Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1910-01-27
Needless TO say that the invitation

| 81 am glad to see that you have
such good appetite. Mr.. Gibson. This
is almost as nice as at our lunch in
the train
II am glad that your ladyship has
not yet forgotten that"
why should I? recall 1t with
pleasure. There il one thing I have
been wanting to ask you for some
time. Mr.. Gibson. How is 1t that you
speak German as well as English? Did
you live in Germany long?"
mot in Germany, your ladyship, in
Vienna; then, too, my mother is Ger.
man."
| "Ah, your mother Is alive?"
Yes. milady, and owe everything
to her, particularly whatever educa.
tion have"
You are very fond of your mother,
Mr. Gibson?"
'Inexpressibly so, your ladyship!"
II should like to meet her, some
time"
If one has the gift Of appearing at
the right time once, what wonder that
one should do so again and again?
The weather was propitious for
these meetings, remaining remarkably
fine. Frau Won Balten consequently
breakfasted outdoors every day, and
her trainer always happened to pass
there just at the time, quite accident
ally. of course. For a week he was
in the seventh heaven of delight, but
at the end of that time his happiness
suddenly ceased, for his mistress re-
NAMED invisible, nor could he catch
a glimpse OF her at any time.
My Dear Major: Not only thanking you
so late for your kindness in complying
with my request, must l ask for your
| kind indulgence but also for troubling
| YOU with another one so soon again. Mr..
Gibson, whom you recommended TO me so
| warmly. has proved entirely satisfactory,
| but IL is on his account that i am pen
ming you these lines to-day, for l am
| sorely puzzled about him. A new English
| Jockey Sullivan by name, now belongs
| to my stables, and ii is he who confided
to me yesterday that this is not the right
| Fred Gibson whom he says he knows
| very well. as he worked under him in
| England, at Lord Rossmore's. He pro-
fesses to know all the Jockeys and train
| ers OF repute, and declares positively that
| llleTe is no OlfleT IIeu NIlDSOI, except Ine
| one now in charge of Count Studt's sta
bies in Vienna. Now it so happens that
| this is the very one you recommended to
| me. and hence my mystification. j have
| enjoined secrecy on Sullivan. as / wish
| the matter kept quiet until l hear from
| you, and / beg of you, my dear major,
| 10 regard this communication as confden-
| tial and, IL possible, TO enlighten me at
| your earliest opportunity. Let me assure
| you that anything that you have TO tell
| me will be likewise regarded as strictly
| confidential and as the utterance of
| man of honor. If the true Fred Gibson
| is still at Count Studt's. a fact of which
you can easily convince yourself. who
| then, Is my Fred Gibson? II seems to
| me, my dear major, that as you are the
| gentleman who recommended him, ii may
| interest you as much as il does me to
have some light cast on the subject.
Thanking you beforehand for any trou-
| BILE you may take in the matter believe
me, dear sir.
| Yours very truly
| ALEXANDRIA Won BALTEN.
| Your EXcellency.
My Dear and Most Esteemed Lady: In
I reply to your favor of this week, hasten
| to say that this whole business is exceed
| ingly dsagreeable to me and that l from
| the first thought IL might end badly-but
you have appealed to me on my honor
| that alters the case for me and compels
me to speak. My dear madam, / know
nothing; but of course a man may infer a
great deal! Well. then, i recommended
Fred Gibson to you, something / could do
with the best conscience in the world, for
| lie is splendid trainer and a sober and
conscientious fellow besides!
But If you did not get the right Gibson,
| that is no fault Of mine. / really think
you must have got the wrong one for |
| mo- only GOV l,tif tn ba trtta
| this morning. But / infer something else:
| namely, that Count Erwin Studt must
| have fallen madly in love with you-a
| very excusable thing, on my word as a
| gentleman!-and that the rogue went in
his trainers place himself i infer this,
as he has disappeared from among us as
completely as If the earth had swallowed
| him up. not a soul knowing what has be-
| come of him! My dear madam. even IL
/ scold about Erwin. / still venture to beg
for mercy for him. for he is dear friend
OF mine, a gentleman from top to toe, and
a highly educated fellow into the bar
gain. His mother is the ideal aristocratic
woman, and If you see me a bachelor to-
day, IL Is for the reason that she refused
me so years ago
Do not. l beseech you be too severe on
him, for the poor devil is head over heels
i'm love with you. and that is sin which
is pardoned even In the confessional! You
will not betray me. / know. and I re-
main, as ever,
Your most devoted
BARSAY MIKLOS
Frau Won Balten sent for her trainer
"Mr. Gibson. you may consider your
self dismissed"
Your ladyship is sending me
away?"
yes. Mr.. Gibson, | expect you to
leave my house this very day."
He bowed silently and turned to CO.
when her voice recalled him. You
have nothing to say to me?"
"A great deal, your ladyship, but
am too great a coward to say It;
might have summed up courage to
write, however"
Il have reason to be angry with
you, Mr.. Gibson!"
II cannot deny It,"
And you do not even try to vindi-
cate yourself?"