Show I BY Fruit BERTHA CLAY M V i ito wa va- vano no tool fool nor was ho Ito at all in a Knowledge of tile the social anil he lie at once proceeded 0 o the young girls girl's permission and did his best to entertain tier her Ho Ito must have moderately airily too for or when Mr and Mrs entered the tho room a short time after they found the two young people chatting and laughing together as if they hail had been old acquaintances This state of affairs it Is needless to say pay was highly gratifying to their hostess who gave vent to her feelings by a surreptitious pinch of her husbands husband's arm I IThe The little dinner for four which fol fol- fol lowed Jawed was thoroughly delightful Mr Mra Buster prided herself on Oil a knowledge of such things and upon this occasion she outdid hor Viands lands wines service ser ser- Mt vice all were perfect Onto Cato was in the tho 1 highest of spirits and kept all laughing by his lively sallies Buster had liati never soon him so brilliant before lie Ire listened to him in astonishment II finally deciding that tile the cause of all I this sparkle was tite meeting with the groat Hulu that afternoon and anit the prospect of seeing her again Then t the sergeant looked across the tho table at Mrs Buster Euster and sighed Such delights were not for him The Tho evening in the room drawing I afterward was passed In lii ho no loss less an enjoyable manner rit t lea least t for Cato r who was becoming more and more fascinated with this lovely oung girl I I who a fuw hours before had been an entire stranger to him Buster dozed I In his chair and Mrs B. B proved an admirable admirable ad ad- mirable chaperon busying herself so in i needlework and leaving the young 4 much to themselves Late that evening after Miss Dor- Dor ringer hail retired was preparing pro pre I paring to do to so Mrs fluster Buster asked him In a low moaning tone Well Voil what do you think of her the sweetest girl in itt the world Cli enthusiastically Mrs Buster smiled well pleased 11 It as it iter were lu ip a fair way to ho 10 ful ful- tilled filled In the tho sanctity of their own apartment apart apart- mont ment that night the s was obliged to listen to a long triumphant I diatribe liberally punctuated with ItJi I II I told YOU sos Duster Buster who was think think- 1 ing of the girl of the tho Folios Folles fancied that If his wife only know knew tile the truth her joy would s-ouid quickly bo be turned into mourning but ho wisely held his Jils peace For once however the tho sergeants sergeant's perspicacity was at fault I It is jS quito quite certain that the Iho image which haunted Cato's dreams that I night was not flat that of the tho great groat Zulu The Tue next morning the tho Impression rondo mado by Miss Derringer the tho evening before was If anything intensified when shin she mado her appearance at the tho table breakfast In a very becoming morning dress and Cato pictured to himself the happiness that would be his if it he lie could sit every morning at his own table opposite such un an entrancing vision Before breakfast was over however something very like a bombshell was fired into the Iho peaceful camp I- I Mrs Buster han had picked up the morning paper and was glancing Idly over nver Its columns columna when she uttered a aloud aS S loud exclamation of surprise her glasses eye dropped from her nose noso in TI JI her i Every ono one looked up UJ in in a iun mont Is it it my dear inquired B or why Mrs fluster Buster Why didn't you trill mo this And then lien hastily adjusting her herI I- I Klaf-eoa Klaf again sue sho read aloud to o tho ho dismay of the lie two gentlemen an exceedingly ex ox- doris account of the brav Iii w Iw go ol iii air Mr oJ De V v t Of Av tm hud 5 f t tI I tit Cato's face Hushed flushed scarlet nR as Ho lie- ud ter scarcely dared to until his nis wife hail had finished But Rul fortunately the the- article was eon con lined fined to an account of the runaway and the stopping of the horse by Cato flusters Butters name was not nol mentioned and nothing was was said of the interview with whIch followed the and so forth Mrs Mrs fluster laid tOWn down the paper Sergeant did 1111 you know of this Ibis she sho sternly fluster Buster coughed nervously Why yes my dear L Then why did not you tell tall me Driven to th the wall Buster Busier determined a lo to make the besl story he be could out of J it with an inward prayer that his I. I Partner would not nol betray him Why you see my dear 1 1 could not l. l my promise e to Gate Caio Cato Cator r Your promise to Yes ho he was so modest about It that he begged me tue to say to any one iliC and of course I could nV not refuse his request I- I Hu replied Mrs Buster only r halt convinced haBu flat just here a little diversion was made Josephine with sparkling eyes turned to the hero of the adventure I which they iced Had Just been listening to and clasping her hinds hands exclaimed tin Im- Oh Mr ir Dove how bow splendid of you how are And gazed at the blushing stammering siam stam mering young man with such admiring eyes that Mrs Buster who observed the look Ionic was quite mollified and even forgot to question her husband as u uthai to toJ J that thai remarkable tale talc about the train being late and how it was possible for Mr Dove to be in two places at once So the revelation of the reporter caused less Ics trouble than would at first t 1 have been imagined still fluster Buster felt that ho lie had had a a. narrow escape and he so expressed I to Dove when the two o ind themselves alone together later in themo the mo mm g I 1 tell you von my hey boy I was afraid I Iwas was caught ho he declared If anything I had been said in the paper about the after in that little cabaret it IL would have havo been all up with me Bali Bah returned Cato scornfully It wouldn't have been half so bad for you I I not not- Mrs fluster Buster wouldn't have rounded on you Perhaps not But But- But But- Cato was thinking that he lie would not t like to have that sweet faced girl know that he ho had been drinking champagne chain cham with a trapeze performer ut what asked Buster Oh dont don't lots lot's talk about It it rc- rc Cato a irritably We Weve ve omo out of It all right and that's s gli Yes Yos weve we've come out of It ajl al right ci old d fello fellow v but bu t say say with a pause and anda a wink full of meaning when when are ie we 4 going to see sea her again See Whom Why the great Zulu of course f Cato t i fa felt v very rv much inclined to con con- sign the lie great Zulu to region regions 3 but he contained himself am and answered Indifferently i.- i. I don know i fluster looked at him in blank amaze L II PYou dont don't know lI iNo- iNo No rankly frankly I dont don't think l I ri nave lime time to see mademoiselle again r as she undoubtedly Is i. i Cato you amaze me me You astound mo When I wa was your ago ngo I would not have havo refused the tho Invitation of a ato In an embarrassed sort I- I I change and we change In ho Ito quoted for far want of some some- better to say l t s sniffed ff disdainfully and 1 say that Improved wIth do- do you sarcasm I dont don't you t-lul t object to my Mile Zulu I believe the invitation was ox- ox tended to ma as well as to you Cato was only too glad to get ore off so rind Ito hastened to may not my dear follow lW oer- oer Is the she gave I I mt T ko ni my ex- ex I I T r S. tell how sorry I was not to be able to conic come and anil so forth and so forth You inu understand Oh es 1 J understand was the i sulky response But at that moment fluster Buster certainly I not understand and he foil felt deeply aggrieved to bo be left thus In the tho lurch Jut by a man Juan he supposed he could upon Iff III t An I C KM Ill iii lII he Dinner Let Jet scoffers say what they will there Is such a thing as love at first sight and this IK what happened to Cato Dove Every ila day added more and more to the disturbance in his heart until finally he felt that life was not wort worth ii living unless ho could win this dainty y maiden maidon for his t wn Like all lovers ono one moment he lie would be 10 elated with hope anit the next prostrate with despair lie found it impossible to tell cli whether the young lady who was wis the object of at his adoni- adoni returned his affection or not Sometimes she would treat him him with witha a kindness and gentleness that hint almost amounted to tenderness and then again with a chilling Indifference that drove him to thoughts of suicide Miss Josephine Derringer however had not the slightest doubt either of tho state of her own heart or of that of thin tho young man n. n A woman always knows when she is loved In this respect silo she seems to be possessed of an additional sense lacking in man luau Slit She had quite made up UI her mind what her liet answer was to be he but meanwhile with true feminine willfulness It pleased tier her to torment her lover she finally surrendered A week had passed by since Cato's a p Mul ival In Paris a week given up UJ principally to sight seeing theatergoing theatergoing theater theater- going and pleasures of a like ilk Cato to frequently found himself alone L' L e urs looked out for or that but ho lie hail had not yet found the courage to put tho decisive de do- question Buster hail found his partner a de decided do- do disappointment as a companion When Dove was not lancing dancing attendance upon Miss Derringer he lie preferred to talk to Mrs Buster When a man IK is In to the companionship of ol the tue object of his passion he ito prefers s some other oilier woman of whom he can make a sort of half Dove had not told Mrs Buster In so 50 many words of his intentions Intention but it is needless to say what the subject of the tho conversation between them Invariably was The adroit matchmaker was only emily too pleased to humor him and she gave him a complete history of Josephine's life u a condensed account of which is isas isas as follows follow's Joseph hie D Derringer iringer was pas tho tue daughter of a country clergyman of good family and average ability hut differing from most country clergymen clergy clergy- men flieR in title this one Important respect he was possessed of an ample private fot- fot tune The Reverend Mr Derringer diem died when Josephine was about fifteen and within a year his widow also passed away leaving hearing the tho young girl entirely alone in the world save for a brother some seven or eight years older than herself who was an officer In time tho arm army and whose regiment was stationed in India As fat far as worldly goods are or orr r however she was left by no means mere were t hirty thousand pounds which which- 1 I were divided equally between her brother and herself t o that Josephine Would bring a very avery pretty little dowry to her prospective Mrs dwelt rather emphatically upon this lids point but Jiu might have spared herself time the pains paIne for CM Cute to tod d lid not care carea a ft fig about If it lie Jfe would havo o married mar mar- tied ried the lie girl Just as gladly It she limul not hot licon possessed of u a vve ic hue M hf f r Jo CD to A ori ea g l 1 1 nm l f ei able amount of circumlocution Cato Mrs Buster Busier as to whether there was tiny any candidate in the tho field whom Miss Derringer specially favored hint but the la l assured hint him that thiat so far faras faras as she knew land and for the last three years Josephine had scarcely been out of her sight the young girl had never hail even n. n nasin passing r fancy for an any in inc p. p This was agreeable Information Lion tion to Cato It Is strange that whereas a woman rarely cares about abou her lovers lover's past so long as she is con con- that she is the only object now v of his adoration and that he be never neve eared cared for any other so much as h he cares for her a man Is very Jealous o of former admirers and nothing pleases please him so much as the assurance that h his he heIs is the first to have inspired the tender tende passion How about the notorious fascination of widows you ask Ah jih well that Is quite another matter the psychological cal reasons of which it Is not necessary to enter into here There was one little Incident that occurred which gave our lover a mo- mo meats Intents alarm und and also Inspired him ith additional hope Ho ITo was driving In the fob one afternoon after after- noon In an open carriage with the tho soy ser geant Sirs Mis Duster Buster and Josephine when who should pass them heat arrayed Inthe in the tho most startling of costumes and lolling back Jn n a barouche than time the great Zulu herself No sooner did time the Queen of tho Air catch sight of Dove Dovo than she leaned forward and bestowed upon him a smiling bow Cato's tacO face flushed ns as he returned the salutation stiffly But Bui the effect upon the tho young lady opposite him was startling She madean made an angry movement and bit her lip up while her delicately marked eyebrows contracted In a frown Who was that that-that that person she asked Cato could reply Duster Buster cameo cameto came to o the rescue Oh that was tho great Zulu be he said aid time the lath lady whose runaway horse Cato stopped dont don't you remember A Handsome woman Isn't she ehor No replied it'd Joseph Josephine tao shortly She's anything but that Then fixing her eyes eves upon Cato she asked in a aalee voice alee which which trembled in spite of her herself her her- self sef I suppose you oti havo seen her ner cry ery often since Mr Dove No indeed replied Cato earnestly This Is time the first time and I hope I 1 Ishall shall never see her hem again Josephine looked at him keenly and was apparently satisfied for the frown disappeared and a happy smile played about her lips n then it was that hope flourished In Cato's breast Could this bo be he asked himself It looker looked very much like It If so she mu must care Cot him Yes it was jealously and If Cato hind had but n it a to become be be- come a victim to the green eyed monster mon mon- ster and often most unreasonably KO so was the OUt ono flaw in Miss Derringers Derringer's otherwise n charming character It Was fortunate for the inu sergeants sergeant's peace of mind or at all events for his veracity m that It did not occur to Mrs fluster Buster to ask ash him the iho same question which Joseph I no had put to Cato for he could not have havo answered as truthfully truth truth- fully as did lila his partner A few fei days after the runaway the sergeant giving up all idea of Cato Cato's s company hail had eluded the vigilance of hits his spouse and had presented himself at the tho stage door of lh lie Folios Folles Bet S gores Zulu sent word to have him admitted and he had passed a quartet of an hour In that young lady's ladys dressing It was not a particularly pleasant quarter of at on an oni i hour hoar however as flusters Busters crest fallen appearance plainly when homade he ho made his way again Into the tho street Truth to toil tell the Queen of the Air AJr had been anything but pleased when she saw the rotund figure of time tho HOP gem geant app ar ng alone Her volatile fanes fancy had been beau decidedly captured by bV bythe the of young and it she ho hail had to ee ho consequent was that the tho poor I Differ for her I Slip cat tho Honors Honors' fio ha had brought her carelessly upon the table dressing cut short his florid altogether i treated him so cavalierly that he lie was glad to escape from her hr presence When to whom ho had Im un- un parted his intention of calling upon the fair air questioned him an as to the interview he- he answered as briefly as possible but his partner to Whom the mustier matter possessed but slight hid did not press the sub sub- bet and so he WAS spared the Iho inert inert- of confessing the rebuff he hail 1151 received I TIme The time fixed for their stay In Paris drew drow rapidly to a close The Tho day bo be- be foro the tho one on on which they the |