The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1905-05-03

accuracy. and when / asked her once
in Paris what her nationality was sne
said she mostly put herself down as
French.
She was a most extraordinary wom-
an. Her father died when she was M
teen, and a year afterward she came
to Europe and lived entirely on her own
particular hook. She apparently hadn't
a relative or guardian or any govern
ing connection in the world She signed
her own checks, had an unlimited bal
ance to draw upon and acted in all
ways exactly as seemed to her best
She was rather petite in figure, glorl-
ously handsome and would suffer adj
vice to be thrust upon her by no one
And yet she held her own perfectly and
laughed gleefully at the many attempts
that were made to take her in.
On the whole, she wasn't badly edu-
Gated, for, although 1 don't think she
ever troubled herself to grind at any
book learning, she was very quick at
picking matters up, and one can learn
a good many things from smart CONVEX
sation if only one listens well and does
not forget. She was remarkably indie
pendent, but she knew thoroughly how
the conventionalities We're marked out,
and when it suited her purpose to do
so, as it generally did, she kept within
their bounds.
Mariquita was by no means a diff
cult person to get to know in those
days, and had the entree to her salon
almost directly after 1 had taken up
quarters in Paris. She danced divine
ly as all women with peninsular blood
in them can do; she was most fas-
cinating to look at and talk to, and !
expect l must have shown pretty clear
ly how much 1 was struck, for only the
third evening l came across her she
coolly told me not to propose to her.
81 know you were going to-" said she,
land 1 suppose you'll do it still. They,
most Of them, do. And then afterward
they get sulky and go away. hate
that. l like friends, and like admira-
tion-heaps of both. But when I want
a man for a husband I'll say. Pm not
shy, mon ami. I'll do the asking my
self"
After that, and remembering the
money, l held my tongue, though l
was honestly very much smitten with
her at the time and would have mar
rled her out of hand if she hadn't pos
sessed louis.
They transferred me to st. Peters
burg, and / lost sight Of her for a
couple of years, but when got back to
Paris again there she was, just the
same as before, with most of the old
courtiers around her.
He was English-aggressivel Eng
llsh-long and thin, milk and watery,
profoundly ugly, and, oldest OF all,
parson. To be precise he was curate
from small south coast village. On
the principle that it was impossible to
imagine a more unlikely man for Mari
quita to take fancy for, l wasn't in
the least surprised at her choice, but
1t did startle me to find that he
wasn't an atom epris in return. He
stared about at the wonderful things
in her hotel like a board school child in
the British museum, he gazed on the
sumptuously dressed crowds that
thronged her salons, and he delighted
in all he saw. But by singular irony
Mariquita didn't dazzle him in the very
least degree, and as for thinking that
he'd only to say "Barkis'' to be master
of the whole lot, Pm sure such an idea
never dawned upon him. He was an
awful thickhead.
However, one day it was reported he
had suddenly packed up his traps and
bolted back to England, and of course
all Paris knew why. Mariquita didn't
make the smallest secret about it.
saw her that evening, and we discussed
the matter quite calmly. She put it
frankly
He said he wouldn't have me. Fancy
thatr
The mans off his head" 1 suggested.
1t is odd. l might have had any of
the rest of you if only 1 had given in
to your Fostering, and here's the one
man do want says No when fling
the handkerchief at his feet"
Judging from what 1 saw of the
gentleman, he isn't up in metaphor. Are
you certain he understood your"
Am / in the habit of mincing mat
ters?'
"On second thoughts, I'll withdraw
the last question. You always sneak
your mind very bluntly, Mariauita-as
nave reason to know. Still, believe
me. am sorry for you"
by all that's curious, why?o
Because thus far through life Won
have carried everything with a high
hand exactly as you wished. and 60
TINS disappointment will come all the
more heavily"
An ! see you are jumping at con
illusions! But believe me, / do not IN.
tend to create bad precedent hero. /
shall triumph ] shall still remain I'M.
lanflU IIa loft ~, 4 49,