Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-12-20

ing over rocks near by, and sent it's
velvet voice through the wood and
field. A road of fine gravel led through
groves of beech and oak and pine
to grassy terrace under the castle
walls. Presently a tall, handsome
man, with black eyes and iron-gray
hair and mustache, came down path,
clapping his hands.
Welcome, gentlmen! 1t is the
Capt. Bell?" said he, with a marked
accent, as he came to me, his hand ex-
! tended. you come from Monsieur the
Gen. Brown, do you not?"
I do" said 1, handing him my mes
sage.
He broke the seal and read it care
fully.
Il am glad to see you-ver' glad to
see you!" said he, laying his hands
upon my shoulders and giving me a
little shake.
The two servants went away with
Dri and Seth and the horses.
Come, captain" said my host, as he
led the way. you are in good time
for dinner"
We entered great triangular hall.
lighted by side windows above the
door, and candelabra of shining brass
that hung from its high ceiling There
were sliding doors of polished wood
On each side of it. A great stairway
filled the point of the triangle. l
was shown to my room, which was
as big as a ballroom, it seemed to
me, and grandly furnished: no cas-
tie of my dreams had been quite so
6ne. The valet Of the count looked
after me, with the offers of new linen
and more things than could see use
for. He could not speak English, l
remember, and addressed him in the
good French my mother had taught
me.
i The kind of life l saw in this grand
home was not wholly new to me, for
both my mother and my father had
known good living in their youth,
and had heard much Of it. l should
have been glad Of my new uniform;
but after I had had my bath and put
on the new shirt and collar the valet
had brought me, stood before the
} long pier-glass and saw no poor figure
of man.
The great dining-hall of the count
: was lighted with many candles when
: we came in to dinner. 1t had big
fireplace, where logs were blazing, for
! the night had turned cool, and long
table with a big epergne of wrought
silver, filled with roses, in its
, center. A great silken rug lay I'M
der the table, on polished floor, and
the walls were hung with tapestry. !
sat beside the count, and opposite me
!, was the daughter of the Sieur Louis
Francois de saint-Michel, kings for
g ester under Louis XVI. Therese, the
. handsome daughter of the count sat
g facing him at the farther end of the
9 table, and beside her was the young
: Marquis de Gonvello. NJ Pidgeon. the
3 celebrated French astronomer Moss
Kent, brother of the since famous
chancellor, the Sieur Michel, and the
Baroness de Ferre, with her two wards
Z the Misses Louise and Louison dc
r Lambert, were also at dinner. These
= young ladies were the most remark
: able OF the company; their beauty was
J 80 brilliant, so fascinating, it kindled
t q great fire in me the moment I saw
: it. They said little, but seemed to
!. have much interest in all the talk OF
q the table. looked at them more than
!. was polite, am sure, but they looked
at me quite as often. They had big
beautiful brown eyes, and dark hail
fastened high with jewelled pins, and
proflles like those of the fair ladies
OF Sir Peter Lely, so finely were they
cut. One had form bit fuller and
stronger than the others, but they
were both as tall and trim as young
beech, with lips cherry-red and cheeks
where one could see family the glow OF
their young blood. Their gowns were
cut low, showing the graceful lines Of
neck and shoulder and full bosom
had seen pretty girls, many of them
but few high-bred, beautiful young
women. The moment saw these two
some new and mighty force came into
me. There were wine and wit plenty
at the counts table, and other things
that were also new to me, and fol
which I retained perhaps too great 9
fondness.
The count asked me to tell of oul
journey, and told the story with al
the spirit could put into my words
am happy to say it did seem to hi
the mark, for was no sooner done
with our adventure than the ladies
, began to clap their hands, and the
Misses de Lambert had much delight
. in their faces when the baroness re-
) told my story in French.
Dinner over, the count invited me
> to the smoking-room, where, in cor,
t ner by ourselves, had some talk with
a him. He told me of his father-that
he had been a friend Of Franklin
! that he had given ship and cargo Of
I gunpowder to our navy in '76. Like
. others had met under his roof, the
I count had seen the coming Of the Reign
, Of Terror In France, and had fed with
his great fortune He had invested
much Of It there in the wild country
He loved America, and had given free.
, ~ to equip the army for war He
! was, therefore, a man Of much influ
. ence in the campaign of the north
and NO doubt those in authority there
: were instructed, while the war was on
to take special care Of his property.
l "And viii you please tell me-" sale
: At length, who are the Misses de Lam.
hertz"
a Daughters of q friend in Paris,
i said the count HE is great physi.
clan. He wishea not for them to mar.