The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-08-11
my part I val willing to forego such

my part ! Wae willing to f0rego eucl
trivialitiea
II do not know youNt name"
Nor I yours, 20 that is a bond o.
sympathy. Let u.s." went on in +,
glow of inspiration, ''imag,ne that ",
have been introduced ut a dance. On,
never knows the names in such cases..
"He was certainly to blame"
Certainly. II II man willingly walk
out Of Paradise. he must be either F.,
fool or
'He will come back"
'In that case l began, rising ant
taking up my hat from the chair.
Greatly" she answered, "a mar
who willingly walks out off,
"But I DON'T" l objected. II &
with the greatest reluctance"
1T is very hot in the sum-, mon
sieur."
madame, I greatly fear sunstroke,
It is a disease which has had remarka'
BILE fatality for my family"
I replaced my hat upon the chair or
which I had previously seated myself,
and seated myself upon the chair on
which ] had previously placed my hat.
That chair was nearer to madame by
over a foot.
Monsieur Is prudent" che said and
smiled. I should have been perfectly
happy II her gaze did not 90 often wan.
der through the window frame and seek
the sunshine outside.
may, ! fear" / murmured, looking
at her ardently, "impudent."
"That is hardly in the nature Of a
compliments"
Because" I went on boldly, '.in
the JOY Of a moment, a minute, an hour.
I peril my future peace"
She beat another solo upon the floor
and again looked into the sunshine. My
eyes followed the direction Of hers, and
I thought ! saw a hat. The hat was &c.
vere-nay, rigid; it was a masculine
hat.
lis the peril so great?" che asked.
She spoke 30 softly that l pushed my
chair q little nearer to her and leaned
forward.
1.-THE answer is entirely in you,
hands, madame" I said.
"There may be no peril" she pout.
ed, ''for who knows what tree Of love
may spring from this mere grain OF
barely ten minutesf"
She glanced at m sideways.
"Have you noticed the roses at the
Window"
"No," I answered. "They are there,
no doubt-roses are often at windows
but ! have eyes for you only"
"There 10 one almost a bud. Icovet
1t. must have it,"
She rose and passed swiftly to the
window. Again ! thought I saw the
hat. I rose. I followed her. I stood be.
hind her as she raised her ungloved
banda dainty slender, white hand a
hand that any man might not tire Of
kissing easily. She caught the bud.
broke its stem and gave a faint cry.
lyon have hurt yourself" I said.
"A thorn" she answered hurriedly;
lit has pricked met is still in. ]
fear"
took her hand in mine. I have had
some experience Of thorns in connec-
ton with little hands. and ! did not look
for any deep wound, yet I must confess
to some considerable surprise when ]
found nome at all. and ever after min.
ute search NJ visible impression upon
the satin Of her skin.
Madame" ! said falteringly. al
can see nothing"
Stupid" she cried p%ettishly. yet
not loudly. "Look again--I tell you ]
have hurt my hand badly. You cannot
see well. Hold II to the light"
held It to the light. looked at Il
very carefully--the hand was really
worth looking att bent lower over It.
lower still. Then suddenly I glanced
upward. She was smiling. saw a
challenge In her eyes. I kissed her hand.
"Clotilde," said a voice over my
head. II was a strange voice, and 1t
seemed out In the garden, q little above
me I looked up and recognized the
" hat. Under the hat was a
man. He looked bad tempered when he
regarded me; he looked penitent when
be gazed upon madame.
"Henri," she cried, ~ have a thorn
in my finger. This gentleman is clumsy
he cannot discover it,"
She glanced at me scornfully and
stretched out her perfectly healthy
hand to the owner Of the rigid hat, who
took 1t. Then, in that hand, innocent
Of a scratch or mark, he found a thorn,
1t out and kissed the place
1t had been. I think, though,
the wound was, after all, not in he,
hand, and II I did not find 1t / was not
useless in the healing.
Then suddenly ! remembered that !
not summoned the landlord and
rectifed my forgetfulness in a violen
manner When mine host entered, he
was in time o see the rigid hat bend.
Ing under a parasol somewhere down
the road.
"Ah. they have made 1t up again."
he cried, with evident satisfaction. ~
am glad of that, for the wedding is to
be In the early part Of next week, and