The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-03-10
MANKATO FREE PRESS.


let us forget that it ever happened"
De Chauxville twirled his neat mus
tache. looking keenly at her the while.
.You forget" he said. But Twill
remember"
She did not answer, but turned with
a smile to greet Paul
81 think you know each other" she
said gracefully when she had shaken
hands, and the two men bowed. They
were foreigners, be it understood.
There were three languages in which
they could understand each other with
equal efIe.
Where is Maggie?" exclaimed Mrs.
Bamborough. "She is always late"
when / am here" reflected De
Chauxville But he did not say it.
Miss Delafield kept them waiting a
few minutes, and during that time
Eta Sydney scarborough gave a very
fine display of prowess with the dou-
BILE stringed bow. She had smile and
an epigram for Claude de Chauxville,
q grave air of sympathetic interest in
more serious affairs for Paul Alexis.
She was bright and amusing, guileless
and very worldly wise in the same
breath-s simple for Paul and match
for De ChauXville within the space Of
three seconds
Paul was asked to take Mrs. Sydney
scarborough down to dinner by the
lady herself.
Mon ami" she said in quiet aside
to De Chauxville before making her
request, lit is the first time the prince
dimes here"
She spoke in French. Maggie and
Paul were talking together at the 9TH
CT end Of the room. De ChauXville
bowed in silence.
At dinner the conversation was nee
essarily general and as such is not
worth reporting. No general converse
ton, one finds, is of much value when
set down in black and white. 1t is not
even grammatical nowadays. To be
more correct. let us note that the talk
lay between Eta and NJ. de ChauX-
Vile, who had famous supply of cpl
grams and bright nothings delivered in
such q way that they really sounded
like wisdom. Eta was equal to him,
sometimes Gaping his sharp wit,
sometimes contenting herself with sill
very laughter. Maggie Delatield seemed
rather distracted, as De ChauXville
noted The girls dislike for him was
an iron that entered the quick of his
vanity anew every time he saw her.
There was MA 4etulance in the aver
sion, such as he had perceived with
other maidens who We're only resent
ing a passing negligence or seeking to
pique his curiosity. This was steady
and, if you will, unmaidenly aversion.
which Maggie conscientiously attempt
ed to conceal.
Maggie was by turns quite silent and
very talkative. When Paul and Eta
were speaking together she never
looked at them, but fixedly at her own
When she spoke she addressed her re-
marks, valueless enough in themselves,
exclusively to the man she disliked.
Claude de ChauXville.
There was something amiSs in the
pretty little room. There were shad-
ows seated around that pretty little
table beside the guests in their pretty
dresses ard their black coats-silent.
cold shadows who ate nothing, while
they chilled the dainty food and took
the sweetness from the succulent dish
es. These shadows had crept in I'M
awares to take their phantom places
at the table, and only Eta seemed able
to jostle hers aside and talk it down.
She took the whole burden of the con-
versation upon her pretty shoulders
and bore it through the little banquet
with unerring skill and unfinching
good humor
Claude de ChauXville was for the
moment forced to assume an humble
role because he had no choice. Maggie
Delafield was passive for the time be-
ing because that which would make
her active was no more than tiny
Seeding in her heart. The girl bid fair
to be one of those women who develop
late, who ripen slowly. like the best
fruit
During the drive to the opera house
the two women in Etta's snug little
brougham were silent. Eta had her
thoughts to occupy her. She was at
the crucial point of a difficult game.
She could not afford to allow even q
friend to see so much as the corners of
the cards she held.
In the luxurious box it was easily
enough arranged-Etta and Paul to-
gether in front, De Chauxville and
Maggie at the other corner of the box
81 have asked my friend. Karl Stein
metz. to come in during the evening""
said Paul to Eta when they were
seated. "Ie is anxious to make your
acquaintance. He is my-prime minis
ter over in Russia"
Eta smiled graciously
'It is kind of him." she answered,
ito be anxious to make my acquaint-
ance."
She was apparently listening to the
music. In reality she was hurrying
back mentally over half dozen years
She had never had much to do with
the stout German philosopher. but she
knew enough of him to scorn the faint