Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-12-11

heard's was crowded that year. TIL,
little tables on the terrace in front o.
the hotel were nearly all occupied by
people, chattering and laughing as they
beguiled that delightful hour Of thu
Cairo day with afternoon tea. New ar
rivals are lawful prey for dodgers com
ments, and to have come two days be
fore is to hold a residents vantage
ground, which warrants a critical in
specton. Young married people. more
| over, newly arrived or not, are eyel
and wheresoever targets for tongue
shafts Two youthful beings mated and
| 1iten,oe for happiness surely suggest
the fullness of life. The human doub
as to whether they have it makes con
| lecture interesting.
The young attache consulted the reg
lister later and learned that they were
Mr.. and Mrs. Lucien Bonvalc, where
upon he recalled what friends had tolc
him of their marriage at the American
chapel in Paris in the beginning OF De
cember The groom was from Borden
town and, as the duchess had surmised
rich. He not only belonged by birth
to the class which Is not obliged ITO do
anything for living" but effectively
pertained to that unhappy portion of it
which assumes the ennui Of an exist
ence stimulated by no fixed ambition.
lightened by no definite endeavor. Such
vital hardship has been known to drive
a man to drink.
The bride was one of two sisters Gel
ebrated in European centers for esprit
and beauty. They were of fine New
England stock, both parents descend
ing from families Of high repute for
political and literary achievement.
Baldwin was forced to admit that for
once a glowing report had not paved
the way to disappointing reality. He
had not supposed the girl was SO
young; still less had he imagined the
compulsion of her charms.
Clarice Bonvale was so radiantly
beautiful that the most blase observer
could not but surrender to some thral-
dom. Her face was aristocratlcaily
oval. Her clear olive skin, smooth as
delicate pink. as if Cupid were breath
ing on her cheeks; well nodded
nose, q mouth with clean cut, subtle
curves and sensitive to degree, when
revealed perfect teeth when the lips
parted and lent lurking mobility, al
most childlike, to her lower face. But
her eyes and hair were the girfs
browning glory-such round, lustrous
eyes. so brilliantly soft and, despite
keen alertness in their glance, incon-
gruously beseeching. The long, silky
lashes, with their upward curve, failed
to lend even suspicion of language to
their brightness. The delicately arched
eyebrows were an added note Of visit
fulness. In the wavy masses of hair
there was a subdued CLINT as of bur-
nished copper. On her hands, which
were very temperamental, two or three
UNIQUE gems flashed with dignihed
splendor.
"a transplanted Helen" thought
Baldwin after a critical survey OF the
beautiful young creature. She was
tyne. and he relished new type of the
"eternal feminine" more than he would |
a bottle of Johannesberger from Prince
Metternich's own cave. During his
dinner he watched her from his table
with keen but well eloaked vigilance.
The duchess was right again. The
pirlisb bride wore a Worth dinner
gown deliberately wrought out in the
highest elegance Of the prevailing
mode. Her neck was so round ana
plastic that Baldwin felt it delight to
see the shapely head pivot on it. while
the tempered modesty with which her
corsage screened her exquisite bosom
a mastery knowledge or the
value of modified exposure.
The groom? Why. he was the groom
q side light on the bride. Baldwin re-
ar,ied him solely as correlated be-
ing. an accompaniment to his WIFE,
worthy one so far as externals went.
He was not above noting that Mrs.
partook moderately OF the
rhampagne which Mr.. Bonvale or
dered He consumed most Of it and
With something more than the relish
With which gentleman drinks wine at
dinner.
..Thev are married. and ii is the hon
Baldwin remarked airily to
he duchess as he passed her table.
During the evening in his role OF De
,.volous snectator and student of bis
Kind Baldwin did not neglect 10 ODD
.erve that the young husband ieft ms