The Princeton union., 1905-03-16
er end Of the room. De Chauxville

worth reporting. No general conyersa-
ton, one finds, is of much value when
set down in black and white It is not
even grammatical nowadays. 10 be
more correct, let us note that the talk
lay between Eta and M. de Chaux-
vile, who had famous supply of epi-
grams and bright nothings delivered in
such way that they really sounded
like wisdom. Eta was equal to him.
sometimes capping his sharp wit,
sometimes contenting herself with sill
very laughter. Maggie Delafield seemed
rather abstracted, as De Chauxyille
noted. The girls dislike for him was
an iron that entered the quick of his
vanity anew every time he saw her
There was no petulance in the aver
sion, such as he had perceived with
other maidens who were only resent
Ing passing negligence or seeking to
plque 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 fxedly at her own
plate, at a decanter or saltcellar.
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 and 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 un-
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-
yersation upon her pretty shoulders
and bore it through the little banquet
with unerring skill and unfinching
good humor.
Claude de Chauxyille 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 a 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 a
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.
II have asked my friend, Karl Stein
metz, to come in during the evening""
said Paul to Eta when they were
seated. "TIe is anxious to make your
acquaintance. He is ny-prime minis
ter over in Russia
Eta smiled graciously.
1T 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 a dozen years.
She had never had much to do with
the stout German philosopher, but she
knew enough Of him to scorn the faint
hope that he might have forgotten her
name and her individuality. Eta
Marlborough had never been discon-
certed in her life yet. This incident
came very near to bringing about the
catastrophe
| AT what time,' she asked, sis he
coming imp
"About half past O."
1t was race, and Eta won it. She
had only half an hour De Chauxyille
was there, and Maggie, with her quiet.
honest eyes. But the widow of sgd
ney scarborough made Paul ask her
to be his wife, and she promised to
give him his answer later. She did it
despite a thousand difficulties and
more than one danger-accomplished it
with. as the sporting people say, plen-
ty to spare-before the door behind
them was opened by the attendant, and
Karl Steinmetz, burly, humorously i'm
perturbable and impenetrable, stood
smiling gravely on the situation
He saw Claude de Chauxville, and
before the Frenchman had turned
round the expression on Steinmetz's
large and placid countenance had
changed from the self consciousness
usually preceding an introduction to
one Of dim recognition.
81 have had the pleasure of meet
ing madame somewhere before, I
think. In st. Petersburg, was it not?"
Eta, composed and smiling, said that
it was so and introduced him to Mag
gle. De Chauxville took the oppor-
!, tunity of leaving that young lady's
side and placing himself near enough
to Paul and Eta to completely frus-
trate any further attempts at coniden-
tial conversation
n For q p,Oroapt Stoipp,ofz oO1 poul