The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-07-23
CHAPTER l.
The Girl With the Millions.

s|1HE widow just now IS the
queen Of our diplomatic chess
board" sighed the Marsovian
ambassador pretty wife. "She
Will be here tonight My husband Is
hanging over the banisters watching
for her"
.But what reason"
sOh, he has exactly twenty million
reasons for
81 don't understand" mumured NJ.
de Jolidon.
mo? Then you are probably the
only bachelor in Paris who doesn't
She was the daughter Of poor Mar
sovian farmer no dowry but her
beauty. An enormously rich old bank
er named Sadowa, wealthiest man in
Marsovia, fell in love with her, mar
ried her and did her the exquisitely
graceful favor Of dying a week later.
She inherited his whole fortune-$20,-
OO0,OOO."
"And now suppose she has come to
Paris to spend it,
"Oh, the money IS safe enough FOR
the present. / believe, in the Bank OF
Marsovia. But my husband wants 1t
to stay there. So does the Marsovian
government. Ours is not rich eoun-
4 try, NJ. de Jolidon. That's why new
white hair appears in my worthy hus-
bands head every time one Of your
Partisan lady killers makes love to her.
It's all absurdly simple"
"Well," laughed De Jolidon, Ibis hair
needn't turn whittier on my account
I'll be the one Frenchman who won't
make love to Nine. Sadowa."
"But you must
"What?'
"You must marry her, at any rate
"Are you mad, Natalie. or is this
'It is no joke, and I'm not mad.
I've thought it all out"
The ambassadors wife glanced nerv-
ously about her. She and De Jolidon
were ensconced in an alcove OF the
salon.
It was the night Of the embassy
/ paIl. From the adjoining ballroom
came the strains Of a waltz and the
soft gliding of hundreds Of dancing
feet. Guests were passing and re-
passing along the great hallway and
broad stairs at the rear Of the salon.
But for the moment the two had the
room to themselves.
Listen" she said. "My husband sus-
poets nothing thus far, but he Is GER
tain to in time unless
"Unless divert his thoughts by mar
rying some one else? I can't, and you
know can't, for r.
Hush! You mustn't say it / am a
dutiful wife. And-what are you do
ing?" she queried as he snatched up
her fan from the table. With the
pencil that dangled from his dancing
card De Joiidon scribbled three words
on one, of the ivory sticks Of the fan.
then handed it to his hostess.
Natalie, with a little catch in her
breath, slowly read the words aloud:
"I-love-you"
"Why did you write thisT she
asked.
Because you forbade me to say it."
he retorted
"Tell his excellency I have come
back" broke in voice at the door.
AS q servant hurried off with the
message the speaker waddled into the
room. He was a stout, ungainly little
Apan, clad in the quaint national cos
tune Of Marsovia. Bald Of head. pop
ping Of eye and with abnormally long
red mustache, his was personality to
excite laughter in mummy.
The newcomer was Nish, messenger
and clerk of the embassy At his ap-
proach Natalie and De Jolidon slipped
/away to the ballroom. A moment later
J tall, lean, fussy man with hooked
Tnose and mincing gait trotted down
[ the stairway and into the salon.
'Well. Mr. Nish." he asked pcevish-
did you find Prince DaniIo At
une%
NO. your excellency," faltcred the
tile man. He
"Did you go thence, as told you, to
he American bar at
I"Yes, sir. But he was not at home
ge tonight"
Md. He's usually very much at
there, I'm told. So you failed
VI mission? You couldn't find