Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1911-06-08

y
"a VIDE step. madam; be careful
T suggegred. But still she hesItsteo.
d laugh. half Of annoyance. half Of
Amusement. broke from her lips AZ
rba light fickered down, she made aS
-hourb 10 take the step, then, as luck
would have H. bit OF her loose
drgDery. which was made in the wide
ggf-ted and much-hOOped fashion o.
the time. caught al the hinge OF the
carriage door. II was chance glance
AND no. intent on NY part, but ] saw
that her other foot was stocEIngeo'
bur not Bhod.
- beg madam's pardon, SAID
gravely. looking aside but she has
uerhaDs not noticed that her other
simmer is lost IL the carriage"
.Npusenge," she said Allow me
your hand across 10 the walk please.
It is lost yes"
But lost-wbsre?" I began.
In the other carriage" she sx-
claimed. and laughed freely.
Half hopping she was across the
walk. through the narrow gate, and
M at the door before could either
offer an arm or ask for al sxplana-
ton. Some whim, however, seized
her: some feeling that in fairness she
ought 70 tell ne now part at least Of
the reason for her summouing me TO
her aid
Sir" she said, even as her hand
reached up 10 the door knocker: i
admit YOU have acted as a gentleman
should. ] do not know what your
message may be. but ! doubt not il is
meant for me. Since you have this
much claim on my hospitality, even
at this hour. think ! must ask you
to step within. There may be some
answer needed"
Madam" said l, there is an an
answer. ! know that this message is
TO the Baroness Won Ritz. guess il
70 be important: and ] know you are
the Baroness Won Ritz"
We'll, then" said she. pulling
about her half-clad shoulders the
light wrap she wore: let me be a.
free with you If I have missed one
shoe. have not lost it wholly. ! lost
the slipper in a way not quite planned
on the program. Ii hurt my foot. l
sought TO adjust it behind a curtain
My gentleman of Mexico was in wine.
/ fed, leaving my escort. and he fol-
lowed called to you. You know the
rest ! am glad you are less in wine,
and are more a gentleman"
i do not yet know my answer
madam"
Come" she said; and at once
knocked upon the door.
shall not soon forget the surprise
which awaited me when at last the
door swung open suddenly at the hand
Of wrinkled and brown old serving
wOman-not one Of cur coloped WON
en-, but Of some dark foreign race
The faintest trace OF surprise shoE ed
on the old Woman's face, but she
stepped back and swung the door
wide, standing submissively, waiting
for orders.
We, stood now facing what ought &c
have been narrow and dingy little
room in low row of dingy buildings,
each OF two stories and so shallow in
extent as perhaps not TO offer space
to more than half dozen rooms. In.
stead of what should have been, how.
ever, there was a wide hall-wide as
each building would have been from
front to back, but longer than a half
dozen of them would have been. ]
did not know then, what / learned
later, that the partitions throughout
this entire row had been removed, the
material serving to I'LL up one OF the
houses at the farthest extremity OF
the row. There was thus offered q
long and narrow room, or series oil
rooms, which now / saw beyond pos
slbility OF doubt constituted the resi-
cence Of this strange woman whom
chance had sent me to address; ami
whom still stranger chance had thrown
IN contact with me even before NV er
rand was begun!
She stood looking at me. a smil
| Attb11S over her features, nGf ELOck
tnged foot extended, toe down, servin
to balance her on her high-heeled sir
gle shoe.
Pardon, sir" she said, hesitatinE
as she held the sealed epistle in he
hand. You know me-perhaps yo
follow me- do not know. Tell me
are you spy Of that man Paker
ham?"
Her words and her tone startle,
me. | had supposed her bound to 81
Richard by ties of a certain sort. He
bluntness and independence puzzle,
me as much as her splendid beaut,
enraptured me. tried to forget both
Madam, am spy of no man. unles
| am such at order of my chief, JohI
Calhoun Of the United States senate
perhaps. If madam pleases, soon o
Mr.. Tyler's cabinet"
In answer. she turned, hobbled to
tiny marquetry table, and tossed tn
note down upon it, unopened. waite,
patiently, looking about me meantime
! discovered that the windows wer
barred with narrow stats of iron with