The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-09-09
WINNING HER LOVE.
ny RICHARD coRNrI1AN.

Count Win was the most guilcless o,
young men imaginable. Partly was this
due 90 his temperament. partly 10 hi,
bringing up Ho took after his father
| Count Won Rode lthis was really Wins
/ little now. only nobody called him by iD
who. though Dc had been n0minally q
courucr an his days. having filled the
positions OF master of Tho stables. chief
ranger and chamberlain t0 the grand
duke OF Wippe-Limbau. had IN reality
lived for science 81 such an absent-miud-
ed person could De said 90 have lived at
all. The filing Of these positions was
q duty demanded by his rank. for the
| Won Redes were the second family in
the grand duchy But his passion had
/ been for gunpoWdor. The count had
/ spent his days alternately I'm his labora-
tory inventing and at the range on his
estates experimenting with the powder
which was 20 shoot farther and cleaner
and more destructiyely than any powder
I that ever had been dreamed Of The
only real result OF an this toll was that
I Vim imbibcd some of his fathers pas
sion for science and great deal of his
Observation-Disclosures
This latter was not exactly cradicated
hy the strict training given him by his
mother The countess was q martinez
and ruled the estates successfully
enough Win went so much I'm awe OF
her that he never dared 20 dispute her
commands. even after his father died and
ne became head of the house lie obeyed
her by stopping at home. hy trying not
10 be ahsent-minded and by falling in
love with Countess Else Won Horden-
berg.
Strangely enough. the girl had also
fallen in love with Win She liked him
for his honesty. his thouehtfulness. his
devotion-for a hundred other things.
including perhaps. his unlikeness 10
other men She knew The only thing
about him that annoyed her was his lack
Of an independent spirit She often
p0uted-Rt her glass-when she thought
of how tightly ne was tied % his mothers
apron stsings And she could have
Ehrioked az Countess Won Rede when
that lady connded her aspirations that
Win shonld become more Of d man Of
the world
why does he not travel?" she asked
upon one occasion-a month after tho
engagement had been announcod-when
the countess was talking Vim to her over
the long-drawn coffee in which German
ladies delight
Three days after this conversation be-
tween Countess Won Rode and Countess
Else Win was in Dettin He had his
mothers consent 20 be there. How that
was obtained Win did not know. nor did
his mother. for that matter She would
have said that she had given II for va
rious reasons. one being that Il was
right that Win should see the world. an
other being that Count Hordenborg and
his daughter were also 20 visit Dettin,
and the count had IN one way or another
solemnly undertaken 10 keep his eye on
Win and see that he was not led astray.
Count Win dressed for the masqued |
ball that was 10 be given at the Hotel /
Bismarck with the most pleasuIable an
ticipatiOns. Else would be there and she |
had given him a clew which would pre- |
vent her from being disguised 10 him /
as 20 the rest Of the world He hoped |
that he should not meet Lieut. Grosberg /
that night. for his temper was not alto
gether under control.
II was three hours since the ball had
commenced. and Count Win had not
yet danced with his betrothed
Whenever he drew near TO ask
her-for she wore a rosette as she
had promised and there was no mistak-
ing her-another domino had stepped
IN and been preferred He could not un-
derstand IT, He had had no opportunity
of finding out who his rival was. and he
was standing now disconsolate at one
end of the deserted supper room when
the very two passed together
There he stands, looking Ike a rope
led country pig" said the man in the
domino
Exactly"
"As thought him from the first mo-
nent saw him"
Il knew you did"
Then Count Vim became aware that
hey were speaking Of him. and that
he man was Grosberg
"Youl" he said. stammering in his
age. "You!"
What do you want?" asked the lieu
enant. coolly. and unmasked
For answer. Count Win struck him in
he face heavily.
How long he stayed there sitting with
his face buried in his hands, Count Vim
hardly knew The lieutenant. after his
rst fury, had gone of 70 arrange for
.econd Won Gelder had somehow come
ntO the room and promised % assist the
cunt. The duel was to be with pistols;
% Win fancied he heard Won Gelder
aging
Presently he heard Else call TO him
'he was in the room.
Win" she said, gently, and the
0ung man wondered TO hear her speak {
Ike this. Il made him say those things I
] knew that ne said them else
where He was Jealous, and thought you {
fool And did not choose that anyone
hould think you that So twitted him
ill he said them TO you. knew he
'ould find out then that he was wrong.
bear Wiml Must you fight a duel with
imp" she went on. whimperlng
yes must shoot him in the morn
lgl" said Win q cannot miss him.
ven II you ask It"
Quite suddenly her arms went round n
Is neck.
"But / don't Please-piease hit him 7
in the leg am so proud Of you !
1im!"
lie did not altogether understand why
be- was so proud But then the
est Of Count VIM according 70 his
ffo fc that though no fc mot oufck af