Mower County transcript., 1906-01-17

I c&SIAYAtJ. II a4i .tst Z5~.t Hl1- =
Il .@tNo, 7 am at the Waldorf" >&i% >s A..
,.s.h 'Eh?s I have heard all about you
millionaires."' 81 1{..ss 5.... ,..s-r H..
ooh, we are not all of us million
aires who step there" laughed War
burton. tThere are some of us who
ltry : to make others believe that, we
are" Then, dropping into passable
French, he added 81 came here to-
night; with the, purpose of dining.
Will you do me the honor Of sharing
my table?' 49,:
"You speak French ?"-delighted ut
is wonderful. This English has so
many words that mean so many things,
that of all languages speak it with
the least fuency. But it is my deep
regret. Monsieur, to refuse your kind
invitation. ana dining with friends"
"Well, then, breakfast tomorrow at
ill.," Warburton urged, for he had
taken fancy to this affable Russian.
"Alas! See how am placed. am
forced to leave for Washington early
in the morning. We poor diplomats,
we earn our honors. But my bust ness
! is purely personal in this case, neither
political nor diplomatic. The count
drew his gloves thoughtfully through:
his fingers. II shall of course pay
my respects to my ambassador. Do
recollect your saying that you be-
longed to the United States army?"'
"I recently resigned. My post was
in wild country, with little or moth
ing to do; monotony and routine
| "You limp slightly"
"a trifing mishap, ,''-modestly.
"Eh. you do wrong. You may soon
be at war with England, and having
resigned your commission, you would
lose all you had waited these years
for" 10
Warburton smiled. 1--WE shall not
go to war with England"
''This army of yours is small
"Well, yes; but made of pretty good
material-fghting machines with
brains"
'Fa!" The count laughed softly.
| "Bah! how I detest all these cars and
ships! Will you believe me, I had
rather my little chateau, my vineyard,
and my wheat fields, than all the Or
dsrs Eth, we'll, my country:
there must be some magic in that
phrase. Of all loves, that Of country
is the most lasting. Is that Balzac?
do not recall. Only once in a CEN
t!1ry do we find man who is willing
to betray his country, and even then
he may have for his purpose Meth
er hate. rever ee. nor love of power"
A REGULAR gravity sat on his mobile
face. caused perhaps by some Disagree
able inward thought.
"rtow long shall you be in Washing
ton?' asked Warburton.
| TIE count shrugged. *'Who can
say?'
| "I go to Washington myself within
few days.
4 It'll we meet again, then, Mon
sieur."
The count lifted his hat, courtesy
which was gracefully acknowledged by
the American; while the clerks at the
desk eyed with tolerant amusement
these polite but rather unfamiliar GER
emonies of departure. These foreign
ers were odd buffers.
"A very decent chap" mused War
burton, ''and a mighty shrewd hand
at poker-for foreigner. He is going
TO Washington: we shall meet again.
wonder if she's in the restaurant
| now.''
MIR. Roberts appetite, for a healthy
young man, was strangely incurious..
He searched the menu from top to
bottom, and then from bottom to top:
nothing excited, his palate Whenever
persons entered, he would glance up
eagerly, only to. feel his heart sink
lower and lower. don't know how
many times he was disappointed. The
waiter ahemmed politely. Warburton,
in order to have an excuse to remain,
at length hit upon partridge and a
pint of Chablis.
Nine O'Clock. Was it possible that
the colonel and his daughter were din
ing in their rooms? Perish the posi-
bility! And he looked in vain for the
count A quarter past nine. Mr. Rob
erts anxiety was becoming almost un-
endurable. Nine-thirty. He was about
to surrender in despair. His partridge
lay smoking on his plate, and he was
! On the point of demolishing it, when,
behold! they came. The colonel en-
EtsT-d first, then his daughter, her
haJnd-- on-the- arm -of-the-count!
Warburton never fully described to
me his feelings at that moment, but.
knowing him as I do, can put. to-
gether a very respectable picture Of the
I chagrin and CONSERVATION that sat on
\ his countenance.G # a IT
ITO think Of being nearly six days
aboard Mr.. Robert once bawled at
me, wrathfully, "and not to know that
that Russian chap knew her!''' It was
almost incredible that such thing
4 should happen. sst. & i. .5s. 81 g. s.
4 The three sat down at table seven
times removed from Warburton S. He
i could see only an adOra hla nrnfi fi1nI % yd