The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-10-25

= !" coffeew asked Trudain
! fTW touching the land stewar
(Gese1y on the arm.
Lomaque started little and left hi
= cane sticking in the grass. "a thol
sand thanks, monsieur" he said. MA
D l be allowed to follow your"
Il confess the beauty Of the evenin
makes me a little unwilling to leav
, this place."
"Ah, the beauties Of nature! l fee
them with you, NJ. Trudaine 1 fee
, them here" Lomaque laid one han,
on his heart and with the other pulle,
, his cane out of the grass. He had look
ed as little at the landscape or the set
ting sun as had the valet Justin.
They sat on the bench vacated by tn,
other three. An awkward pause fol
lowed. Lomaque was too discreet tt
forget his place and did not venture
to start new topic. T1udaine was
disinclined to talk, but it was necessa.
ry, in common politeness, to say some
thing. Hardly attending himself to his
own words, he said, II regret, M. Lo-
maque, that we have not had more op-
portunities of lettering our acquaint-
ance'
Il feel deeply indebted" rejoined the
land steward, "to the admirable Nine
Danville for having chosen me as her
escort hither from her sons estate
near Lyons and having thereby pro-
cured for me the honor of this introduc-
tion.'
Lomaque's red trimmed eyes were
seized with sudden fit Of winking.
His enemies were accustomed to say
that whenever he was particularly in
sincere or particularly deceitful he took
refuge in the weakness of his eyes and
SO evaded the ordeal of being obliged
to look steadily at the person with
whom he was speaking.
II heard you mention my late ia
theirs name in terms of high respect"
continued Trudaine, keeping up the
conversation Were you well ac-
quainted with him?'
Il am indirectly indebted to your ex-
cellent father" answered Lomaque,
for the situation which l now hold.
At time when the good word of a
man of substance and reputation was
needed to save me from poverty and
ruin your father spoke that word. Since
then l have, in my own small way,
succeeded in life until have risen to
the honor Of experimenting the estate
of NJ. Danville."
your father, believe, was a mer-
chant, as Danville's father was a mer-
chant. The only difference between
them was that one failed and the
other realized a large fortune. Why
should you speak of yourself as honor
ed by holding your present placer
Have you never heard" exclaimed
Lomaque, 'or can you have heard and
forgotten, that Nine. Danville is de-
scended from one of the noble houses
OF France? Has she never told you,
as she has often told me, that she con-
descended when she married her late
husband and that her great object in
life Is to get the title of her family
years since extinct in the male line)
settled on her SOM"
"Yes," replied Trudaine, 81 remem-
Der to have heard something Of this.
but l paid no attention to it, having
little sympathy with such aspirations.
You have lived many years In Dan
ville's service, M. Lomaque. Have
YOU He hesitated a moment. Have
you found him good and kind mas
ter?"
Lomaque looked at his host for an
instant; then his eyes got weak again.
You seem to have some special inter-
est" he quietly remarked, 'ff l may
say so without offense, in asking me
that question:
Il deal frankly with every one at all
hazards" returned Trudaine, "and.
stranger as you are, l will deal frankH
with you. l acknowledge that have
an interest in asking that question
the dearest, the tenderest Of all inter-
ests." At those last words his voice
trembled for a moment, but he went
on: From the beginning of my sisters
engagement with Danville | made II
my duty not to conceal my own feel
ings. My conscience and my affection
for Rose counseled me to be candid TO
the last, even though my candor should
distress or offend others. When | first
discovered that NJ. Danville's atten-
lions to Rose were not unfavorably re-
ceived, though it cost me hard effort.
! did not conceal my establishment
from my sister,"
establishment, did hear you say?
Astonished, NJ. Trudaine, that the at
tentions of young gentleman possess
ed OF all the graces and accomplish
ments of highly bred Frenchman
should be favorably received by
young lady! Astonished that such