81 thnul< Won NJ DesmonIius T
felt Won were honest " Her littlo fin
gers slid into De.,noulins' astonished
CRASH.
Desmoulins inclined himself a trifle
fantasticallv Then. with a uerceutiLlc
/ increase of color in his onig,nntical
countenance. he remarked; II have
| lust been saving to NV coufreres " de-
noting those gentlemen with a wave
/ of his baud--thev had becn Infant lis
teners to the above farce, and some of
! them were still smiling broadly, albeit
| deprecatingly-" have lust been say
/ ing that the next two acts will deter
mine Miss Brilla IS fate Sustained pow
[ er is what is most requisite IN a singer.
l fancy your friend is devoid of that"
ION the contrary, cried Priscilla.
tapping her foot on the tessellated floor
impatiently, "sho has more sustained
power than any woman 1 ever knew"
My niece, " interrupted Aunt Mil
dred's quiet voice in English, lis a
warm advocate Of her comrades, NJ
Dc-moulius. 1t is our new world Gus
! tom TO fight our friends battles"
"Adnirable!" returned Desmoulins
in the same language. lie was noted for
his bilingual capacity. He inflated his
chest and smiled with gratifed pride
at being surrounded by so we'll dressed
II party. For the past few moments the
little knot had been the observed of all
observers who passed to and fro "Ad-
mirable! Your country is indeed a won.
derfuI one. madame"
Aunt Mildred shrugged her shout
doris and turned to Stornmouth. CAS- if
il needed that oiIv specimen Of the
Latin race TO confirm it. she whisDcr.
ed very low
Stornmouth did NOT ronlv. He was
hiding his time. There was n gigantic
protest surgiug like burning lava
tbrouph his veins If took all his
strength to choke II down
Aunt Mildred. " wbisnered Priscil-
II. Il wish Won TO invite all these con-
tlemou"-with a Httlo sweep of her
arm which included the connt Dos
,,ouIins and six or eiobt iournalist.-
"homo to sumner"
There was a snddcn unuovernohle
movement ON Storrmouth's mart which
vanished as soon as it made irself evil
dent. Ho folded his arms stolidlv and
anncarod to Inc Watching = woman with
dvcd hair and a nIocuiticent tiara who
stood ON the first landing Of the great
marble staircase
.rRocause " Priscilla whisoored cit
is fine thinp IN do for Coustaur. # will
mn them all in good humor. and they