New-York tribune., 1904-09-03

the tisane de champagne explaining that the
brand monsieur had ordered mad run snort a'lu
that he had so as not 10 keep monsieur waiting
opened a bottle Of a better one. Harry called FOR
the wine list and stormed furtously at What ne
called an unwarrantable eXtortion.
You think / suppose" he said, that Just
because 1 am an Engshman l may be robbed
at will. l shall not forget IL at the eAd Oh
luncheon" And Mrs. Urquhart wondered more
and more This certainly not the Harry
Farquharson whom she had thought she knew
and she not enjoying herself as she had eA-
pected To do.
From time to time as luncheon went on Harry
tried TO regain his spirits. but there was un--
doubtedly a cloud over their enjoyment, ana
conversation waned and Jagged somehow AS
Mrs. Urquhart told the Marquise de BeauNoiF
later that afternoon her host seemed TO ,be
watching each asparagus she put INTO her mouth
and wondering what the cost OF II would be-
and there times when she felt quite IN
cned To pass her purse to him across the table
Had she but known ii that might have saved the
situation.
You find IT much too hot for coffee and
IIaueurs don't you?" was Farquharson's inhos-
pitable question after the strawberries and
cream. and with half smile Mrs. Urquhart
said she did.
When he called for the bin Farquharson as
tonished her still more by quarrelling with sew
eral items on II and insisting upon one or two
reductions. which were made. His tips to the
waiter and the celarman were meagre TO an
extraordinary degree. and as they passed down
stairs the guest could not but notice the per
functory farewell with which they were saiuted.
She could not, OF course. know that the two
meagre tips he gave the men had left her host
with just three halfpence in MS pocket
Farquharson did not suggest accompanying
her TO her hotel. To his dsmay he had just re-
allied that II was Saturday. and that therefore
the early closing OF his bank would make IL
necessary for him to borrow money somewhere.
"Pll leave this beastly town tonight IL can
get It," he mentally CALCULATED. And to the
lady's blank amazement he almost hurried her
into a cab. and never thought of paying the
coachman before she drove away.
When Mrs. Urquhart later in the same after
noon called on her mothers oldest friend, the
Marquse de Beauvoir. she found that lady
laughing heartily over a petit bleu as the
Parisans call their express letters. But Mrs.
Urquhart not In the mood for laughter.
She knew-what woman does not know that
one day or another Harry Farquharson would
ask her to exchange her name for his, and she
knew too. that till that hapiess luncheon her
answer would have been In the affirmative. She
did not wish to give zip her old friend without
confirmation of her fears. and she had come To
ask the Marquise de Beauvoir Farquharson's
aunt whether her nephew had had heavy money
losses-these would not matter. for I have
enough for two, she thought. and blushed while
thinking itor whether he were now avari-
cious as he had been open-handed formerly
Her future happiness undoubtedly depended
on the answer. To a rich woman like herself n
poor husband was a luxury she could afford but
could never marry a mean man, she thought.
and! with little glow of indignation which
made her pretty face the prettier, she told her
tale of woe TO the old marquise.
BE not afraid. mon enfant. Harry is GER
tainly not mean" she said. but he is poor to-
day--oh. scandalously poori See, then. the post
script OF this pncumatique he sends me-
You must excuse me underpaying this mes
sage" read Mrs. Urquhart aloud. ''but the i?
centimes which | have put upon il instead OF
the necessary threepence represent all my
worldly goods al the present moment"
The young woman looked up with tears in her
eyes at the Older one. How truly terrible.
How did it happen? How can he be poor as
that she asked. And how ahsurd-how oh.
how cruel of him to have spent all he had on
, giving me luncheon, feel though never
could eat a luncheon again. But why
Monsieur Farquharson," announced the SER
want.
Tell him., the old marquise said. tripping
with Juvenile alacrity toward the other door.
that am going upstairs to see what can find
In my cash box. and ask him." she added with a
little smile, Ito give you complete explanation.
You have right To II. i think" And she was
gone before her nephew came into the room.
The explanation proved entirely satisfactory.
1.-THE Tatler