Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-02

Gus cOuntrymen from Connecticut,
travelling thither to sell, remained to
buy-and then sell-when the country
was in its teens. In course Of time the
little trading post of the northwest ter
ritory had grown to be the leading cen
ter of elegance and culture in the Ohio
valley-at least they said SO in Rouen.
Robert Carewe was Rouen's magnate,
commercially and socially and, until
an upstart young lawyer named Van
revel struck into his power with
broadax, politically. The wharfs were
Carewe's; the warehouses that stood by |
the river and the line of packets which |
piled upon 1t were his. Half the town
was his, and in Rouen this meant that !
he was possessed of the middle justice,
the high and the low. His mother was
a Frenchwoman, and In those days, |
when to go abroad was ponderous
and venturesome undertaking, the fact
that he had spent most Of bis youth in
the French capital wrought certain
glamour about him, for to the Amerl-
can Paris was Europe, and it lay SHIN
mering on the far horizon Of every
imagination, a golden city.
Mr.. Carewe lived In an old fashioned
house on the broad, quiet, shady street
which bore his name. There was
wide lawn In front, shadowy under
elm and locust trees and bounded by
thick strawberries. A long garden. fair
with roses and hollyhocks, lay outside
the library windows-an old time gar
den, with fine gravel paths and green
arbors, drowsed over In summer time
by the bees, while overhead the locust
rasped his rusty cadenoes the livelong
day, and faraway sounding love note
from the high branches brought to
mind the line, like an old refrain,
The voice Of the turtle was heard in the
land.
| Between the garden and the carriage
gates there was fountain where a
bronze boy with the dropsy (but not
minding IT, lived In perpetual bath
from green goblet held over his head.
Near by stone sundial cleaned
against a clump Of lilac bushes, and 1t
was upon this spot that the white kit
ten introduced Thomas vanrevel to
Miss Carewe.
| Upon the morning after her arrival,
having finished her pianoforte practice.
touched her harp twice and arpeggioed
the Spanish Fandangof' on her guitar,
unDerl UOr sue was profoundly de-
term1ned to pursue her tasks with dill.
igence), but, the open windows dis
closing world all sunshine and green
leaves, she threw the book aside with
good conscience and danced out to
the garden. There, coming upon q
fuzzy white ball rolling into itself
spirally on lazy pathway, she pounc-
cd at 1t, whereupon the thing uncurled
with lightning swiftnass and fed,
more like streak than a kitten, down
the drive. through the open, gates end
into the street, Miss Betty in full CRY.
Across the way there CHANGED to be
strolling young lady In blue, &C.
companied by gentleman whose lei
surely gait gave no indication Of the
maneuvering he had done to hasten
their walk into Hs present direction.
He was apparently thirty or thirty-one,
tall, very straight, dark, smooth shaved,
his eyes keen, deep set and thoughtful.
and his high white hat, white satin
cravat and careful collar were evidence
OF an elaboration Of toilet somewhat
unusual in Rouen for the morning.
Also he was carrying pair Of white
gloves in his hand and dangled slen-
der ebony cane from his wrist. The
Tying kitten headed toward the couple
when, with celebrity only to be &C.
counted for on the theory that hiB eye
had been fixed on the Carewe gateway
Tor some time previous to this sudden
apparition, the gentleman leaped In
front Of the fugitive.
The kitten attempted dodge to pass,
the gentleman was there before 1t. The
Kitten Tented; the gentleman was al
together too much on the spot. Imme-
diately, and just as Miss Carewe, flush
ed and glowing, ran into the street, the
small animal doubled, evaded Miss Bet
tvs frantic clutch, re-entered the gate
way and attempted a disappearance
into the lilac bushes instead Of going
around them, only to find itself, for q
fatal two seconds, in difficulties with
the close set thicket Of stems.
In regard to the extraordinary agility
of which the pursuing gentleman was
eapabla 1t u enough to say that he
caught the cat. He emerged from the
lilacs holding 1t in one hand, his gloves
and white hat in the other, and present
ed himself before Miss Betty with a
breathlessness not entirely attributable
to his exertions.
For moment, as she came running
toward him and he met her flashing
look, bright with laughter and recogni.
ton and haste, he stanmered. 4 thrill
nothing less than dehrious sent the
blood up behind his brown cheeks, for
he saw that she, too, knew that this
was the second time their eyes had
met.
he could not speak at onos, but
when he could, HPermit me. madam
be said solemnly, Offering the captive
ito restore your kitten"
An agitated kitten should not be de
tanned by clasping its waist, and al
} ready the conqueror was paying FOL
his victory. There ensued final out
rakeous squirm Of despair. Two fran
tic claws, extended. drew one long red
mark across the strangers wrist anG
another down the back Of his hand te
the knuckles They were good, hearty
scratches, and the blood followed the
artists lines rapidly. but Of this the
vOun0 man tnnk M pota for I,n iypa1r