Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-04-29
A FOOLISH FROLIC.
By the Wild Duchess Etc

''SI aPh9' ana l dOn tllnk your pres
ence would help me to choose them"
She nodded brightly to him over her
shoulder as she disappeared into the lit
tie shop
When she got home she reported this
conversation verbatim to Denzilia. who
was IN the respondent stage of con
VaIeseence. She cried a little. and then
when Francesca scolded her for this I'M
wonted display of weakness she an
nounced her intention of returning to
America as soon as the doctor would
allow her to be carried to the train.
Certainly" said Francesca. II think
1t would be a very sensible thing to do"
1t was more than a week before Mon
tresor saw Miss Vanbrugh. She no
longer came to table d'hote, but took her
meals in Denzilia's sitting room.
Denzilia's recovery was slow and
tedious. In fact its slowness somewhat
puzzled the doctor.
Has she anything on her mind?" he
asked Miss Vanbrugh. "She ought to
be picking up apace now; and she doesn't
seem to be the kind of person to let her
self die for want of little energy TO
gather herself together again"
Herr Schongratz wants TO know if
you have anything on your mind Den
ziliaf" Francesca said to her friend after
this conversation with the German doc
tor.
Il hope you told him he was a fool"
said Denzilia pettishly.
mo, did not. l thought, to tell YOU
the truth, it would be more to the pur-
pose If | were to tell him that you had
something on your mind, the peccadilloes
OF your youth, or. to be more accurate
the view thai a certain young man takes
of the peccadilloes of your youth"
| A day or two after this it occurred
to Miss Vanbrugh that she would seek
out Mr.. Montresor, and in discreet way
give him piece of her mind.
1t was not difficult to find Montresor
He was always on the lookout for Miss
Nanbrugh, though he was careful to
avoid the indiscretion of appearing to
be So
He sprang forward when he saw her
standing at the house door Just as the
people all came out from luncheon. She
was obviously waiting for something for
somebody, and she did not leave him long
in doubt as to whom she was waiting
for
"Will your English sense of propriety
be scandalized if I ask you to take me
for walk this afternoong" she asked,
when she had replied to his formal in
quiries after Miss Lavenham's health.
81 shall be delighted" he replied sin
cerely enough, for he failed to see the
sarcasm.
Every well, shall be ready at two"
| she said. wait for me here"
| She went in and up to her friend. But
she did not inform Denzilia how she pro-
posed to spend her afternoon. She mere
| ly remarked that she was going out for a
little bit.
"Now," she said an hour later, when
she and Montresor were clear of the
hotel, take me where you please, only
don't leave me to walk home by myself,
as you did poor Denzilia No, I forgot.
| it was not you, it was the Duke"
! Il have never clearly understood how
Miss Lavenham came to lose her way
that evening" Montresor observed
"She was lost in thought. You know
you are apt to be lost in thought when
you have been refusing a duke. Perhaps
she was wishing she had not refused
/ him."
/ she did not fail to see a quick look of
anxious inquiry darted at her by the
! young man at her side. She went on
without having apparently noticed the
! look
However, be that as it may, she was
thinking so deeply that she lost her way,
and then in the dusk tumbled over the
sort of small precipice where you found
| her"
| Montresor made no comment on this
explanation. For nearly quarter of an
hour they walked in silence Then Fran
cesca suddenly stopped and faced her
companion.
Look here" she said 81 brought you
out here to ask you question, and I
am going to ask it. l want you to prom
Use to answer it frankly without any
beating about the bush"
81 cannot make such a promise as that
without knowing what the question is !"
he replied gravely; "but l promise that
/ if I answer it at all l will answer it
frankly"
THAT will do" she returned brisklv.
Though indeed l need not have exacted
such a promise from you. Were you ever
in your life anything but frank, Mr..
Montresor 2"
81 don't know" he answered simply.
"Have you not once at least in your
life been brutally frank?" she asked
audaciously.
He looked at her with a startled air.
Before he could speak she went on
quickly
But that was not the question that I
wanted to ask you. I wanted to ask
you this: Do you still care for Denzilia
Lavenham"
For a moment he looked at her with
amazement Then, with a deep gush
spreading over his face, he looked her
straight in the eyes, and said
Il love her with my whole heart"
Then" returned Miss Vanbrugh
promptly, will you kindly come back
with me at once and tell her SOL"
She at once turned and began to direct
her steps in the direction of Zermatt,
which they had left about two miles be-
low them.
Miss Vanbrugh," exclaimed Montresor
in a voice which he vainly tried to keep
cool and steady, "since YOU seem to know