Evening star., 1909-09-12

striving totake no advantage through the absence of
another; but there is, after all, slight something
creeps among friends where woman is concerned,
and this something came among three in the early
DAYS of that contest wherein each hoped tor victory
over the heart of Yvette. tried to struggle against
this feeling and have doubt the struggle was trip
Heated Yet though we had fought through dozen
campaigns together, time and again had each rsked
his fife for the other glored in the others success,
boasted of the Others prowess and worked Tor the
others aims it was difficult to share Yvette.
7 AM sure had no knowledge for many weeks that
i was the favored one in the unaccustomed enter
prise of love- The certainty on that day of the
grand parade when Yvette, fair and smiling sat with
the General in the reviewing stand surrounded by
party of notables, and my cu1rass1ers thundered
past clapped her hands and then in an outburst OF
warmth stood upon her feet and threw me her glove
1t against the technc OF the corps and all disc1,
pline; but my grim followers cheered and flashed
their sabers in salute when | wheeled my horse and
at quick gallop recovered it from the ground and
thrust it into my belt The General frowned through
a smile; vet had he sent for me should have ad-
mitted my breach and accepted my just repr1mand
with an unbroken 'front.' for to the tiny threaded
thing OF common PET was f rene ogy1n sscre ap
memento which once had embraced Womans
hand!
trudgng across the sands in arm erect, serious,
and brave. They halted before the open door OF my
tent and bowed
1--WE have come old comrade of ours, they said,
to congratulate you They had accepted the
avowal Of the glove as beftted them, Vialon with
quiet, There shall be no envy and Leopard with
frank outburst Of If it were other than you, my
CASTOR, I'd find the pretext to test his blade; but
now my hands are lax and my only content IS IN
knowing that it is cf us three.
.He caught Villalon by the arm; they saluted
punctiliously turned squarely round, and went
their way, leaving alone III my air castles.
From that time they my faithful allies in the
5, ge for the hand of Yvette And by my faith it was
.-ge stubborny contested despite the promise OF
the glove; for there was yet the Count to reckon
with!
~o1,,a Of on1
most peculiar Rumor, which usually has
some foundation of fact, whispered that his income
was sufficient to enable him to maintain himself and
niece in place modest as Aglers; but that Par1s
was beyond his income. Although by inference, he
led those who visited the Ferrara palace to believe
that he intended to remain for considerable length
of time and had taken leasehod on the property,
there was nothing substantial to indicate his
tenure. He made attempt to rehabilitate the
ruined gardens, to mend the fountains or to renew
the fowerbeds. The residence contained nothing,
but little that and owed its neatness to
the supervision of its mistress rather than to any
outlay of funds; but for dot cared nothing So
neither nor my comrades made any inquiries of
financial nature.
60 insidious the growth of gaming at the pal
- that cannot now recall how it began. | do
remember that when three first went there
casionally played for small sums, and time went
we became painfully aware that the stakes were con-
tinually growing larger. l cannot even be certain
that it the Count who suggested the placing of
baccara table in the old sale darmes; but do
know that those black paneled walls with their
panoply of arms and warlike decorations looked
down many night table that surrounded
by French officers of nearly every rank and that
came to play baccdra ehemin de fer because it
qured six packs of cards.
Always there will remain the mental picture of
the Count, stately, reserved dignifed, and cold
polished steel when he had the bank. The long fine
fingers would gracefully gather the cards and with
amazing deftness shuttle and deal them until
times was fascinated in watching their movement
and the sharp flashes of the signet ring he invariably
wore.
AT first Yvette appeared to dislike this gaming,
and would demonstrate when a party of would