The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-07-21
CHAPTER XIV,
Countess llka.

Countess llka.
But Southsea had still another sub
tect of interest which was beginning
to blot out the baron from it's remem-
brance. A house on the front-one of
those big, ugly, expensive places
which seem only built by the archi-
tects of lodging houses, and have not
a recommendation for the residence of
gentlepeople with requirements of
comfort and taste-one of these
houses, electric lighted and bedizened
with striped awnings and wind-swept
flower boxes in the summer season,
had been lately taken by certain
young and beautiful widow. She was
called the Countess Ilka Zulafski, and
was said to be Polish or Hungarian,
though certain vagueness existed in
the mind of a certain large section of
local society as to the exact distinc-
ton between the two nationalities
She was young, she was lovely, that
was evident to the eye; she was rich,
presumably, or she would not have
taken big house on the front and ex-
pressed to the ardent spirits who
rushed to call upon her, her desire to
entertain and to mix in Southsea soci-
ETY.. She alluded without reticence to
her early widowhood; her husband, it
was dimly understood, had been dis
tinguished officer, and much older
than herself He had left her a for
tune and her freedom. and she was in
love with England and the English,
and had come to make her home here
for the rest OF her days.
She was beautiful-that has thrice
been repeated, but it was so striking
fact that it ought to bear even more
reiteration than it has received She
had a charm of personality which is
the gift of so many Continental wom-
en-, and is shared by their sisters
across the Atlantic, but not so often
possessed by our less fortunate selves.
She had an elderly chaperon, who
spoke little English and was generally
absorbed in knitting intricate patterns
in the German stitch. Countess Ilka
received all her callers with a sweet
graciousness, but was a little exclu
sive as to who she called on in return
and to whom she sent cards. SOuthsea
was the more impressed by her excl,1,
siveness.
It was true that she did not get ask:
ed to Government house, or Admiralty
house either, but a great many resi-
dents called and accepted her little
dinners and invited her to their own.
She was greatly in demand as part
ner among the dancing men of the
garrison, who found her as perfect in
that art as she was in many another,
and who were enchanted with her wit,
her tact, and her frocks. If any one
were bold enough to inquire what any
one really knew about her, he or she
was frowned down with indignant re.
proach. Of course. she was delightful
so distinguished-a so clever.
The only murmurers were the girls
whose lawful partners she swept from
them and carried off in her triumph.
ant train.
1t was plain that she had not much
of an opinion Of Baron Taxona. She
had raised her eyebrows a trifle when
be was spoken of. and had said, mo,
I do not know him. Not at all" in a
final voice that left the impression be-
hind it that he was hardly worth the
trouble to know. 1t made Southsea
people feel tha she was in quite an
other section of society from little
baron of whom no one, after. all, knew
anything in particular-even if they
were both foreigners. His popularity
may be said to have waned from the
moment she appeared upon the scene.
If any Of the good folk who said to
each other that evidently after all
Baron Taxona was not in the countess
set could have known something of
the past history of both, they might
have suffered shock of amazement.
But. then, by no possibility could they
know
Gradually, very gradually. no one
could exactly have told why. the first
rush of enthusiasm over Countess Ilka
had begun to suhside. It was not that
she was less lovely or her frocks less
charming; it was not that there was
less of romance about her, or OF inter-
est in her or her surroundings. But a
vague, undefnable. breath of GOODNESS
seemed to blow, from no one knew
where exactly, over her first welcome.
She was perhaps a trif1e held off by
those who gave the cachet to neighbor-
ing society. She was just a*trifle mo
ticeable in her conduct-not SO glaring