The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-06-25

the man annoys u.s." interpOsed Mrs.
F~arnsworth.
Far from it! !" cried Alice.
You've seen enough of us perhaps
to understand that we enjoy little adj
ventures" said Mrs. Farnsworth. The
man preterds to be interested in Mr..
Bashford's art treasures. Antoine's
story about the disguise is rather
against that but we will give him the
benefit of the doubt. What we are
hoping is that something really anus
ing may come Of his persistent pur-
suit. With you and the army of serv-
ants here we feel perfectly safe; so
we're for giving him every chance to
show his hand"
"He is the Count Giuseppe Montana"
said my aunt, "who represents himself
as a connoisseur-a lover of the beau
tiful."
"The mystery is solved! 1t is easy
to understand why he has haunted the
place"
Yes; quite easy. Count Montani is
very anxious to see the porcelains."
Il wasn't referring to the pottery;
but l shan't press the matter"
Il advise you not to; your remark
was highly improper from a nephew TO
an aunt! l have told you about all l
know Of this Italian gentleman. l am
going to ask a favor. He telephoned
from Stamford this afternoon to know
whether we had arrived, and I babe
Lin call tonight. l should be glad il
you would remain until he leaves. 1
should like to know what you make IF
him."
"Certainly," / assented, pleased that
she had taken me into her confidence
and deeply curious as to the Italian
connOisseur What she had told me so
frankly and plausibly did not, how
ever, touch upon the matter Of the in
terest shown by the American state de-
partment in my aunt's arrival at Bar
ton, which troubled me much more
than the antics Of the Italian who had
followed the women across the Pacific.
Count Montani arrived shortly and
was received in the drawing room. The
ladies greeted him with the greatest
cordiality. AS he crossed the room I
verified the limp and other points Of
! AntOine's description. His bearing
was that of a gentleman; and in his
very correct evening dress he hardly
looked like a man who would disguise
himself and attempt to rob a house.
He spoke English all but perfectly and
proceeded at once to talk a great deal.
Il was sad when l found / had 50
narrowly missed YOU at Seattle, and
again ut Chicago. You travel far too
rapidly for one OF my age!"
His age might have been thirty. He
was a suaye, polished, sophisticated
person. Nothing was more natural
than that he should pause in his trav-
els to call upon w agreeable women
he had met On a Pacific steamer. Pos
sibly he was in love with Alice Bash
ford; this was not a difficult state Of
heart and mind for a mar to argue
himself into. She was ever more
strikingly beautiful tonight than l had
thought her before. She was again in
white-it was only in daytime that she
wore black-and white was exceeding
ly becoming to her. AS we talked she
piled listlessly a fan--a handsome
trinket Of ostrich plumes. A pretty
woman and a fan are the happiest
possible combination.
There is no severer test OF grace
than a woman's manner of using q fan.
A clumsy woman makes an implement
of this plaything. flourishing it to en-
phasize her talk, or, what is worse,
pointing with it like an instructor be-
fore a blackboard. But in graceful
hands it is unobtrusive, a mere bit Of
decoration that leases and fascinates
the behOlder's eye.
With all his pOise and equanimity l
was distinctly conscious that Monta-
MIS- dark eyes were intent upon the idly
swaying fan. / thought at first it was
her hands that interested him as they
unfailingly interested me, but when,
from time to time, she put down the
fan his gaze still followed it.. And yet
there was nothing novel in the delicate
combination OF ivory and feathers. l
had seen many fans that to all appear
ances were just like 1t. Once, as she
picked it up and lazily opened it, I saw
him bend forward eagerly, then, find
ing that l had noted his eagerness, he
rose, pretending that a brass screen
before the fireplace had caught his eye,
and asked whether it was not a Flor
entine production, which shook my
faith in his connoisseurship, as I had
bought the thing myself from a New
York brassw0rker who had made 1t to
my order.