The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-12

Molly meelxly followed him up flight
after flight OF stairs, and along apparent
lv interm,nable passages inc ihSioc "a
tho chateau stood in even greater need
of repair than the exterior Many OF tie
carved halustcrs of the beautlIul oiu
stairs were broken or displaced, the paper
In some places was pcelng off the damp
discolored walls; here and there the pas
ter had fallen from the ceilings, ana
everywhere dust ana cobwcbs abounded.
Al last. at the end of a long dark pas
sage. her guido came to a standStill, ana
pointing to a narrow door, informed Molly
that il led TO her room.
CHAPTER XIII.
DOGGY"
When Molly had sufficiently recovered
herself 10 open and unpack her box, and
yv.,,s refreshed and invigorated by liberal
use of cold water, and change OF gear
she began to feel conscious OF incouVc-
Mont but unmlstakable hunger. After
her recent adventure. she was determined
! to make no further efforts to look after
her interests, and. therefore, having re-
i,aled herself with the remnants or q stale
bun rummaged out of her bag. sat doWA
10 write a letter TO her aunt. and To
wonder when II would be dinner time.
Rather more than an hour had passed,
and Mo,ly's healthy appetite had reached
q frantic point. when there came q tap
at her door and obeying her Invitation
TO enter, 4 brown faced. griZzled, queer
little man IN greasy dress clothes, ap-
pcarcd ON the threshold.
Dinner will be served in n little quar-
ter of an hour. (We dine ut half-past 0
M the chateaW"-this parenthetically.
Nine In comyesse is not well enough 10
descend Does mademoiselle wish her
dinner TO be served TO her In her
ROOM"
Certainly not; I am not M returned
Molly, who did not see why Nine Ia COM
tesses indispostion should cause her
TO be treated as an invalid.
I Dame! there will only be NJ. lie baron
but as mademoisolle wishes. Wound
mademcisone like me 70 show her the
way 10 the dining Toom?'
''Alademoisellc" having intimnted de-
/ sire 10 that effect, she was piloted
through the aforesaid mazes of passages,
/ and down the dark. worIn-eaten stairs
b,- the little man, whose name, as he In
! formed her, was lsidorc, and whose Of
! 1ce that Of naitrc dhotcl. Besides these
Interesting facts, he impaired TO her q
variety Of others more or less noteworthy,
and BY the time they reached the dining
1 room Molly was in possession of much
valuable information respecting the In
/ habltants Of the chateau. She knew that
! I'VE" did not see much company. Mime.
/ IN comtesse being always suffering, and
NJ le baron being a bachelor, and. more
J over, 'un pcu farouChe"-that we were
occasionally a little more gay at the cha
teau when the young Comte de Treiles.
! only son OF Mime. In comtessc. came TO
/ visit her; but ne took care not 10 stay
/ longer than he could help. Mademoiselie
would conceive that he found us little
! dull-that was easily understood-and
! young men accustomed 20 the great world
: did not like 10 be bored
"Ah, but--we arc now at the dining
room. VIII mademoiselIc go IN? She
VIII find NJ. lo baron there and dinner
I viii bc served Immediately"
NJ. dc Sauvigny, who looked up in evil
dent surprise as she entered, was already
E IN possession OF the great gloomy room
/ with it's tapestried walls and heavy cary
/ ed ceiling. Beside him, on the faded
/ hearthruS, stool largo black retriever.
! with q solemn and rather unamiable eX-
preston OF face.
Molly, according TO her custom, with
all dogs. cndeavored TO make friends, but
/ he resented any attempts at familiarity:
finally uttering a deep. bass growl. and
showing the whites of his eyes In so
alarming a manner. that she was forced
to desist
I "ls he III temperedo" she asked, hasti-
~ Withdrawing her hand from the dogs
/ velvety head.
Not exactly. but he does not like
strangers"
Like his master" thought Molly.
/ An embarrassing pause ensued. VI. Ie
baron gazed out OF the window. 'OGrson,'
I the dog. laid his head between his paws
and glared suspciously at tho newcomer.
/ while tho latter debated IN her own mind
/ whether she should. should not, ven
/ ture to make a small remark about the
weather.
/ Before she had decided this l1notty
( point. Isidore entered, bearing a large
soup-tureen.
M sieu le baron is served" he said n
moment later, making low bow to his
master.
"Will you sit there?" said NJ. de Sau-
vigny, potininE 10 the foot OF the table
while he installed himself in n chair oppo-
site. and Isidore. with a soup-plate in
each hand, proceeded to minister to their
wants
Molly was. as had been said. extremely
hungry, and shared the impression preva-
lent among SO many of the untravelled
that French cookery" must necessarily
be good: therefore, it was with certain
amount OF pleasurable anticipation that
sho prepared TO attack the fare set be-
fore her.
But her countenance fell as she con-
! templated the pale fluid in her plate, at
tho bottom of which were thick Jumps of
sage. while the top was completely COW
! cred with ambcr~colored grease. After