Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 48: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

390 “Tt is wonderful—the ideal marriage,” she answered. ‘It would be a horror to be married to the wrong one. Do you think we shall go up the river to meet Rex to- morrow?” She spoke rapidly as though she wished to change the subject. ‘I do so want Eleanor to see his arrival. It is a gor- geous sight.” She turned gaily to me. “You will like it. Rex, you know, is King of the Carnival, and is royally received. He is chosen by the clubs, and must be a wealthy man to support the great honor. But no amount of wealth could buy that honor.” “Which is fitting,” said De Charleu. “A king must be of the blood, or he must have crossed the Alps.” “Mistah Burns am in de drawin’-room,” announced the negro butler. _ There was a brief pause; the woman seemed to stiffen and the man’s eyes flashed with a peculiar glitter. “ Voulez-vous le voir?” he asked sharply. “Non, non, mais faissez mes excuses,” she replied hesitatingly. “ Burk, tell Mr. Burns madame will be delighted to see him.” He looked steadily at his wife as he spoke. ‘“‘ We will join him immediately.” “Yassir.” “ Pardon me, madame,” he turned to me. “ We speak French together so much that we sometimes forget. Comprenez vous Francais?” “Very little,’ I answered in English, knowing he had insisted on his wife receiv- ing-this man against her inclination—and realizing that he did not want me to know. Their entire attitude had changed. De Charleu drank the black coffee hurriedly . and hastily excused himself. “You will join us soon?” he questioned pleasantly; but looking with pointed intent- ness at his wife. “Ves,” she replied briefly. “ Merci.” He smiled, bowed to both of us, and hurried out. An embarrassed silence followed. “Susan, tell Mammy I want her,” Nita said constrainedly. My mind went back four years to that summer in Atlantic City when I had first met this fascinating little creole and the ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. handsome lover-husband, who always hov- ered near, responding to her slightest glance with some expression of affection. There had been times, however, when the elitter- ing black eyes of the man would startle me. I could not credit the thought at such times, that Amédée de Charleu watched his wife. - I had always been at a loss to under- stand her violent fancy for me—her deter- mination to have me visit her. I was won- dering about this and the curious scene that had been enacted a few moments be- fore, when again I was struck by her strange regarding of her hands. One might almost fancy they were somehow objects of loath- ing to her. An old negress waddled in. “What do Mammy’s baby want now?” she scolded lovingly. “Mammy, this is Miss Eleanor.” It is one of their customs to introduce a guest by the first name to the servants. “How y’-all is, Mis’ Eleanor?” Mammy smiled graciously. “T wanted to tell you not to wait up for me to-night,” Nita continued; then turned to me in the feverish way that seemed natural to her now, though I had not noticed it four years ago, except on occasions. “ Come,” she said, “ we are for- getting our guest. Good night, Mammy,” “Good night, honey,” Mammy replied. “Y’-all know youah* ol’ Mammy can’t sleep till her little lamb am safe in bed.” I found Mr. Burns a rough-mannered, loud-voiced man, who gave one’s hand a vigorous squeeze, then opened his own as if loath to deliver the remains. Amédée de Charleu was effusively friendly, but it somehow did not ring true, and in spite of Nita’s graciousness to her guest I could see that she detested him. “T came over to ask you-all to go up the river on my yacht to-morrow to see Rex come in,” he said cordially, when the for- malities were over. “Thank you,” Nita spoke hastily, “ but I fear my guest would find it a bore. After all, Rex is but a man, and his boat is but a boat.” I looked at her in surprise, as she de- liberately contradicted the wish she had ex- ConmicooolkS.conn a a a Ei