The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-04-22

sence, and followed them in lieu of bet
ter employment, forgetting for a time
the threatened fete. Before I could ex
trtcate myself. these new friends had
he'd me into o brilliant circle, and duly
presented me to madame, who sat or
. sort of raised platform in the center.
She showed no traces of her recent
anger and spite. vented upon that pa
ttent girl who now claimed all my
thought. Her ladies, some languishing
literary notables of the day. and Off
GERS, stood about discussing the news,
and talked of naught but some fetch
ing style or popular play, through all
of which I struggled as bravely as my
dazed condition would permit. 1t
seemed I would never grow accustomed
to the like. though it is said nlany men
and great delight in such gatherings.
But one thing ! searched for most Gag
erfy-
Behind madane's chair, after a little.
appeared the sweet shy face of my
weeping Niobe of the park. I felt She
saw and recognized ME, and my face
grew warmer at the thought. / made
bold to ask one of the gentlemen stand
ing near me who the lady might be,
n not desiring to point at her, simply
described her as we'll as possible, and
as being in attendance upon madame.
That. monsieur, Is Madame Agnes,
vile of the ChevalierS de la Nora: the
Mtttiest and most beautiful woma at
sSceaux, and the chilliest."
Noting the change of countenance
which / sought in vain to control, he
went on banteringly.
NJ. lie Capitaine, half the
men at Sceaux are in love with her,
but she has the execrable taste to pre-
ger her own husband. Such women de-
1troy half the zsst Of living. Beside.
-lhe Chevaiier has a marvellous sword
and n most nn1aaCanfW fa,1nor J1oh Z
how ludicrous 1t is for men 10 anger at
ttrIf1es.'
But l faltered. she seems a mere
child"
Yes but none the les charming
and he turned away to continue his
interrupted conversation with the da--
ing young Arouet, the same who was
TO acquire universal fame under the
name Voltaire.
Thus rudely were my new awakened
hopes of love cast down. A wife, and
the wife of a friend! She had spoken
e me Of Charles" and Of going with
all that, I knew I loved her.
They say the road to hell Is paved
with good Intentions. My intentions
were the best that ever made excellent
.cobblestones toward the Internal gate.
Only q few. days and / would be gone;
surely those could be passed through
IA HCdCCs * DIG was d WllG@x WOulOI
never let her know that all my heart
was hers. This I determined. But
man Is weak, and h very atmosphere
OF France dried up the springs of every
honest impulse. Everywhere was
scofting. raillery and disbelief. Honor,
friendship and virtue were regarded as
the vain chimeras of q fool. Why
Directly Madame Chatrain entered
without intrudtng, and composedly
took her place among the ladies' who
made room for her near Madame.
Nothing In her n bore evidence
OF her recent conflict. 1t was really
led schooled them to stoicism any
'Choctaw brave daring the stake right
envy. She nodded to me gaily. and I
stopped to touch her hand.
Where is M. de Greville7 Is he not
to be with US this afternoon?"
I looked her in the face, wondering.
for could she not answer her own Ques-
meaning, but her glance never waver-
.Ah! There he is. among the gem
.tlemen. I feared he found Sceaux toe
dull after Paris, and he had promised
Ws bit of his work. You know he
composes famous verses to some fair
and distant inamorta"
Indeed. Madame. I4suspected not his
talents. I replied. Our conversation
Jagged, for the programme had al
ready commenced, and we gave u at
,tention to the reading Of some curious
Il etters, said to have been written by
Persians of distinction then trav-
cling n Europe. which were being pub
ushed anonymously in Paris. At first,
q could not bring myself to listen to
such twaddle. dubiously moral, which,,
under. the guise Of light. small talk.
struck, at the foundations Of govern
ment. religiuos beliefs. and all which I
had before held sacred. Listening only
IN contradict, I grew interested In
spite Of myself. and only at some allu-
sion more than usually out OF place.
as It seemed to me; among so many
Aadies, did I take my eye from the
readers countenance, and suffer them
to roam about the company.
Feeling again the subtle influence OF
Agnes gaze fixed full upon me. II
caused my cheeks to flush. my knees
to quake, and. verify, my legs were as
like to carry me away as to sustain me
where / leaned against a tree. The
girl was looking straight at me; !
dared not return her stare which had
something more than mere curiosity
In 1t. and disturbed me greatly. II
The reading was finished without my
knowledge. a piece Of ~buffoonery, or
play acting gone through with, which
I did not see, when my own name.
called by Madame. brought me to my
proper good sense again.
II found myself, before I was quite1
aware, bending before Madame and re-
csiving her command that / should do
something. for the amusement Of the
company.
have no drones here" she
went on pleasantly, "and it is the rule
Sceaux that all must Join u merrl-
.Jerome?" I answered in a bewilder-
ed fashion, for I had no recollection Of
seeing aught he did; then I remem-
bered hearing him recite some Lam
xuishing verses about a white rose,
kiss, a lady's lips-some signs, and
other stuff that now escapes me-
but / had paid nj attention to 1t all.
Jerome, the villain, seconded
request so vigorously l could
lot sdecline, though he well knew / was
no carpet knight capable Of entertain
ladies fair on the tourney field Of
sThe captain sings divinely, Madame
but is becomingly modest, a. you see"
wretch laughed in his sleeve; II
could have strangled him. II
ssAfl,@ Sc rare" she retorted. you
men are vainer than my ladies'"
/ knew myself the target for dozens
- curious eyes, under the heat of