The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-14

| greeted them kindly, telling them how
glad she was to see again her first and
only friends there. She introduced her
two children, Harry, boy of 8. and
Bella, a girl of s. They had their moth
er's eyes and hair. Presently Bettina
entered, becomingly attired in white mus
lin with a profusion of lace, with the
same grace and beauty, the same gra-
cious and cordial welcome.
Dinner was announced The govern
ess came for the children. Mrs. Scott
took the cures arm and Brttina took
Jeans. Until Bettina had appeared Jean
had said to himself Mrs. Scott is the
prettier." When he felt Bettina's hand
on his arm and saw her lovely face
turned to him he said: mo, Miss Per-
cival is the prettier." But he was soon
back in his old perplexity. Sitting be-
tween the two at the table, If he looked
to the right he saw himself in danger of
falling in love; If he turned to the left
the danger at once changed places and
passed over to the left
The dinner was what one might expect
| The Able Constantin thought he knew
what luxury was. Once a year he dined
with his bishop, who entertained Law
ishly; but the bishops table was nothing
compared wit hthe magnificence of Nine
SCOTS. Several courses of unknown and
complicated construction were Served
upon which he ventured with shaking
hands. However, the able was fond of
| tho Mo ~ he oh 70
be one of the seven deadly sins, it Is to
be feared that many good priests will be
counted on the left hand at the day of
judgment. After dinner the aged cure
fell asleep, and Bettina improved the oc-
casion by asking Jean many questions.
How did he spend his rays? Did he like
his profession? Who was the young man
ton to the chateau? Jean answered the
last question by saying it was Paul de
Lavardens, one of his old friends
On returning from drill the next morn
ing Jean found Paul de Lavardens wait
| ing to see him. Paul asked Immediately
about the dinner of yesterday He also
asked If he had been recognized the day
| bCloiO dS Hc pdcScQ tIt carriage OIL MTS.
Scott and when Jean was going to take
him to Longueval; likewise when Jean
was going there himself again. Jean re-
piled that there was to be no entertaining
at Longueval for ten days, but that he
himself was going there that day at 4
o'clock. Jean Reynaud. the cures god
son, introduced under the patronage of
the church, could go at any time. Be-
sides it had been discovered that he
would be of great use as guide. Paul
lamented that in these ten days Jean
would get the start Of him. Jean as
sured his interlocutor that he had no
aspirations in that direction; that the
game was entirely beyond him. Paul felt
that his mission in life was to the rich;
that his peculiar vocation was to be the
husband of woman absurdly rich. 1t
was not such an easy role, after all One
must know how to squander money; how
to dress his wife becomingly how to ad-
vance her and make her famous in the
world; how to arrange fetes-ih short,
| how to make oneself good fellow" and
indispensable.
| jean Teplleu tHdI nc merely aSplre0 TO
be the friend of the people at Longueval.
That was all he desired. 1t must be con-
fessed that during the next ten days ev-
erything conspired for the success Of this
attempt The four-Mrs. Scott, Bettina,
the able and Jean-lived in the closest In
timacy In the morning the two sisters
and the able took long drives together,
and in the afternoon they took long rides
with Jean on horseback. Jean had given
up trying to analyze his feelings; he no
longer tried to make out whether he
leaned to the right or to the left.
Three weeks passed Next day Jeans
regiment was to go into camp at Ger
cottel, in the forest of Orleans.f for 20
days Jean was unhappy. What would
become of him without seeing her in
short without her? Her, that was Bet
tina. There was no mistake now--he
loved her. Bettina's money was hor-
ror to him, positive nightmare, for Jean
was an honorable man. -
| A crowd of people invaded Longueval.
A Mrs. Norton and her son Daniel and
! a Mrs. Turner, with her son Philip, were