Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-09-27
THE =
BARON'S STORY

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We called him "Mr. Smith," but we
ali knew that he was a baron. When
be was III, his thirst for sympathy
made him unusually ELUSIVE. ! called
on him every evening. Once, n rev
DAYS before bis death. he detained me
until dnybreak. He was full OF pathos
md sad humor, and he told me much
Of his mast life. He was apparently
ashamed Of this mood Of his and vainly
struggling against It. At last he raised
himself from bis pillow, with a gesture
OF despair. saying:
IFS no use trying to be strong and
manly and so forth and so on when the
machine is all out OF gear. We old folk
are like babies. We want people TO cud-
die us. to sigh over us. We arc hungry
for attention"
I must add that with all his laxative
ness and scntimentality and In spite of
his sincere aversion to being addressed
as baron there was something In his
bearing and manner of speaking which
Kept reminding n that he was q
baron after all.
The story of Countess NJ, who
brought him to New York. where he
was TO cease being 4 German without
becoming an American" as he put 1t. Is
one OF the episodes | heard from him
that night.
Her father, a Polish nobleman In re-
duced circumstances. settled in Ger
many when Herr Schmidt was n
sublIcutenant. The young mans regi-
ment was stationed 10 a humdrum,
out OF the way town, aud the advent OF
the countess (she was a young widow
made a stir.
"Shc was pretty. That goes without
saying" he said. with the wlstful look
which scarcely ever left bis peaked
sallow face during that week. But by
telling you this I tell you nothing, for
her real power over me was something
which marrnd her good looks rather
than enhanced them. She had a queer
way Of avoiding to meet your glance
whrn she spoke TO you which did moi
become her. At first ] made up my
mind that she was an affected, disin
genuous creature prided myself mp
on my insight into human nature II
those days. II was my mother who ha'
put that notion into my head l wn
her pet. don't you know; so she wa
forever discovering some new SORT o
genius IN me-. ! was a prophet OF IN
human soul among n lot OF other goo
things. and for some rcason his til
pleased me more than anything els
In other words. ! heartily agreed wit
her that | was a prophet and so fort
and so on Well. when I met h coun
ess for the hrst time and found thu
she could not loOk INC full In the face
said 10 myself. Liars look like that
81 was rather elnted by this mantle
fation OF my wisdom. l ran tell u
that. hut J soOn had to change my mil
about the young oma J saw b
again and again. and two months hi
scarcely passed before / knew her
well as I did my sister. Well, she tuT
ed out TO be the most truthful and 81
Nere person | had ever seen. AS TO b
habit OF looking away from her Int
~Iocutor. II was an Unborn trick, due
some sort OF klnk In her nervous s.
tom. } However n may ha
BEEN. those unsteady, bashful eyes
hers disturbed my peace Of mind a
were the source OF the whole trOut
why doesn't she look upY Dashed
don't get Der 10 stare me straight
the eyes for len minutes together q
% forth and 30 on. She vas caDdor
selg. and n any one was bashful 1t y
rather than the countess, yet ] v
erszy 70 put her ri her case, to gain
full confidence. '1he prophet OF
human sour was simply a hopeless Il
That wal the long and short Of T.
course / did not give up the struggle,
some ordinary mortal might have dc
ProphetlIke. took to ~pblosophizi
generallzlng. calling Into play my
sight
with o flourish OF truppets m
fhe discovery that II was the Dyst
OF those eyes Of hers which was Il
bling my brain and NY heart. The
snlt was tbe same ms whom Q Do
nuts on learned airs ard makes a n
fal tote Of The diagnosis IN bis
tleDt's rase. Look bcre! n 6hakesni
really tbougbt there Whs potblDg 1
gsnle ~ wDs grievOusly mistakeD-
name - either worse than Dotbnf
srcrything. When the doctor does
JpoW what ale me. be brows q y