Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-04-13
n or the ramlry. MY poor husband
was very fond of him."

els your husband dead, them" asked
Eta in q low voice, with a strange
haste.
'No; he is only in Siberia. You have
perhaps heard Of his misfortune
Count Stepan Lanovitch."
Eta nodded her head with the deep.
est sympathy.
II feel for you, countess" she said.
"And yet you are so %brave-and made
moiSelle," she said, turning to Catrina.
IL hope we shall see more of each other
in Tver."
Catrina bowed jerkily and made NJ
reply. Eta glanced at her sharply.
Perhaps she saw more than Catrina
knew.
Il suppose" she said to the countess,
with that inclusive manner which
spreads the conversation out, that
Paul and Mile. de Lanovitch were play
mates?"
The reply lay with either Of the la
dies, but Catrina turned away.
Eyes" answered the countess, but
Catrina is only twenty-four, ten years
younger than Paul"
'Indeed!" with q faint, cutting sur
prise.
While the party assembled We're thus
exchanging social amenities a past
master in such commerce Joined them
in the person of Claude de Chauxville.
He smiled his mechanical, heartless
smile upon them all, but when he bow
ed over Etta's hand his face was
grave. He expressed no surprise at see
ing Paul and Eta, though his manner
betokened that emotion. There was no
sign Of this meeting having been a pre-
arranged matter, brought about by
himself through the easy and innocent
instrumentality Of the countess.
"And you are going to Tver, no
doubt?" he said almost at once to Eta.
Eyes," answered that lady, with a
momentary hunted look in her eyes. 1t
is strange how an obscure geographical
name may force its way into our lives,
never to be forgotten. 1t seemed to Eft
ia that liver" was written large
wheresoever she turned.
1.-THE prince" continued De Chaux.
vile, turning to Paul, "is a great
sportsman, I am told-a mighty hunt
err"
Paul smiled. 1--WE have a few bears
Left" he said.
"You are fortunate" protested De
Chauxville. u shot n when I was
younger. I was immensely afraid, and
| so was the bear. l have a great desire
to try again"
Eta glanced at Paul, who returned
De Chauxville's bland gaze with all
the imperturbability of a prince.
The countess cackling voice broke in
at this j%uncture, as perhaps De Chaux-
Vile had intended it to do.
"Then why not come and shoot
ours?" she said. "We have quite a
number of them in the forests at
Thors."
"Ah, Nine. la Comtesse," he answer
ed, with outspread, deprecatory hands,
"but that would be taking too great an
advantage of your hospitality and your
we'll known Kindness"
He turned to Catrina, who received
| him with a half concealed frown. The
countess bridled and looked at her
daughter with obvious maternal mean
ing, as one who was saying, There
you bungled your prince, but I have
procured you a baron"
"The abuse of hospitality is the last
refuge of the needy" continued De
Chauxville oracularly. "But my temp
tation is strong. Shall I yield to it.
mademoiselle?"
Catrina smiled unwillingly.
II would rather leave it to your own
conscience" she said. "But 1 fail to
see the danger you anticipate"
"Then 1 accept, madame" said De
Chauxville, with the engaging frank
ness which v e had a false ring in it.
Claude de Chauxville had unscrupu-
lousy made use of feminine vanity
with all the skill that was his. 4 little
glance toward Eta as he accepted the
invitation conveyed to her the fact
that she was the object Of his clever
little plot, that it was in order to be
near her that he had forced the Count
ess Lanovitch to invite him to Thors,
and Eta, with all her shrewdness. was
promptly hoodwinked. De Chauxville
saw by q little flicker of the eyelids
that he had not missed his mark. He
had hit Eta where his knowledge Of
her told him she was unusually vul-
nerable. he had made one ally. The
countess he looked upon with a wise
contempt. She was easier game than
Eta. Catrina he understood we'll
enough. Her rugged simplicity had
betrayed her secret to him before he
had been five minutes in the room.
Paul he despised as a man lacking
inesse and esprit.
Claude de Chauxville was one of
those men-alas, too many-who owe
their success in life almost entirely
to some feminine influence or another.
! Whenever he came into direct opposi-
ton to men it was his instinct to re-
tire from the field. Behind Paul's back
he despised him; before his face he
cringed.
"Then perhaps" he said when the
princess was engaged in the usual fare
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