New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-25

Almost INTO her eyes in way that suggested a
hlghiy idealized Skye terrier. Her figure was
PSiAFttiy proporuoned, and her complexion OF
exquisite deliCacy. a beauty rarely found in
france Married at twenty, her husband died
Wlthln the year She had one child q
niue girl Marguerite t''La PTincesse Margot"
We mad nicknamed herr now eight
years OF age and the apple Of her eye:
a small, graceful. winning frOlicsOme Great
ure. pocket edition OF her mother whom
she strongly resembIed in appearance and char
aeter- The establishment consisted Of a house
Keeper old Prosper. the butler; Julie. Madame :
mad the cook, and some men about the stables.
The cuisine was excellent Prosper put before
Us every day the best wines in the cellar. while
MaudIne, anu at luncheon her little daughter,
Kept Us company The Chateiaine treated US
more as hOnCTed guests than as officers Of the
enemy's army quartcred on her We all enjoyed
Il very much except poor Seckendorf, whose
quarters We're too far from the house for him TO
leave his men 10 join at dinner.
In another squadron Of ours that occupied
these excellent Quarters some time before was
q Lieutenant Won Kottenkamp a rather vain
but extremely handsome clever and distin-
gLlSheC looking young officer. who spoke French
Ike d native and who IN appearance, with his
dark eyes and short black mustache smartIy
turned up at the ends. greatly reSembIed a little
French marquis painted by Fragonard on a
lady's fan To hottenkamp, a year or TWO
younger than herself, the lady took strong
liking. and before he had been a week al the
chateau he was head over heels IN love with her.
When he was ordered away. and another lieu
tenant, by no means as good looking took his
pace II was supposed mat the task or conSol-
ing the lady for kottenkamp's absence would
b- q thankl-Ss one. This was not the case. She
smiled as sWeetly on the newcomer as she had
on him VINO had gone and when the man
was in turn succeeded by a third the same
phenomenon was observed. When No. : yielded
the pas 10 No. the latter seemed to inherit all
the good fortune Of MS predecessors. hotten-
kamp, however. outranked the others in her at
fecuons by seniority. as il We're. and she was
always known IN the regiment as "kOtten-
kamp'S widow" That young man seemed 70
take the situation quite calmly. and never dis
played the slightest signs Of jealousy.
III
otherwise l took the matter au grand serieux
even 70 the extent Of proposing marriage, and
suffered untold paugs II any one paid court 70
her At first she laughed at me, but in d few
days seemed 10 think my offer not unworthy Of
consideration ana for my own part, the fact
that she was quite ten years older than IN no
wise changed the color OF my resolution. I had
a fair field. The marked preference she showed
for sent the little Prince and BreltenStein
into the billiard room half hour after dinner
whittier old BreIsewitz also betOok himself to
watch them play and swallow countless goblcts
Of mulIed Ciaret
The charm Of our delightful tete-a-tate goes
without saying but II too exquisite TO last
one morning the Marquise tripped up 10 Breise-
wiz and myself as We sat IN the breakfast room
slipping cafe lait and held out letter
Il was from her lawyer at Lille. Important
business relating 10 her property there demand
ed her immediate presence. She drove that
afternoon 70 AHIieus 10 obtain from our general
a pass through the lines, and, returning at dusk.
announced her departure for Lille the next
morning. Never had she appeared more gracious
and amiable 5 hostess than that day at din
neT- WnlCh 1 JnDugnl HOut1 never emo ana Wa
glad when old Prosper appeared with the coffee
and BTeiseWiUZ and the others went upstairs TO
their everlasting billiards.
As soon as We were alone I drew q long stool
close her chair. and. taking her slim white
hand in mine. poured into her ear succession
Of those well worn platlrudes that seem SO fun
Of meaning TO at the time We utter them l
cannot recaIl-and there IS unalIOyed pleasure
in the thought hundredth part of the non
sense l talked that night My wife in the sight
Of heaven she should be so after the war in the
sight Of men Ny father could not refuse The
prayer Of q VINO came back 10 him with the
cross of iron and the credit attaching to honor
able mention in general orders
Letting her hands rest Oh my shoders, she
told me that she too saw but one path in life,
NJ one she would travel at my side. Ny cOUn-
pie and so on. She only made one stipulation
that she be allowed 10 come 10 France for q
six weeks visit every second year. Rising she
went TO the piano and after preludIng a mo
r1ent- broke of into 4 charming little yalse OF
her own composition l do not know its real
name | sure II had one. but as she
always played il when she and one Of her adOr-
e-s we're about 10 part it known in the
regiment as La Nalse des AcleuX hotten-
kaup had heard il. and mad the other fellow,
and the one that came after him, but, pshaw
what was the use Of going into that II was
being played for me-for me alone-and the
sounds seemed 10 get into the marrow Of my
bones and mingle with IL
Not until the small hours did my chaTmer
and separate. Taking tiny watch from her
belt she glanced at It Mon ami II Is sweet
10 listen TO you but the journey 10 Lille is long,
and I but a Door weak little woman Au re-
voir." Her head rested my shoulder an in
me before l realized what had happened, she
sope 7 drew an armchair 10 the window