The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1909-04-16
CHAPTER II.
At 1ooa, Piccadilly.

The town house of the dukes of
London was towards the eastern end
Of Piccadilly, facing the Green park.
Every Londoner knew the large plain
front, with it's innumerable windows
and absence of anything remarkable
In decoration. Standing between two
fashionable clubs, both rather ornate
and decorative in style, it's very sim
plicity added TO it's size and marked
1t as one OF the great houses of the
Metropolis. The interior of this ia
nous mansion was, it wa generally
known, at the entire variance with
its plain exterior. Within, there were
rooms which were historic, art treas
ures for which the museums and
millionaire collectors of the world
sighed in vain, a pomp and stateli-
ness which made it one Of the great
show houses Of town.
- wv biAAuNNb DIlOIS GlEul Ou lut
same afternoon when he had received
the note from the duchess in the
Cocoa Tree club, Michael Grants cab
drove up to No. 100a, Piccadilly. 1t
was hardly yet dark, though the lamps
down the long vista of the street were
already twinkling below a western
sky in which still fingered the last
flush Of N of those marvellous Lon
don sunsets which some painters
have said are unequaled.
Grant entered the hall. 1t was a
magnificent marble place, surrounded
by double columns of pure Carrara on
a high, continuous basement. The
roof was painted with armorial de-
vices and floral wreaths in blue, Grim
son, green and gold, while there was
a frieze round 1t Of green and GRIM
son, with a FURNISHED metal chain
work hanging over all. -Four great
lamps of shining metal hung from the
roof, shedding down soft rays of light
upon the huge purple carpet, the
cleaning statuary, the palms and the
broad staircase which went up to the
high gallery above.
Two footmen hurried up as the but
Ter gently closed the door, and re-
lieved Grant of his light coat and OPP
era hat.
Her Grace is in the small blue
room" said the butler, and motioned
to a footman. "Ah." he continued,
here is her Grace
AS the man spoke the duchess came
into the hall through a marble arch
way on the left. She was dressed en-
tirely in black, a narrow ribbon of
black velvet ran round the tall col
m of her throat, and a single orna-
ment of diamonds hung from it.
She came up to the young man, a
radiant vision with white arms and
neck, a vision of tall ~suppleness. a
vision with a perfect face. crowned
with its glorious coronal of FURNISHED
hair in which a single wax-white
cameIoa nestled.
"Ah, here you are, Michael she
said. Il was so afraid you would not
BGA Ah9 OlC IT iALlOy anu Il nave Deem
TO the party at Marlborough house
this afternoon, and the poor little fell
low has been so excited aver since
we returned that nobody could get
him to go to sleep until half an hour
ago. We are going to dine in the
small dining room. as there will only
be three of us. Come and say How
d'you do?' TO Aunt Augusta"
They walked together to the other
side Of the hall. no inconsiderable dis
lance; and as they did SO the second
footman looked at the first footman,
end the first footman. n privileged per-
son, looked at the butler. The same
thought was In the minds Of all three
men. the same thought and the same
wonder-"Ts this the man her Grace
has chosen, or is IL not?"
Another tall fellow, with his white
silk stockings and powdered hair. was
standing by the door OF the blue
drawing room. He opened 1t, and the
duchess and the young paan went In
together--a couple 90 straight and
tall. SO gracious and SO fine. that the
pomp and splendor around them
seemed but a ut and proper environ
ment for two people such as they.
Miss Decies was a sister of Sir Mon
tague Decies. the father of the Ouch
ess. She bad spent much OF her life
abroad. but upon the death OF the
late duke had come to live with her
niece. and to perform the treble func-
lions OF relative. companion, and cha
peron.
Miss Decies was standing by a small
gilt table as Michael and the duchess
entered. she was a tall with
scansy. dead-white hair covered by q
lace cap. Her face was very long
and thin. lined and marked with the
passage of time: and were 1t not for
che keen black eyes and the rightly
OF the thin-lipped mouth she would
have seemed an old woman. AS 1t
was, people forgot her age in her
readiness and upright carriage. and
the sensation she gave or being invul-
nerahie TO the attack OF the passing
-
NOBODY was5 very tond OF MISS De.
cies. There wes something repressed
x4r@sts>saed about her. tina thin lips
wste 4 iittls tooihard. and sometimes
49,