The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-10-10

ABOUT i X a decrsp1t peacock.
Madam De Lancy," said he, bowling
low, permit me to present Mr.. Merton.
who has Just arrived" :#%.
The old lady looked at me through
her lorgnettes with a vicious squint:
Mr., Merton" said she. What Mer-
ton? Anything to do with the Mer-
tons Of Salem p,
THE same family, ma'am," said I,
truthfuliy enough, yet I could not see
what business 1t might perchance sbe
of hers.
"A bad lot" . she continued, taking
down her new-fangled eye-glass; trait
ors to their king, most Of them, except
EdWard,-and he has fed, they say"
I have never, God knows, had the
control of my too vigorous temper, and
1t will even to this day get the better
of me at precisely the wrong moment,
even as now when I must needs answer
somewhat briskly:
""Such division Of sentiment is not
confined to one family ma'am, in these
days.
The result Of this, bad taste as it was,
was like to have upset4me; for the Old
dame turned purple in the face and
gripped her fan as she cried:
What business is that Of yours.
sir?"
I was on the point Of answering
something to turn her unexplained
wrath when I caught the sound Of a.
particular kind of stihed gasp that had
something SO familiar in it as to make
me turn about-and find myself face
to face with Deborah Philipse. Yet 7
should scarce have known her. Her
hair was upon her face, powdered and
with a flower in it, and her dress was
Of some light silken cloth, I know not
of what color or quality, SO made as
to show her fair young neck and Shout
ders, then running down to her waist
In some sort of a pointed bodice all coY-
cred with a AoWery design.
She was beautiful! She would be
beautiful in the most Wretched dress
that was ever cast off by beggar! She
would be beautiful anywhere! But now,
in such a gown as I had never seen,
she was as lovely a specimen of young
Womanhood as stood in that room, or
any room this side Of 5heaven-aye, per-
haps, on the other side, too. But 7.
knew her eyes and her voice When she
said with fine sarcasm. as she might to.
q stranger who had insulted her:
"You deal in generalities, sir. II is.
bad taste" s&%5#
I could not hold her look, and so let
my eyes fall, and shufled my feet in
awkward fashion. Lord Howe saved
me.
zone mus know the niece nowadays.
as well as the aunt, Ell ma'am? Mis-
trass Philipse, I have the honorto pre-
sent Mr.. Merton and he bowed with a
reverence and a look thatI did not like.
What was she to him, I wonder? 1nmy
turn l bowed and a~pologized, I know
not what. to Madam De Lancy, and
then IN a moment I had been presented,
as well as Acton, to several ladies and
one or two officers-Major Sproat, Mis-
tress K~nyhausenr General Patterson,
and other young men and ONE Howe
then moved away, saying:
Mr.. Merton and his friend have rid
den far and eaten nothing, and by Sir
Henry's orders he is to be fed. Mistress
Debby, will YOU act as commissarist? p"
But ActonI saw with many misgiv-
ings already striding across the pol
ished floor, laughing and talking with
the little MINK, Mistress Knyhausen.
What would the reckless fool say? I
hated to have him out of my reach.
well, Sir Starved Man. said the
young lady at my elbow, will you
eat? I must obey orders
I offered her my arm, and bowling to
the group we went into the banquet
room across the hall, and when had
procured sorne food of a nature that
was absolutely unknown to me-some-
thing of truffies and spices, and sand
witches with paste Of I know not what
substance in them-she led me without
a word Into the side hall and sat down
upon the lower steps Of the stairway. Il
so, sir" she began in another tone,
II know now who you are. It seems
that you enjoy the profession of a
spy I turned on her and looked her
well in the face. "Dosyou not think.
~perchance, that Q might AXE a hint
from Major Andres situation that may
work SO i'll for him?"
Madam" said I, .if I could equal
Andre as a man, r would be willing to
belong to what you are pleased to call
his profession. He vas the type Of a
gentleman"
Fl Is dead, Mistress Philipse, or will
be in a few days." I said gently,
Andre has been-been-
HE was condemned two days ago.,
ut Is terrible, terrible" and she
looked at me with sorrow In her eyes,
Why do you stoop to such things?'
IT am not such a mani lam not a
spy, and what lido now Is neither your
affair nor mine. I serve y who must
be obeyed, and I do what he tells me to
do. II is no more enjoyable a work
than the one I hadzto do a few days
ago. know not why I spoke SO BIT
terly. Perhaps becausessI had not TIL
that moment looked upon myself as do
ing the work indeed of a yeritable spy.
You have me In your power, MISTRESS,
and you q tonight put an end to an
other spy, as you are pleased to infer I
am. 1 cannotsprevent you. Indeed. I
do not know that I care to-,
n b looked at me intently for some
moments and then glancing beyond me
murmured:
lido not know. / cannot tell. Per-
haps I should, forI believe I know the