The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-06-06
The Counts
! Ambassador
BY LUCE FRANCE PIERCE
Copyrighted by Daily Story Pub. Co.,

IL occurred to Van Horton that pos
sibly he had made a mistake, after all,
in marrying the blue-eyed, yellow
haired darling who had been the talk
of the resort the winter before. He
fancied when he won her love that she
had tired in a measure of the silly
adulations of the string of idle titled
foreigners and nondescript ne'er-do-
wells~who flock to a Fashionable sea-
side resort during the winter months
and live on the proceeds of the gaming
table. However, Lily Van Horton could
not resist knowing the French arrival,
Count Boni de Noir, late of Paris. and
decorated with several conspicuous
orders which at least looked impor-
tant.
The count had won So, 0G0 from Van
Horton, one week after arriving and
the little Frenchman found himself on
good terms with the world, and espe-
cially with Van Horton, to whom he
repeatedly expressed admiration of
the beauty and grace of madame. Not
having met her as yet, and watching
amused at her extra ordinary effusion
of manner.
Lily, not knowing of the $4,000, de-
termined to invite the count to dine
with them at the charming little Van
Horton nest just down the avenue be-
yond the gardens of the hotel. He had
called several evenings before at Van
Horizons suggestion, especially to
meet his sister Marie and not finding
the ladies at home, he had written an
expression Of sincere regret along the
edge of each card which he left. Lily,
though never found to be openly self
ish, cherished little feeling of rival
ry now, when she fancied that her 81
ter-in-law might be clever enough to
fascinate the count and so deprive her
of some of theattention which she con-
stantly craved.
The two young women were in
fiutter of expectancy when the counts
note of acceptance arrived on the day
of the dinner. They failed to notice
the rudeness and the implied sheer in
its delay. They put on their golf rigs
and walked to the country gardeners
and purchased great armfuls of bach
elor-buttons for the table decoration
because Lily thought that the beauti-
full blue blossoms might serve as
wedge to open the conversation con-
corning the counts domestic life.
Van Horton himself was amused and
Disguised with the buzz of half-sup-
pressed excitement which the women
exhibited. Their eyes were wide and
brilliant from emotional unrest, their
tempers far from sweet, and their COM
plexions source of persistent cod
ding and attention. The forgotten
head of the house drew on a light top
coat and sauntered toward the hotel
garden, and then sat down in the vague
shadow of the palms, wondering mute
1y how he could get out of meeting that
Frenchman again, and still keep peace
in the household. He was wishing
that the count would drop dead, or be
arrested or recalled to Paris or any
thing, so long as he could be freed from
the disa agreeable duty of breaking
bread with his financial despoiler. He
watched his own front door for two
hours, and until almost five o'clock,
and seeing no messenger of any kind
approach the house, he knew his guest
meant to keep his engagement. He
fancied the women had begun to dress,
and he could ina gine the nature of
their nervous condolences and the care
they were taking with their dinner
toilets. Accusing himself to pitch of
unrestrained antagonism toward the
foreigner, he finally made resolve.
Walking briskly across the hotel
park, he boarded a car bound for the
inland city, and on reaching an OBJ
scure hotel away from the center he
hurriedly sent telegram to his wife
apprising her of the fact that he was
compelled to come to the city on ac-
count of serious business matter and
she must present his excuses to the
count. Then he sent another message
to the count begging him 10 join a fic-
titious party of friends at poker,
scarcely hoping that he would take the
bait.
The telegram to the two women sur
prised them but mildly. They were
futtering about the drawing-room
and the dining hall with the suspense
of young smitten damsels, entertain
ing a cor6net for the first time Lily
was Disconnected for moment, but
presently gained her composure, and
each finally acknowledged to the other
that she felt actually relieved because
now they could converse freely with
the count without fear of future ridi-
Guile from Van Horton.
Fifteen minutes before the hour of
dinner the doorbell was rung.
'Gracious, he is delightfully."- early,
isn't he, Marie?" gasped Lily. The
women glided into the drawing-room
and posed in becoming and conspicu-
Gus corners. Neither had ever met the
count, nor beheld him except from a
great distance, and each was running
over French phrases in her mind, won
dering at the same time whether their
guest had become sufficiently attached
to American habits to learn fluent Eng
lish.
A slender, dapper, very much per.