Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-08-30

latent superiority to the institutions
Of her native land. She liked Maui
burn. too.
More impressive than either Of
these. however, was the Baron
Ronsnlt de Palllac. Tall, swarthy,
saturnine, a polished man of all the
worlo, Of manners finished, elaborate
and eeremonious,, she found herself
feeling foreign and distinguished in
his presence, quite as if she were
the heroine of a romantic novel, and
might at any instant be called upon
to assist in royallst intrigues. The
baron, 70 Der intuition, nursed secret
sorrows. For these she secretly wor-
shipped him. 1t is true that when he
dined with her and her mother, which
he was frequently gracious enough to
do, he ate with heartiness that be-
lied this secret sorrow she had i'm
agined. But he was fascinating at all
times, with grace at table not less
finished than that with which he
bowed at their meetings and partings.
1t was not unpleasant to think Of
basking daily in the shine OF that
grand manner, even IL she did feel
friendlier with Milbrey, and more at
ease with Mauburn.
II the truth must be told, Miss
Bines was less impressionable than
either of the three would have wished.
Her heart seemed not easy to reach;
her impulses were not inflammable.
Young Milbrey early confided to his
family a suspicion that she was sin
gularly hard-headed, and the definite
information that she had "a hob
nailed western way" of treating Aer
admirers.
Mauburn, too, was shrewd enough
to see that, while she frankly liked
him, he was for some reason less a
favoHte than Baron de palliac.
It'll be no easy matter marrying
that GIRL" he told Mrs. Drelmer,
She's really dear, and awfully good
fun, but she's not a bit silly, and
dare say she'll marry some chap be,
cause she likes him, and not because
he's anybody, you know"
Make her like YOU" insisted bis
adviser.
ION my word, wish she did. And
I'm not so sure, you know, she doesn't
fancy that Frenchman, or even young
Milbrey."
"Ill keep you before her." promised
Mrs. Drelmer, land wish you'd moi
think you can't win her. 'Tisn't like
you"
Miss Bines accordingly heard thai
it was such a pity young Milbrey
drank so, because his only salvation
lay in making a rich marriage, and {
young man, nowadays, had to keel
fairly sober to accomplish that
Really, Mrs. Drelmer felt sorry fol
the poor weak fellow. "Good-hearteC
chap, but he has no character, m!
dear, so I'm afraid there's no hope
for him. He has the soul of a mer
chant tailor, actually, but not the
tailor's manhood. Otherwise he'd b.
above marrying some unsuspectinl
girl for her money and breaking he
heart after marriage. Now, Mauburl
is a type so different; honest, unai
fected, healthy-really he's a man TO
any girl to be proud of, even if -
were not heir to a title-one of thu
best in all England, and an ornamen
of the most exclusively correct set
OF line, my dear, that is truly grea
not like that shoddy French nobili
ty, discredited in France, that send
so many Of its comic-opera baron
here looking for large doWries to pa,
their gambling debts and put furni
ture in their rattle-trap old chateaux
and keep them in absinthe and thei
other peculiar diversions. And Mau
burn, you lucky mink, simply adore
you-he's quite mad about you
really!"
In spite of Mrs. Drelmer's two-edge
sword, Miss Bines continued rattle
more favorable to the line of De Pa
lilac. The baron was so splendid, s.
gloomy, so deferential. He had tn
air of laying at her feet, as a rug, tn
whole glorious history of France
And he appeared so we'll in the vic
toria when they drove in the park.
1t is true that the heart of Mis-
Bines was as yet quite untouched
| anu ~ " 40 nv AAAOAO IAeAh q GOOAl uAAl
esthetic light in which she surveye
the three suitors impartially, to be
hold the impressive figure of tn
baron towering above the others
I Had the baron proposed for her hant
r 1t is not impossible that, facing tn
! question directly, she would have pal
ried or evaded.
I For certain events befell unprop
/. tiously at a time when the baron wa
2 most certain OF his conquest; at tn
/. very time, indeed, when he had de
J. termined to open his suit dehnitel
by extending a proposal to the youn
!. lady through the orthodox medium G
. her nearest male relative.
Il admit" wrote the baron to hi
expectant father, that it is what on
! calls very chances in the English
3 but one must venture in this countr!