Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02
"You are very much interested; is 1t not

"You are very much interested; is it not
so?"
Rallywood stared. The countess spoke
petuanly.
do you not know" she added, chat the
custom in Revonde holds you to the partner
with whom you find yourself when midnight
| rings? Valerie Se1pdorf is embarrassed
with partners-my cousin, Anthony Unzar,
who desires perhaps herself, but most GER
| tainly her fortune, and our delightful Ger
man minister, who uses all means that
| come to hand to win Maasau for his mas
ter! But / should not say these foolish
things to you, who are of the other party"
They were dancing by this time, her head
| near his shoulder, her voice soft in his bend
| ing ear.
"Of the other party?" he repeated. 81
| fattered myself that you said something else
| just now"
"Yes, a friend; but made mistake-I
| have none-no, not one true friend!" the
| voice said passionately in his ear, land my
| husband"
Rallywood almost lifted her clear OF
| some crowding couples, and then gently re-
| leased her. In vague way he felt the
force of her appealing beauty as he had felt
| II intermittently for some months past. 1t
| touched him for the moment, but he was apt
to forget both it and the very existence OF
the woman herself directly he parted from
| her.
Count Sagan is colonel-in- chief Of the
guard?" he asked, and the question seemed
| to fit in with her train of thought.
| She made no immediate response, but with
light touch on his arm led him to a
hower-banked apartment about which a
few couples were scattered in various con-
venient nooks She sank upon seques-
tered settee, and made room for him beside
| her.
Yes, he is colonel-in- chief of the
guard because they think him
too old to act any longer as its real COM
mandant, He was the first soldier In
Nassau and the most unequaled sportsman
He was all these things, and l am proud OF
them! But look at mel"
She rose languidly and stood before him
Rallywood saw a slight woman, tall and
exquisitely fair. who carried her small head
with its cleaning coronet royalty. Her, skin
and her soft flushed cheeks had the pure
eyanescent quality OF a child's complexion
Moreover. her chief charm was perhaps her
air OF childlike innocence. Isolde of Sagan
had seldom looked more lovely; she was
honestly touched by self-pHy and was posing
as the proud yet dsilusioned wife OF a
man hopelessly older than herself and fol-
the time being she believed earnestly in
that view of her lot.
''All these things have been" she added
softly, her eyes filling with tears, "but
| am! Can / ever be satisfied with what only
was?" Rallywood's face altered. Like any
other man in such position, he felt i'm
mensely sorry for her, She saw the ad-
vantage she had gained and at once the
coquette awoke In her.
Captain Rallywood" she sank down be-
side him again, 81 need a friend in whom
can trust, who will ask nothing OF me. but
who will give me all the things / most
want"
The Interpretation OF this enlgmatical
speech was left to the ear. for the young
countess was gazing at her big black fan
where luminous irefies hung tangled
amongst the dusky feathers. Quickly with
some dissatisfaction she became aware that
Rallywood was not looking at her-as he
should have been doing-but staring In