The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1913-01-31

- assured me-. should
emerge perfectly cured.
did not at all relish the idea Of be
coming-even for a short time--a
fashionable idler. But afterward
had reason TO be thankful. for the
adventure | met with added a curious
chapter to my experiences
/ went to that little place q few
weeks after the execution Of Eyraud.
the murderer OF the luckless GoufYe.
D most sensational crime. which for
several months kept the whole Euro
pean press at fever heat. And. in or
der to escape interviewers and ko-
iak fends, I decided TO travel incog.
nito. eut1ring myself In the hotel
books as NJ. Guilbert: a wise precau-
ton. as I soon discovered.
The most important guests IN our
hotel where Count N. q Russian. a
t~ine-looking man Of about sixty-dve,
and his wife. a pretty woman quite
forty years his junior. The countess,
a restless young creature. was o n
stantly organizing excursions In the
mountains, leaving her husband at
home to amuse himse
Two days after my arrival / noticed
a newcomer at our table d'hote. Mile.
woman with dark eyes and jet-black
hair. Her hands were small and aris-
tocratic. and her appearance would
have been In every way refined but
Tor her ears. These were too large
and stood rather far from her head.
The girl fascinated, yet at the same
time repealed. me.
II had been raining all the morn
Ing. and l was in the reading-room
Blancing at an illustrated paper, when
a voice near said,
Pardon me. monsieur. ! see you are
a Russian"
1t was Mile. Arco. NO." l replied.
II am not"
Il thought you were" she contin.
ned. because / la you reading a
Russian periodical"
Il was not reading It," retorted.
81 was only looking at the pictures"
oh, | see!" she explained. But the
look she gave me said she did not be-
aieve me.
] did not care To continue the con-
~versation, and she Don left the room.
From that moment, however, I 40
ttced she never ceased to observe me,
and many q time when ! pretended to
be asleep In one Of the armchairs In
the hall her large black eyes were
fastened on me as II they we're trying
20 pierce my thoughts.
With the officials in the hotel Mile.
Arco WAS a persona grata for. unlike
most women. who In money matters
are inclined to be niggardly. she
tipped the walters and chambermaids
most literally. The manager OF the
hotel and his wife had also taken a
great fancy to her. and abe was al.
ways warmly welcomed by them In
their sanctum. where she would sit
and smoke cigarette after cigarette.
Feeling myself closely watched by
her. I returned the compliment. and
noticed that she would repair to the
bfice at those hours when the post
came In, and look over the clerks
shoulder at the letters he sorted. And
khen 1t struck me that no missive ever
came addressed to her, although one
afternoon. happening to pass her room
at the moment the maid opened her
door. ! saw her deeply engaged In cor
respondence. with several letters in
front OF her.
The next morning, when Mile. Arco
left the hotel I went out at the back.
made quickly for the post once by IN
pther road, and hid myself behind the
hedge Of an empty cottage opposite.
j saw her enter the post ONCE and
leave It a few minutes later. She
hooked up and down the road. and.
nobody being In sight. she took a let
ter out of her pocket. opened 1t. and
read II eagerly.
Bah" l said to myself. you are
not clever. my girl. A child could
have seen through your game. Now
we shall have some fun"
That same evening after dinner rain
fell In torrents. and most OF the guests
were in the drawing-room. A few were
INDUCING in a harmless game OF
cards; two girls were at the piano
singing sentimental songs, and Mile.
Arco reclined In a rocking chair, a
book In her lap. The count, a very re-
served man, with whom I had thus
Gar exchanged only q few words, vas
baking to a retired naval officer who
had spent some years In Russia.
! YES" I heard the count say, I'VE
want a thorough change. II is a dis
graceful state Of things. These grand
dukes"
Talking of Russia" I cut in, al
low me to read to you something
that just happened In Paris"
1 took a paper from my pocket, and
m ] unfolded II l noticed the count,
whom ! had Interrupted In the middle
Of his speech. gaze at me with any
thing but pleasure.
Last night" I read, the police
wers called to q house In the Rue