The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-04-24
Nv, Continued.

wrangling sound came from below
"He is quarreling with Rosine. He
keeps the whole house in order. He is
becoming insufferable." e.. .
why, then, do you not dismiss
hirn7' asked De Lussac, who had taken
his seat on the fauteuil and with the
holiness Of q lover WAS caressing one
OF h gloves which she had cast there.
Because, lear Monsieur de LusSac,
though he has only been IN my service
q few days. I.tind him invaluable-he is
my chaperon."
Your chaperon7".
Still arranging the flowers, she
touched>Ia bell near the window. IL
q moment the door opened and Placide
appeared. v.. ~.
aPiacide," said his mistress. "ktndly
take my gloves to Rosine. Where are
they? All, I left them upon the fau-
teuiL. Monsieur de Lussac, may I trou-
BILE you to pass my gloves to Placide?"
DE Lussac, biting his lip with morti-
Acltion, handed the gloves, which the
surly old man carried OF, closing the
doOr behind him. "s ot " .
.You see, he is quite useful" said
Madame Ia Baronne, finishing the ar
irangennent of her flowers, II really did
not want q man servant. / engaged
him half from pity and also because
he was 80 quaint. He Is some relation
OF my COOK. Do 9 not agree with me
He may be useful, madame" replied
De Llssac, who had recovered his tenn
per, but this ] will say--he Is not hon
est"
"Placide not honest! In what way,
Monsieur 10 Comtef"
II has robbed me of your gloves"
He rose from the couch and advanced
as IL to take her hand. She stretched
II toward the bell and he paused.
Monsieur le Comte, pray take your
seat again on the fauteuil, and I will
take this chair, and so we shall not
Placide. Now, let US talk. 1
am touched by your confidence in me,
and / have heard the declaration you
made to me with mixed feelings"
"Oh, madame!"
"One moment! That declaration from
. mar TO a woman In my position may
Pc the sincerest compliment. or the
it?" ~
TN this way, madame" replied the
young man, rising from the couch and
standing before her as q courtier might
stand before a queen. when I said
love ! said in that word all that love
impltes-respect, lifelong devotion.
Without putting it in words, / asked
you to share my future and my for
tune as my wife"
Madame La Boronne rose from her
chair and bowed.
Standing before her, he bowed in
return. 1t was a quaint picture, in
keeping with the dress and the elegant
customs OF the time.
He did not again attempt to take
her hand; she a at a stroke put q
gulf between them such as exists be-
tween a powerful ~potentate and the
ambassador Of an inferior power.
10 VOur offer mOnRieurb aha made
only reply that / thank you sincerely
for the compliment 1t contains; that,
frankly, 1 have met a mar I
liked so much as / Hke"-she blushed
s~iightly-"the comte de Lussac; that
l have taken p deep interest in him, II
for no other reaso han because he Is
so unlike the tops Inc fools Of Paris:
n that just for that reason and' be-
cause / study the welfare Of hose
whom I like, I ought to decline his
oner To do so would merely be fair"
Madame"
One moment" replied this extraor-
binary oma who to the genuine was
always genuine. you are Monsieur lie
Comte de Lussac, with large estate and
2 splendid fortune, II you do not spoil
by entangling yourself with the
enemies OF the king; you have fallen
In love with q woman OF no fortune. no
position, an adventuress-
Cease. madarneI" cried De Lussac
violently, rising from his seat as though
he were addressing an enemy. Not
another word against the woman ! love.
Fortune, position! Those words are
blasphemy against the holy spirit Of
love. Adventuress? What care ] II she
10 an adventuress2 Call her what you
will, you can mot deceive my heart or
tell me against my understanding and
my instinct that she Ii anything but
pure.'' So w.3 =
Actually in his anger and defense Of
the baroness this idealist had almost
forgotten, her presence and the fac that
ne val defending her against herself.
The baroness, In amazement. stared at
him as n stares at a prodigy. Had
this man, then, with the clear sight of
q passionate and lofty understanding,
OWNED In her the true woman whose
presence she herself had not troubled
TO search fort Her life was far from
blameless. In the yes of strict virtue
love AFFAIRS. money affairs, ~intrigues,
inled the story OF her past: yet at
heart--the only consideration that mat
ters at all. when all is said and done
at heart was she as he declared her to
De? She had never thought of the
question before. She looked at her
SELF as a woman OF the world who had
led the life OF the world. Had any other
man said TO her, You are a blameless
Woman" she would have laughed In his