Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-11-18
"Potts," She Said Suddenly, and Then
Stopped.

ter to Lady Maud. She was not pre-
pared to admit, even now, that Kon-
stantin was the ideal she should have
chosen for husband, and whom she
had been describing from imagination
when she had suddenly stopped writ
ing But, on the other hand, the mere
thought that he had perhaps been
amusing himself in the society of an
other woman all yesterday afternoon
made her so angry that she took
refuge in trying to believe that he had
spoken the truth and that she had
really been mistaken about the voice.
1t was all very well to talk about
learning Tartar! How could she be
sure that it was not modern Greek, or
Turkish? She could not have known
the difference. Was it so very unlikely
that some charming cOmpatriOt Of his
should have come from Constantine
pie to spend a few weeks in Paris?
She remembered the mysterious house
in the Boulevard Pereire where he
lived, the beautiful upper hall where
the statue of Aphrodite stood, the
doors that would not open like other
doors, the MISUNDERSTANDING en-
caustic painting of Cleopatra in the
drawing room-many things which she
distrusted.
Besides, supposing that the language
was really Tartar-were there not
Russians who spoke it? She thought
there must be, because she had
vague idea that all Russians were
more or less Tartars. There was
proverb about it. Moreover, to the
English as we'll as to the French, Rus
slams represent romance and wicked
ness.
She would not go to the telephone
herself, but she sent message to Lo-
gotheti, and he came out in the cool
time of the afternoon. She thought
he had never looked so handsome and
so little exotic since she had known
him.
He was received by Mrs. Rushmore
and Margaret together, and he took
noticeable pains to make himself
agreeable to the mistress of the house.
At first Margaret was pleased at this;
but when she saw that he was doing
his best to keep Mrs. Rushmore from
leaving the room, as she probably
would have done, Margaret did not
like it. She was dying to ask him
questions about his lessons in Tartar,
and especially about his teacher, and
she probably meant to cast her in
quiries in such form as would make
it preferable to examine him alone
rather than before Mrs. Rushmore;
but he talked on and on, only pausing
an instant for the good lady's express
sions of interest or approval.
He was telling her what a prime
minister had told an ambassador
about the pope, when Margaret rose
rather abruptly.
''I'm awfully sorry" she said to Mrs.
Rushmore, by way of apology, "but 1
really must have a little air. I've not
been out of the house all day."
Mrs. Rushmore understood, and was
not hurt, though she was sorry not to
hear more. The dear child should
go out, by all means. Would Mons.
Logotheti stay to dinner? No? She
was sorry. She had forgotten that
she had letter to write in time for
the afternoon post. So she went off
and left the two together.
Margaret led the way out upon the
lawn, and they sat down on garden
chairs under big elm tree. She said
nothing while she settled herself very
deliberately, avoiding her compan-
ions eyes till she was quite ready, and
then she suddenly looked at him with
a sort of blank stare that would
have disconnected any one less SUI
perlatively self-possessed than he was.
It was most distinctly Nine. de Cor
dova, the offended prima donna, that
spoke at last. and not Miss Margaret
Dome. the mice English girl
What in the world has got into
your" she inquired in chilly tone.
He opened his almond-shaped eyes
little wider with an excellent at
fectation of establishment at her words
and manner. !