Newspaper Page Text
The Merry Widow
By ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE
COPYRIGHT. 1908, BY HENRY W. SAVAGE
CHAPTER V.
To the Rescue.
' y|J3II. who had obediently fol-
V lowed Do Jolidon aud Natalie
at Popoff’s orders until they
' imd entered the summerhouse,
now wriggled forward in confusion on
hearing the ambassador's voice.
“Did you call me, sir?" he asked.
“I most surely did call you, Ur.
Kish!" cried Popoff. “And I told you
I wits certain I saw a lady, or, rather,
n lady’s skirt, disappearing Into that
summer house. Who was she?*’
“I 1 don’t know, your excellency,"
tremblingly lied Nish.
“You ought to know!” scolded Popoff.
“You were standing nearer the sum
mer house than 1 was. Didn’t you see
her at all?”
“Yes, sir yes, I saw her, if I may
say s ), but 1 don't know who she was,
I really don’t. I"
“Was she alone?" .
“No, your excellency, not quite alone.
The e was, if 1 may say so there was
a gentleman with her. At least he
looked like • gentleman, but 1 didn’t
recognize him either,”
“Well, well, well!” chuckled the am
bass: dor, seating himself In a garden
chair and eying the summer house
with delightful Interest. “A little flir
tation, eh? Gone In there to whisper
gweet nothings where no one can In
terrupt ’em. I wonder wlvo they are!
Now, I really wonder! Mr. Nish, I
would not for the Vorld have you think
1 an the least bit curious. But—l’ll
just sit here awhile, for a joke, and
watch them cotno out. In the mean
time. Mr. Nish, you might slip around
to the rear of the summer house and
see if there Is another door there. If
there is, you might lock It. Under
stand?”
“Yo-yos, your excellency!” mumbled
panic stricken Nish, scuttling away
- -xmmMt i ' " ,
-■V ■ '• .V
* H j'
* —-
TM AWAKE FROM MY CRAZY DREAM OF LOVE, AND I’M
GOING BACK TO MAXIMS.”
nmong the bushes. The little clerk
never paused until he had found Sonia.
To her he pouml forth the whole
story, jutting with wild horror ns she
broke into a peal of uncontrollable
laughter.
Suddenly she grew sober.
“Her husband will never forgive
her." she murinureit. half to herself.
“He will never understand that it's
just a silly, harmless, sentimental talk
they're having.’’
Memories of the ways of jealous
Marsovian husbands flashed into her
mind. In that primitive fatherland
wives had been beaten—yes, and mur
dered for less. Something must be
done, and done quickly.”
“Don't worry!” she consoled the ter
rified Nish. “Say nothing to any one
else. I’ll get Mine. Popoff out of the
scrape if I can.”
Before Nish could reply she had dis
appeared down a path leading to the
rear door of the summer house.
Meantime Popoff, his curiosity mas
tering him, had left his seat. Stealing
forward on tiptoe, he put his eye to
the keyhole of the wicker door.
lie had scarcely bent over this when
Danilo. happening to pass by on his
way to the gate, paused In amazement
at sight of the Marsovian ambassador
thus assuming the role of Paul Pry.
“Why, hello, old chap!” cried the
prince. “What are you up to?”
“Hush!” warned Popoff In an excited
whisper. “A lady went into the sum
mer bouse a few minutes ago witli a
gentleman. I can’t see them very
clearly. There’s too much fluff in the
keyhole. But they’re sitting opposite
each other with only a little table be
tween them. The lady’s back is to
me, but it somehow looks familiar.
The man is talking aa earnestly as if
he were trying to borrow money. Now
he’s bending across and kissing her
hand, and she doesn't seem to mind.
It’s—why, bless my soul, it’s that fel
low De Jolidon? Well, well! Of all
things! Now, if only the lady would
turn her face so I could see her”—
“Come away, sir!” begged Dauilo,
the whole situation bursting upou his
mind. He caught Popoff’s sleeve, but
the ambassador shook him off.
“Let rue nloue!” he whispered. “Can’t
you see what it all means? It means
we’ve found the lady De Jolidon’s in
love with, the very woman we’ve
both been looking for! And now if
she’ll just turn her bead a little I’ll be
able to see her face, and then”—
"Then you don't know who she is?”
queried Danilo.
“No. But I’ll”
“Then take my advice and don't try
to And out. Let well enough aloue.
Come away, old chap, and”—
“No, no! There; you pulled my head
away just as she was turning around.
I’d have seen her in another second.
They’re getting up. Maybe they’ll go,
.tut by the other door, and then l shan't
be able to know who”—
“Let me do the looking.” suggested
Daulio. "If either of us has to play
the eavesdropper I',11”--
“No. It is my place.” asserted Pop
jff. “But I'll bet you a hundred francs
It’s Mine. Nova Kovitch.”
“It would be like stealing a drunken
man’s watch. I won't take the bet.
Come away, sir, and let the matter
drop where it is. For your own hap
piness"—
But I’opoff was once more at the key
bole.
“They’re standing up to go," he re
ported.* “Now she's beginning to face
this way. It’s— Oh, good Lord!”
The poor old man staggered away
from the door as though struck be
tween the eyes. Keeling to a chair, he
collapsed and buried his face in his
hands.*
“No, no! It can’t be! It can’t!” he
moaned. “And yet I could hardly be
mistaken. My wife! And”—
“Brace up, your excellency!” entreat
ed Danilo in genuine distress. “Pull
yourself together. There are people
coming along the walk. Don’t make a
scene. Perhaps you were mistaken.”
“No; I saw her!” groaned Popoff.
“My own wife and De Jolidon! And
he kissed her hand.”
“Oh, I dare say she was more kissed
against than kissing!” Danilo observed
consolingly. “But be careful, sir. A
whole lot of people are within ear
shot.”
“Then let them know the worst!”
cried Popoff in a voice that brought a
number of guests hurrying to the spot.
“I’ll denounce her before them all!
Come out of there,” he bellowed, rush
ing forward, “both of you! Come out!”
He threw the simmer house door
wide open and shrank back, incredu
lous, aghast.
On the threshold stood De Jolidon
and—Sonia!
“What—what does this mean,” gur
gled the confused ambassador, “this
—this change and”—
“You called to us to come out,” re
turned Sonia calmly. “May 1 ask
what you wanted of us?”
“Sonia!” gasped Danilo. And through
the confusion of many excited voices
she heard him and thrilled to the note
of anguish in his half stifled cry.
“if—if it was you who were in
there with M. de Jolidon,” stammered
Popoff, “where is my wife?”
“Here 1 am, dear,” answered Natalie,
stepping out of the crowd, with which
she had mingled after her hurried exit
through the rear door of the summer
house. “Here I am! What is the mat-
ter?”
“Matter enough!” cried her husband.
“I could have sworn 1 saw you sitting
In that arbor with M. de Jolidon.”
“My dear!”
Natalie’s exclamation was a triumph
of shocked propriety.
“He was kissing your hand, I
thought,” went on the dazed ambassa
dor.
This time Natalie moved away from
him in offended dignity. But Popoff
hastened to throw his arm about her
and draw her back.
“I was wrong,” he assured her—“a
blunder of eyesight! I apologize! I’m
sorry. I”
"I begin to understand,” put in Sonia,
stepping forward in fear lest Natalie
overdo her pose of virtuous indigna
tion. “It seems that the Marsovian
ambassador has done me the honor to
listen at a keyhole in hopes of over
hearing my conversation. Sooner fhan
disappoint him, M. de Jolidon, will you
pleaSe repeat to him just what you
said to me in there?”
De Jolidon understood. If Natalie
was to be saved, if Sonia was not to
be talked about, heroic measures were
necessary.
“I asked Mine. Sonia Sadowa,” said
he, “to do me the honor to become my
wife!”
Dauilo stood motionless, his lips set
fn a white line, amid the buzz of con
gratulations and laughter that followed
I)e Jolidon's announcement. Sonia
noted his agony and said joyfully to
herself:
“My prince, I tliiuk I've won! You’ll
have to speak, soon or late, now, and
when you do”—
“And Marsovia loses the twenty mil
lions!” Popoff muttered, recovering his
self possession and somewhat belated
ly remembering his country's needs.
“Prince,” called Sonia mischievous
ly, “I haven’t heard your congratula
tions yet. You don't look as happy as
you might at the news.”
“Happy!” echoed Dauilo, with a
scornful, mirthless laugh. “Why
shouldn't I be? Accept my congratu
lations, my paternal blessing and any
thing else you choose to levy on me
for. My own motto is, ‘Love when you
may, propose seldom and marry—not
tt all!’
“Let me tell you a little fairy story;
There were once a prince and a prin
cess. They loved each other. But the
prince was poor and dared not tell of
his love for fear of being thought a
fortune hunter. His silence tpade the
princess angry. So she went and prom
ised her hand to another man, and
they .all lived miserably unhappy ever
after. And the moral of that stupid
little story is that I'm sick of respect
ability, and I'm awake from my crazy
dream of love, and I’m going back to
Maxim's, and you can all go to—Mar
sovia!"
“He loves me! He loves me!” panted
Sonia under her breath.
(To Be Continued.)
_
People seldom get that tired feeling
from carrying the .burdens of others.
A. Happy Family
When you fix upon having a good
Insurance policy, your mind is at
rrest, your wife is touched by your
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
about a po!icy=-it’s the one settled,
i-afe investment in this world of
trade changes. See me.
GEO. CARMICHAEL
JACKSON, GEORGIA
Tybee by the Sea
GEORGIA’S GREATEST SEASIDE RESORT
Offers the greatest attractions for a Summer Outing,
Fishing, Boating Dancing, Surf Bathing, Skating
Bowling, and many other forms of amusements
HOTEL TYBEE
Under new management, has been thoroughly over
hauled and refurnished and is new throughout
Splendid orchestra, Fine Artesian Water
Fresh Fish and other Sea Food.
STUBBS & KEEN, Proprietors
Also The New Pulaski, savannah
Take an Outing
VIA
Southern : Railway
THE RESORTS OF
“The Beautiful Sapphire Country” and
“The Land of the Sky” are cool and inviting
UNUSUALLY ATTRACTIVE LIST OF
Summer
Resorts
For complete information in regard to
rates, schedules, etc., address
G. R. PETIT, T. P. A.,
Macon, Georgia.
GO TO
Middle Georgia Lumber and Man’s Cos.
H. F. GILMORE, Manager
For All Kinds of Building Materials
FOR GOOD WORK AND LOW PRICES
Hard brick, 85 cents; Soft brick, 75 cents; Lime 90
cents. Fine stock of flooring.
We make all kinds of Sash, Doors, Blinds, Screens, all kinds of
mouldings, brackets, baluster, etc. All kinds of turned and sawed
work. See us when you want any building material.
Advertise in Your Home Paper
For the Very Best Results.