THE COURIER
me, and whom you will treat very defer
entially and encouragingly, for she is
extremely timid. Now go and bring me
a little wine, of the sort I like best"
At last the bell rang. She must in
deed be very timid, he thought, when he
heard the faint sound, and then his
fancy dreamed of tapering, little fingers,
and of a delicate, white baby-hand, hid
den beneath pearl-gray, well-fitting
gloves. Casting a quick glance at the
ticking pendule, he noticed that the
hands indicated ten minutes after four.
With a slightly trembling and well
perfumed hand, he gave his light mus
tache an artistic, enterprising curve, and
created an aesthetic sort of disorder
among the cushions of his divan.
"The lady Is here," announced Ed
mond. "Good; conduct iier hither."
A feminine silhouette, exquisite, insin
uating, supple, ravishing, attracted his
eyes. "Oh, master," she stammered,
faintly, behind a sombre veil, which
failed to hide a beautifully rounded chin,
suggesting the crescent moon appearing
from under a dark cloud.
He made two steps in advance towards
her; seized her fragile-looking fingers,
and imprinted thereon the longest and
most fervent kiss that he had In his re
pertoire. "Do you forgive me for Intruding and
for depriving you of part of your so
valuable time?" she asked. Her voice
betrayed more confidence and firmness.
"Why, of course, dear madame; I am
really and inexpressibly delighted at
your visiting me In my humble apart
ments." "For ever so long a time, venerable
master, have I desired to meet you. I
am so fond of your writings. Many
passages they contain I have committed
to memory. You possess such a delicate,
tender fancy, and then your style is so
gracefully masculine, and your Ideas are
so much In sympathy with mine. How
charmingly you describe the passionate
love which throbs in the heart and
veins of Loys. The current story, I be
lieve, Is your chef-d'oeuvre. It made
such a deep Impression upon me that I
could not resist any longer the desire to
write and to see you. If you only knew
how wildly my heart beats!"
"Really," he asked, and then he made
a movement with his hands as if he
were anxious to make an Investigation
into the alarming condition of his fair
Interlocutor's little heart. '
"Vertigo seized me In your ante-cham-5jS
ber. You know, it is so ictimldatlong to
call upon a man of genius. I really be
lieve ray eyes are troubling me, that the
walls are turning round me."
"1 think you had better remove your
veil," he suggested tenatlvely.
"Do you think so? Well, then . . .
I think I had better take off my hat, too,
for It is bo heavy!"
"A capital idea, and I would suggest
that you likewise take off your cloak.
Now, don't you feel relieved? Be seated
upon the divan. This cushion shall caress
your beautiful shoulder, and this one I
shall place beneath your divine feet.
Now, what do you think of this? Does
your heart still beat so fast?"
"It is a little quieter. Thank you ever
so much, dear master!"
"Oh, happy heart; If I only could say
the same thing of mine; the beating of
mine almost deprives me of the power of
breathing!"
"I am so sorry, monsieur."
"No, call me Loys, since my hero ap
pears to have captivated you so com
pletely. I cannot tell you how glad I am
to see you before me, to have made your
acquaintance! Do you know that 1
adore you?"
"Impossible!"
"Believe me, when I say that 1 adore
you, that I love you, love you as only
he can love who has never known the
divine passion before."
She sighed, and with eyelashes lower
ed, softly whispered: "And I love you!"
"Ah," he wildly exclaimed. He
stretched forth his arms to seize her in
a passionate embrace, but, to his im
mense surprise, she drew away from
him, and, resolutely, took up her hat
and arranged her veil.
"Why, explain; have I done wrong;
have I hurt your feelings?" he finally
managed to ask in a stammering fashion.
"Don't touch me; I am done with you;
you don't love me at all; you are an
imposter!"
"But, dear madame, let me assure you
that I am sincere, that you are all the
world to me; that my love for you Is
overwhelming. Is ... "
"Fiddlesticks! I know better; you
only feign, you try to fool me!"
"Dear madame, let me explain, let me
tell you that ..."
"No use," she snapped out, excitedly,
and then, pointing with her finger
towards the almost Inaudlbly ticking
pendule, and slightly shrugging her
beautiful shoulders, she added:
You have not even broken the spring
TO WED YOUNG MILLIONAIRE
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Society is anxiously awaiting the announcement of the coming date of
the morrlage of Miss Kathleen Nlelson to Reginald Vanderbllt. No definite
date has yet been given but the happy event Is expected to take place some
where around Easter time. The bride to be Is now preparing her trousseau.
of the pendule! Hypocrite, impostor!"
and out she sailed, indignation vibrating
In every Inch of her enticing body.
Adapted from the French for the St.
Louis Mirror by Francis A. House.
Artist What do you think of those
charcoal sketches of mine?
Friend It seems too bad to waste the
charcoal when fuel Is so high. Yonkers
Statesman.
THE POPE NOW NINETY-THREE
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POPE AT THE TIME OF HIS ELECTION. Pope as he appeared two years ago.
On March 2, Pope Leo XIII reached the ripe old age of ninety-three years. All over the world Catholics celebrated the happy event. The above
portraits of Pope Leo at various ages offer an Interesting contrast.
