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The Merry Widow
By ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE
COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY HENRY W. SAVAGE
CHAPTER IV.
The Waltz.
" AXCE with mo!” repeated So
|| nia.
II The faroff orchestra had
ZmimJ struck up a dashing, gay
Marsovlan air. Impelled by the music
and her glance of daring, Danilo sprang
forward.
In an instant the two were whirling
madly amid the Intricacies of a wild
Russian dance such as has for count
less centuries been performed from Si
beria’s ico plain to Tartar steppes—a
dance of youth, agility, utter aban
don.
Yet as they came panting to a halt
at tlie last crashing note of music the
face of neither reflected the exhilara
tion the swift motion and stirring
measures usually evoked. In fact, Da
nilo’s brow wore a very perceptible
scowl. Sonia, too, was downcast. Had
her rash experiment failed?
“You didn’t enjoy that,” said she.
“Not especially,” he c onfessed. “Did
you V”
“No. You don’t dance as well as you
did.”
“You’ve probably grown to prefer
French partners,” he replied, piqued
at Hie reflection on ills dancing.
“From all I hear,” she retorted, “you
hau* little right to reproach me on
that score. You dance n good deal at
Maxim’s, don’t you?”
“Now and then,” lie admitted.
“And with what sort of partners, I
wonder?" she scoffed, a touch of scorn
in her sweet voice.
“With polite ones,” said Danilo
icily.
Flic winced over so little at the re
proof and went on.
”1 suppose you uance better with
them than with me.”
*'Possibly,” lie agreed. “You see, I,
too, may prefer French partners."
She raised her great dark eyes to
his, a world of meaning in them.
"Do you?" she asked, almost in a
whisper.
The distant orchestra had been play
ing again, thiu time not a native air,
but a dreamy, infinitely sweet Vien
nese waltz. The opening notes of the
haunting melody, though softened by
distance, were wafted none the less
distinctly to the listening couple.
▼JM (SbScrato)
Again their eyes met. With a mutual
Impulse they drew toward eaeh other.
Then begun a dance as different from
the stitily eonveutional ballroom waltz
as moouligkt differs from a gasoline
!lan.. With more than a hint of the
free, marvelously graceful poses of
Slavonic dancers. Danilo and Sonia be
gan their wondrous waltz.
Throwing herself hack Into the
strength of his circling embrace, the
girl’s outstretched arms swayed like
wind blown lilies in rhythm with the
music, her light step scarcely touching
earth as the prince guided her through
the mazes of the dance.
It was a strange, dexterous blend of
east and west, of liss*m oriental pos
turic.g and of gliding, modem waltz
steps the very poetry ot motion. Nor
from the llrst note until the last strain
of music died away did either dancer’s
eyes leave the other’s.
Love, eager and eternal, was In the
gaze of each. Eye said openly to eye
what sullen pride forced back from the
lips.
Then a last dreamy chord and the
music was hushed. l)anilo and Sonia
started, amazed, as though from some
visiou of paradise. The widow, fearful
lest by Impulsive wont she might
wreck her plan of hriuging Danilo to
her feet, darted breathlessly away to
welcome anew group of guests. The
priuce, left alone, stared after her, open
mouthed. A clapping of applauding
Jmuds aroused him.
A “Bravo, bravo, my dear prince:*’
Hrbeezed the ambassador, toddling for
waitl. “What a delightful little dance!
But is it customary to catch one’s part
ner in a jiti jitsu grip like that, or is
it a fashion that has come in since my
waltzing day*?”
The old bore’s feeble jest brought
Itanilo quickly back to earth and to a
sense of everyday surroundings.
“Were you looking for me?” lie asked,
none too civilly.
“Only to see if you had succeeded
yet in finding who the lady is with
whom De Jolidon is in love. She must
be made to win him away from any
ideas of marrying the widow.”
"To blazes with that and all the rest
of your silly plans!” shouted Danilo.
“Don't worry any more about the
widow. It’s no use, I tell you. She is
going to marry a Frenchman in spite
of us all! And,” he went on bitterly,
goaded by the chagrin and abject dis
appointment in Popoff’s face, “I’m go
ing to dance at her wedding.”
“Going to marry a Frenchman, is
she?” yelled the distracted ambassa
dor. “Preposterous! I’ll find a way
of stopping it! And it is De Jolidon
she thinks of marrying?”
“What’s that to me? I don’t know
who she’s engaged to, and"—
But Popoff waited to hear no more.
Catching sight of Nish, lie rushed upon
that unhappy clerk.
“Find M. de Jolidon!” he command
ed. “Keep your eye on him all the rest
of the evening. See if he makes love
to the widow and report to me. I
have already told Mme. Popoff to
sound him on the subject. Among us
ail we ought to learn something before
we’re done.”
“You’ll learn ‘something’ if you keep
on spying,” muttered Danilo under his
breath as he moved away. “But I’ll
bet a year’s income It’ll be something
“A lady went Into the summer house with
a gentleman.”
that will give jqii more surprise than
pleasure."
I>usk was falling. Above the myriad
colored lights that dotted the garden
♦lie moon was rising. Along cue of
the hedged paths lending to the sum
mer house a man and a woman were
strolling—Mine. Natalie Popoff and M.
de Jolldon.
“And so your worthy husband set
you the task of finding out whom I
am in love with?" De .lolldon was
saying.
“Yes," the ambassador's young wife
answered. “He is afraid you will
marry the widow.”
"Why shouldn't I?" queried De Joll
dou jokingly. "You told me to."
“But—hut you won't, will you?” she
pleaded. “Why don't you look at me?
What are you looking at?”
De Jolidon’s eye had fallen on the
fan where It lay forgotten on the table.
"The fan you lost and that your
husband pocketed." he said, handing
it to her.
“Thank goodness!” Natalie exclaim
ed. poizing it; then:
"Lend me a pencil."
She wrote a sentence on the fan di
rectly beneath the three words he had
scribbled the night before at the bull.
"There.” she sighed, handing it to
him; “keep that as a reminder.”
He held the fan up to the light and
read:
"I- aui——dutiful—wife."
"Remember that always," she ad
jured.
“Natalie!” he cried passionately.
"It is true— l am a dutiful wife. If
I have been foolish enough to listen to
your lovemuking. at least 1 have never
encouraged it. I have always rebuffed
you for conscience's sake. 1 am a duti
ful"—
“Why remind me of the hopelessness
of my love?” murmured De Jotidon.
“You may refuse to reciprocate it, hut
you cannot prevent my telling you”—
“But I can! After this evening we
must not meet again. My husband
trusts me. This must be our farewell
interview. Don’t try to alter my pur
pose. I have made up my mind. Aft
er this evening I shall never”—
“Natalie, you can’t mean”—
“I do. This is the last talk we two
shall ever have together.”
“Then,” implored De Jolidon, “if It is
really to be our farewell interview,
why must we talk here in the garden,
where at any moment others may come
to claim your attention? Grant me a
final half hour of your society all to
myself. Let the talk be uninterrupted.
Let us sit in the little snmmer house
over there. See—it is empty.”
They entered the little inclosed ar
bor It was lighted by a string of
Japanese lanterns, and two rustic
chairs were at opposite sides of its
round center table. There was a door
at each end of the tiny room—an ideal
spot for a tete-a-tete chat now that the
moonlight had wooed most of the
guests out of doors.
The light wicker door swung shut be
hind the couple. Natalie quite en
joyed the prospect of listening to her
adorer’s melodramatic words of fare
well and of posing herocially as a self
sacrificing, dutiful wife. In half an
hour at most she would rejoin her hus
band with the righteous consciousness
In her heart of having dismissed for
ever the one man besides Popoff who
bad ever made love to her.
So interested was Natalie in De Joli
don’s parting speech that she did not
hear the ambassador, just outside, de
clare excitedly:
.“Nish. Pm sure I saw that summer
house door close behind a lady’s skirt!
Let’s see who is in there!”
(To Be Continued.)
NEWSY GLEANINGS.
Henry Arthur Cadogau, Viscount
Chelsea, died in London.
Agents of the big beef packers de
clared that the price of meat would be
advanced again.
The Powers agreed to send a war
ship to Tangier to protect the lives
and property of foreigners.
The Russian Ministry decided to
present in the Duma a bill providing
for workingmen’s insurance.
The Pennsylvania Railroad having
completed four tunnels is now consid
ering a fifth for New York City.
Mexico's "revolution” is practically
ended, according to reports to the
Government at Washington, D. C.
The Japanese Cabinet formally re
signed, and the Emperor instructed
Marquis Katsura to form anew Cab
inet.
Two world’s records for intrench
ing troops were broken by Company
H, of the engineers’ corps, at Pine
Camp, N. Y.
Dutch colonists in Curacao have
prepared a petition to Queen Wilhel
mina asking for improved relations
with Venezuela.
The United States Government
closed the Caracas Legation because
of the confiscation and destruction of
American property.
The Russ', at one time the leading
Liberal newspaper of Russia, sus
pended publication on account of
financial difficulties.
Martin R. Preston, now serving a
twenty-five-year term in a Nevada
prison for murder, was nominated
for President by the Socialist-Labor
party.
The Iron and Steel Trades Journal
repeated its statement that an inter
national steel trust, having a capital
of about £150,000,000, would be
formed in London.
THE NATIONAL GAME.
The St. Louis Americans look
stronger at third base with Ferris at
that station than they ever have
looked.
E. H. Harriman, the railroad king,
Is a lover of baseball, and this sea
son is rooting hard for the New York
Americans.
Joe Cantillon admits that he is in a
quandary as to which of his pitchers
to release, but that one or more must
go immediately.
That former grand major league
pitcher, Charley Nichols, is pitching
good ball for the Pueblo Club, of the
Western League.
Jake Atz, the Sox utility infielder,
has proved a good pinch batsman.
He has broken up several games by
hitting for another.
Flick and Turner reported to the
Cleveland Club for practice during
the past week and were, of course,
hailed with great joy
f '
SAY BERESFORD BLUNDERED.
Gave Signal Which Would Have
ltroug()t Cruisers Into Collision.
London. —The Times publishes a
statement to the effect that during
the recent British nava l maneuvres of
the Channel fleet Admiral Lord
Charles Beresfcrd gave the signal
for an evolution which, if obeyed,
would have brought the cruisers Ar
gyll and Good Hope into collision.
Sir Percy Scott, however, on board
the Good Hope, the statement says,
doubted the accuracy of the signal
and refrained from obeying it.
A Happy Family
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thought, and even the baby sees
there’s something of importance
going on and joins in the general
good feeling. That’s the best thing
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>afe investment in this world of
trade changes. See me.
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