The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1908-01-16

am going out for a few turns O. :.
Shall 1t be single or double breast 1?'
she asked nafvely.
Don't YOU want to change our
wraps" suggested Hollis as he glanc-
ed Mt tie beautiful drapeTyztaat was
aii1s; her.
,Oh. 10, 1t doesn't matter,P careless
ly remarked the countess.
They circled the deck only once, be-
cause the crowd was inconveniently
large, and soon they were seated side
by side in their chairs. The air was
: chilly, and Hollis offered TO go for
extra wraps. but just then the maid
Came up and asked If she would be
needed again that night. The countess
asked for a coat. The pale faced serv-
ant soon returned and heedlessly threw
the sable lined wrap over the feet Of
her mistress. Hollis was d~umfounded
with this display of extravaganza yet
stared in blind alteration at his COM
panion. ~ ffE
II suppose all men are FOOLS" he
ventured to remrak.
"oh, are theyY' answered the count
ess, with a ring Of disappointment In
her voice. you see, / am very young
and 1 don't know, but now you are a
man Of the world, a man Of expert
ence. and j suppose you know. !
thought some day 1 might meet a man
who was not a fool, and then ] should
fall In love with him."
Lucky man." murmured Hollis. but
his throat seemed to go dry and his
pipe went out. "Do you think / am q
fool?''
"Well really, l don't know you SO
very well, but 1 think you're dreadful
ly stupid. You seem to have So little
to say"
Hollis was just going to say some
thing. bpt he looked at the sable coat
and the beautifully gowned figure of
the woman within 1t and he closed his
lips firmly.
Thereafter they met at rare inter
vals-not oftener than Hollis could
help. and the day the boat locked in
New York he went over to say goodby.
81 wish / could call-just once" be
pleaded as she hesitated.
This is my card. Mr., Hollis, and If
you will come-you may" she added
as she handed him q neat little en-
velope with a card inclosed.
Hollis slipped in into his pocket
and onee more said goodby to his lady
with the silvery voice. How queer
that sounded, eff you will come-you
may" What had she meant?
The next night Hollis hailed a ham
som at the corner of his hotel and gave
the driver the address. When they
drew up in front Of a little apartment
house he wondered, but went in. Ev-
erything connected with the girl seem
ed a mystery, SO he did not hesitate.
The card had read, ASK for Miss
Tousley." He did so, and the maid
said she would be in directly. he
glanced about the room. Nothing ele-
CANT, yet Of exquisite refinement. He
looked at the pictures. There she was
as a child, here as a young girl, and
there again she was standing in flesh
and blood in the door with two hands
outstretched.
Somehow she seemed more real, more
alive than ever before as she held out
ACA AIsu0oy anu uS VIVA -IRSm. 0AC was
dressed in some simple gown, and they
sat on the couch together while he told
her Of his hopeless love, his longing
for her and of his salary of a few
thousand a year.
my darling, L want you, and by
heavens, I'll have You, even If ron are
a countess! Won't you let me try to
win you? Oh, If you only knew-f
you only knewr"
81 know too WELL" the sweet voice
said. But I'm not a countess at. all.
FIN a poor girl, and my name IL Tous-
ley, just Sarah Tousley. There's moth
ing royal about that, is there? / am
not a countess, and all those fine
clothes were not mine. You see, we
lost all our money, and 1 had to do
something. Well, 1 could speak French
and knew good clothes, so a big firm
sent me owe to buy model gowns. /
wore them to avoid duty. OF course ]
soiled them some, but the model was
just as good to copy, and-oh, please.
please don't hold ME so tight, dear"
she almost sung into his ear.
But he did not seem to hear her. He
was saying to himself over and over
again:
Not the Countess Of Brienne, but