The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1900-03-17

y
makes precious little difference to yours
truly whether he's an ass or an angel. I'm
going over to Paris myself next week.
when l hope you'll not be SO taken up
with the nobility as not to have welcome
for an humble American, who has the
world all before him with it's back turned,
too. as is the case with your JACK"
Dorothy read this precious epistle all
through twice and was just beginning
to read it third time when rustic in
the doorway caused her to jump into
a curtained recess to be alone with her
letter. 1t was the old countess, who
entered with her grandson.
II tell you, Albert" the former was
saying, sit must be now. This girl has
been here a whole month and you have
not yet proposed for her hand"
But, grandmamma," stammered the
young man, remember Alike. She has
my promise"
"Alixe!" cried the old lady, ''the UNI
grateful. I'll send her back to the
convent tomorrow and there she shall
stay!"
"You shall not" said the count in
sucR voice that his grandmother
FASTENED to say: There, know it's
hard, but think what /, too, am sac
rificing in making an alliance with
these low-born Americans. But we're
poor"
She said no more, for Dorothy
pushed back the curtain and stepped
before the astonished countess, little
brown slip of thing with blazing
eyes and her head held as high as if
she were the countess herself.
pardon me, madam" she said in
her clear voice-the piano said after
ward that it sounded like silver strik-
ing against glass. pardon me. l had
no thought of listening. Fortunate
"" and she smiled such a cold little
smile, II could not help hearing. And
Tow have to tell you, madam, that
we leave here at once"
"BIt your mother" began the old
lady.
Mamma always does exactly as l
wish her to-" interrupted her guest,
decisively. But I've something else
to say to you before you go. / don't
mind admitting, since you've done me
the honor to propose the alliance, that
when came here 1 had an idea that
l might be persuaded to marry your
grandson. The title is a pretty one.
you know, and there is much about a
titled aristocracy to excite the imag-
ination of young girl. But when I
bad been here only few days / saw
how impossible it was. / come fyom
a country you despise, madam, but it
is a. country where it is not common
for ladies to force their grandsons
to marry girls Tor whom they openly
express contempt, rather than permit
them some honorable employment by
which they could earn living. 1t is
also happily still more rare for them
to keep young women in their homes
on footing of miserable dependence
instead of encouraging them to TO
likewise"
Then she turned to the young count,
who had been standing white and mis-.
erablc beside the two women. "For-
give me, monsieur" she said, in a low.
err tone. Il had to say it. And there
is something / wish to tell you, too.
1 have made a small gift to Alike, for
L have learned to love her. Ny bank
ers will communicate with her abort
it l want her to use it as she likes,
but, perhaps'-and here she gave him
her hand with tremulous little smile
monsieur, it will be her
wedding portion" And with stately
bow to the old countess, who had all
this time been standing rigid and un.
bending, she left the room.
There was great excitement in the
yellow salon when the countess and
her grandson also departed without
a word to each other, and it was left
deserted. Opinion was divided as to
the merits of the controversy, but the
mirror was firm in its adherence to
the American girl.
"She was superb" it declared, in
enthusiastic admiration.
i've no doubt you would have toli
her SO if she'd looked in your direv-
tlon, sneered the dragon.
Il shall certainly tell her so the next
time see her." replied the mirror.
But the yellow salon never saw Dor
othy again-not even when Alike was
married to the count few months
later.
She sent the bride wedding gift.
however, a wonderful japanese dra-
gon at least six feet long. The other
occupants of the room were little
afraid of it from the first, and It
wasn't long before the newcomer had
them all in such subsection that they
never dared to say another word
against the American lady again, even
though she married her cousin Jack
the next year and thus brought to a
~ M II =