The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1901-12-26

married! You going to be married? ?"
ITO the finest, handsomest, noblest,
richest-he's a prince"
"Ah, bother!"
"A Greek nobleman, Count Sardan-
apalus."
"And what business is he imp"
Business! Oh, dear, none! He's
nobIeman, owns an island and all that
sort of thing"
The old maid seemed almost trans
figured with enthusiasm. She said she
had met her noble lover quite by acct
dent while strolling near the beach, He
bad found and restored to her a novel
which she had left on a bench. The
casual acquaintance thus begun had
tlourished by reason vi his wondrous
ardor and the fact that she walked
daily in the park. The count had wooed
and won her with the fierce and swift
gallantry of the old world" Miss Den
by said, and she had resisted him as
long as her sympathetic heart could
withstand his eloGuence.
Hes in Chcago to float a loan for
the Greek government" she explained,
CAS- soon as Crete is annexed, the
count, my count" Ia smile and blush)
''is to be absolute ruler of the island
But he is very anxious to depart, and
the wedding day must be fixed to-mor.
row night. Turkish spies are constant.
ly at his heels. There is hardly a day
that he does not point one out to me. |
have seen them lurking behind the
bushes, and every time we part ! am
in agony for fear something should be-
fall him"
Mrs. Gallagher was staring now like
a big bullfrog watching a red flannel
bait.
"Will you come ur tomorrow night
and meet him?" she hears Miss DENLY
say
81 will" murmured the dumfounded
Mrs. Gallagher, backing toward the
door. It was midnight when she had
finished her rounds of the flats, and at
the hour appointed for the counts ar
rival the population of the building
va" III AH'-' 'il ste IIS.
Sure enough, at eight o'clock. the
handsome foreigner came striding
along. He paused momeut in front of
Miss Denby's entrance, looked up and
down the street and then sprang
nimbly up the stairway.
The futtering old maid, assisted"
by Mrs. Phelim Gallagher, received him.
with your permission, madame" he
said. taking a parcel from his pocket,
81 have brought mademoiselle little
gift 1t is an heirloom in our family;
my ancestors captured it from King
Prjam in the Trojan war"
He handed the package to the blush
ing Miss DENLY and kissed her tiny
hand as she bowed over it.
at is one Of the gold shoes from the
Trojan horse he resumed. with rare
dignity. Each nail is set with price
less diamond, and"
He was interrupted by little scream
from Sophronia, who had unwrapped
the parcel, and found an old rusty
horseshoe, very dirty twisted and
worn. But the next moment she had
tapped his wrist with her fan and
! laughed
What wag you are, count! For.
ever cracking jokes"
Mrs. Gallagher didn't know what TO
say or do. She stood there staring at
Count Sardanapalus as if in doubt
whether to hit him with the horseshoe
or run away. Indeed, she was siding
toward the door when the bell rang.
She opened it in time to hear the
strange guest shout:
Bar the door or we are LOST"
But Mrs. Gallagher opened it. A
sanGy-haired. heavy-set man brushed
rudely in, laid a hand on the counts
shoulder and said:
Come, your grace, the balloon is
ready"
aha" said the dramatic Greek, INV
country first! Forward gentlemen!
To the balloon!"
With a grand bow ne stalked out of
the room like a monarch going to the
block. Miss DENLY collapsed into a
chair. The sandy courier followed his
master. Mrs. Gallagher followed the
courier.
"Who is hep" whispered the fat wom-
an to the counts attendant.
He's bug" growled the man;
went nutty on balloons. Acts all right
till you mention his balloon. Then he
goes home and gets into a swing. He
| thinks it's a war balloon, and he sails
| all over the world in it. Good night"
Miss DENLY did move on the LIST of
September-John II. Raftery, in Chi
"ago Record-Herald