The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1905-11-03

Auoy lollC III lave. w IL
ever this girls joys or sorrows may
have been, she succeeded as well as
any in cOncealing both.
She was alone when Paul came into
the room. 1t was a large room, with
more than II fireplace. Maggie was
reading, and she did not look round.
Paul stopped, warming himself by the
fire nearest to the door. He was the
sort of man to come into a room with
out any remark.
Maggie looked up for a moment,
glancing at the wood fire. She seemed
to know for certain that it was Paul.
Have you been out?" she asked.
"Yes-calIing."
He came toward her, standing beside
her with his hands clasped behind his
back, looking into the fire.
Socially" he said, with a quiet hui
NOR, Il am not q success"
Perhaps you do not try" she sug-
gested practically.
"Oh, yes, l do. 1 try in several Ian
guages. l have no small talk"
"You see," she said gravely, you
are a large man."
"Does hat make any difference?" he
asked simply.
She turned and looked at him as he
lowered by her side-looked at him
with a queer smile.
Yes she answered, Il think So"
For some moments they remained
thus without speaking-in a peaceful
silence.
When she spoke it was with a quiet
voice, as n having plenty of time and
leisure.
where have you been?" she asked.
'To the Lanovitches', where we met
the Baron de ChauxviIle."
"Ahr"
"Why, ah?"
Because I dislike the Baron de
Chauxville," answered Maggie in her
decisive way.
81 am glad Of that, because I hate
said Paul. Have you any rea-
son for your dislike?"
"He has the same effect upon me as
she explained airily.
Then, as if to salve her conscience, (
she gave the reason, but disguised, so
that he did not recognize it.
81 have seen more of NJ. de ChauX-
vile than you have" she said gravely. |
He is III of those men of whom wom-
en- do see more. When men are pres
ent he loses confidence, like a cur when
a thoroughbred terrier is about. He
1islikes you. 1 should take care to
give NJ. de Chauxville a wide berth if
[ were you, Paul"
She had risen, after glancing at the
clock. She turned down the page Of
Ter book and, looking up suddenly, met
ais eyes for a moment only.
1--WE are not likely to drop into a
lose friendship" said Paul. "But-he
S coming to Thors. twenty miles from
1sterno."
There was a momentary look of
in the girls eyes, which she
urned away to hide.
81 am sorry for that" she said. Does
Herr Steinmetz know it,"
Not yet"
Maggie paused for a moment. She
vas tracing with the tip Of her finger
pattern stamped on the binding of
he book. 1t would seem that she had
omething more to say. Then sud
Lenly she went away without saying it.
In the meantime Claude de ChauX-
lille had gently led the Countess Lano-
itch to invite him to stay to dinner.
accepted the invitation with becom-
Nc reluctance and returned to the Ho-
Ell de Berlin, where he was staying, in
rider to dress. He was fully alive to
be expediency of striking while the
ON is hot, more especially where wo-
are concerned. Moreover, his
nowledge of the countess led him to
ear that she would 500 tire of his
This lady had a lamentable
AGILITY for getting to the bottom of
er friends powers of entertainment
'ithin q few days. 1t was De ChauX-
intention to make secure his in
itation to Thors and then to absent
from the countess.
After dinner the guest asked Mile.
atrina to play. He opened the grand
in the inner drawing room with s
lch gallantry and effusion that the
countess, postprandially SOM {
descent in her luxurious chair, began
,hearsing different modes Of mention +:
6 her son-in-law, the baron. {
YES" she muttered to herself, "and
atrina is plain-terribly plain" 6
Thereupon she fell asleep. 8
De ChauXville had a good memory q,
Id was, moreover, a good and capa- l
liar. So Catrina did not find out
lat he knew nothing whatever of nu-
c. He watched the plain fee as the
usic rose and fell, himself impervi- /
IS to its transcendent tones. With {
'acticed cunning he waited until Ca r
ina was almost intoxicated with mu-
an intoxication to which all great q
usicians are liable. r
"Ah," he said, 81 envy you your pow r
!. With music like that one can al o
ost imagine that life is what one 8
ould wish it to be-" h
She did not answer, but she wander
of into another air, a slumber song. g