The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-06-06

| crimson with ill-concealed excitement
But, madame" He held a letter in
his hand, which Lily took eagerly and
dropped unread on table.
sob, we understand. You were
afraid we should not know. How could
you, dear count? Ofccurse, we should
know you. You are so different, so SUI
perior to the ordinary, coarse Ameri-
can. Our men are so vulgarly ath-
letic."
"But, madame" protested the
count. Marie was now adding her
ecstacies to those of her sister-in-law,
and in moment both seized him i'm
pulsively by either arm, and led him
triumphantly to the dining hail.
"Mon Dieu, madame" walled the
little Frenchman.
mo excuses, count, pray don't! We
are so glad to see you. Pray don't
make excuses for anything"
"Oh, but madame" murmured the
guest, dropping back into chair quite
exhausted, his eyes wandering wildly
away from his enthusiastic idolators,
and thinking of much save their allur-
ing Establishments.
The two women kept up tornado of
talk. The gossip few from the lion of
the hour to the most successful belle
of the season, from Broadway to the
Bots, and all the way back again, from
the north pole to fashion in hats, and
they discussed the people whom it was
desirable to know, and many who were
not desire BILE. Each strived to outtalk
the other in order to make the dinner
hour brilliant. The guest smiled feeb-
ly now and then and during the inces-
SAINT clatter began finally to eat with
relish and to drink the succession of
wines with the appreciation of con-
noisseur. The young women began to
believe that they were makingan i'm
preston, and though Count Boni
pulled frightfully at his mustache and
deigned to interfere but seldom in the
conversation and then only in weak
replies, Lily and her sister attributed
his gentle mildness to quiescent salts
faction, and Marie fancied that she be-
held an easy victim.
The dinner at an end, Count Boni
rose abruptly, still peculiarly nervous.
The hostess was nonplussed. She be-
gan to imagine that the Frenchman
was not used to listening to the gar
rulity of two American girls, and for
so whole minutes she abandoned him
to the tender mercies of Marie, who
never tagged for moment in CONVEX
sational ardor. She felt in her heart
that the count was experiencing dis
tinct relief under her more gentle,
persuasive coquetry and that her sis
ter had actually frightened him.
"We are so glad to know you, count,
because we all adore Paris, and dear,
fascinating France. / am sure you
have some imposing, weird chateau in
the north, or perhaps in the south,
that you will tell us about. Won't you,
dear count, when you come and see us
in New York;"
"But, mademoiselle," he cried, with
wild flourish of his hands, 'you do
not understand, you do not under
stand. 1t is time | should depart. You
will excuse me now"
"Oh. don't go yet" Lily begged as
she rejoined them. "Really, you must
not go yeti" But Count Boni steadily
retreated to the doorway, managed to
slip into his coat, of which the servant
had Invested him on entering, and
finally reached the outer air to breathe
freely and honestly again.
"Mon Dieu!" he was muttering
hoarsely to himself, as he walked nerv-
ously along the beach. Mon Dieu,
what will happen next!"
His gentle, quick footballs died
away as he assembled the steps of the
hotel veranda and disappeared down
the corridor.
At half-past II o'clock Van Horton
returned home. Lily was waiting for
him.
"You wretch" she exclaimed for
greeting, 81 am sure that the count
felt awfully annoyed at your absence.
He did not feel at ease for a moment.
He didn't talk at all, and left early,
not even mentioning you. He was aw-
fully annoyed"
"The count" drawled Van Horton,
somewhat mystifed." Did you see the
COUNT"
eyes, he arrived promptly and we
had delightful time in spite of you. !"
"That's well enough to stell your
poor, deluded husband, Lily, but l saw
your count in the city at $50 o'clock
with three sheets in the wind, trying
to dictate note to somebody in the
hotel"
"But he came, anyway" Lily pro-
tested, ''and his conduct was above
reproach."
"Then you didn't get the note?"
eyes; he brought it himself"
"Who brought it?"
"The count, of counsel" she ex-
claimed.
Van Horton sank into chair,
bursting into a succession of loud,
hoarse outlaws.
'Here it isl" she cried, VIGOROUSLY,
opening it for the first time. Van
Horton snatched it quickly, and be-
tween spasms of violent laughter, he
managed to read aloud to the defect
ed woman:
Dear Madam: My valet, Jean, will pre-