The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-28

I.efort was a man suiae forty year, old, with
IN income OF hftret, thnnsn nj fra' c., fs,na Of
pictures, and painting landscapes hims~H in
very remarkai 10 manner. lie hved in Yne
de Provence. in an apartment in the third
story, where he was often visited ~ hts
friend. Decamps the dist n g1,ishess tasinTer
who has recently died in Parir, who was VERY
fond of I.ef,rt, and OF sitting 10 talk in Ms
reolas. They passed long evenings In rlant.
ting aud smoking together before an open wia-
dow. whicll overlooked the vast gardens Of
the Hotel I4aftts and the Motel Rotherhild
One day. Lefort arrived at the cafe with Q
long tace ansi an air Of sreat dissatisfac ton
:" Mh ! fe the matter 20 said Decainps.
g The matter is, 1 ara wretehxsI at having
TO move from our apar rtment,"
=" A re you going To l,aveitf"
Yes my landlord wanted TO raise nv rrnt.
l resisted he Insisted. / grew ahgrs, ,lnS
gave up the roo,ns. am wretl ned now. You
were so ford of these rooms
(" All, well, take back your Iease. - 4sa
" You TT" right, j Will t~kr 1t back.p ssss
The next da IrIo~t had stiil the hong f.sre
and tn. grie,, d ai-o OF the prpvious day He
had wished 10 resume Lis itase. Bt;t ~ w.ss
too la1e he apartment WAS ,et tUr a trrM
of nine years.
Iefort must move in thu mun,b Of ovtober.
His iandicId informed hi,a, howe yer, In an
obliging manner, that the person who wss to
succeed bin would a"t arrive from the coin-
try until the middle Of Novsmber and that
he had all thai tim. TO seek AN apartment -
suit him. only I.efort must leave ~psrty u
part OF the suite of room- tc store the fcrci-
,nre of his succ.ssor Lsforr ronsaut-o to
this ioyfH.iy. md the furniture of the nSvv
tenant was brought In.
hcdi.tiint, u,,. u.ps, whos1w him stiil -
sorro" iui at havirs 10 luii his rooms, s.id ~
him OH. day:
There il, perhaps, some way to arrnBse
with Your new succtSsCy."
II DO not know him. and don't wieh 10 try
IT, ma ke bargain" :"
show me his furpiture" said Decayn,x.
and can guess what OF u man lie ie."
Le ort conducted Dsramps into the rooms
wler' The furniture Of the new tenant WAN
placed s.
eyes over the articles, "all this Is simple, com.
Portable. IN good taste, furEiture for an in-
com" OF twenty thousand francs. lately re.
moved. 1t is the RIG hit sort Of pten--pr RI ther
it 10 a woman; here is womans fnrnitr ~, tiis
toilet, this wash table, this book stand Of in
laid work
"iSut the husband?'' aaf 3-a.a4 est
Il don't see any husband in the mattnr; no
masculin. furniture, a single bed no bureau;
we Only want TO know if she is a widow,
young girl, an old nlnid.s aas~a ~
"How shall We find out that
lie opened the toilet table. There was q
small comb, to which was attached two nag-
n,fceGi hairs of golden blond. - !
'tinod, this hair does not belong to an old
woman let us look further He peTc. ivvd
portrait turned against the wall. He turned
the canvas. III WAS the portrait of woman.
blond, very pretty, painted in 1928, by Hor.
sent. s4
alt il the portrait Of the lady, said DE.
cam,s. at ~ The portrait of marie wo.
nan the drrss indicates il. This woman
was about twenty when il Was painted She
must W still very pretty She is IN intelli.
gent woman, loving art. Judge by the selec-
tion Of the booas in this library, by the mu-
sic ON thr pian. Aly freni. You will not quit
Your apartment"
- must ask this lady to give it up to me, i
thon."
No yon must ask her 10 share II with VOC. =
Iou must marry her" Iset3
= You Ar. mad you laughing af ue."
Il speak very seriously. Your furniture
seems riad" To 30 with that of the lady The
suite of rooms IL TOO large for one Of gyou
alcna: IL is exactly wat is wan ted Tor you
two.p
= Sut L don't wish to marry"
You are wrong. Yon are forty years old /;
lis lady suits ycu i'll every respect. She
pieascs me, this woman. An j wish you 10
marry her. Let me manage -es 4. -.
I.efort ave him leave. Whca the lady
CANT from the country. she was surprised to
find her ROOMS occupied and her furniture
doubled ue"ainrs awaited her, Esshow.d
the lady The room arranged by himself aud
TIL" rortrait of Lefort hung up opposite her
own =sa s4a
See. madame, - slid he, .' what wonderful
harmony between there articles OF iurniturc.
SEE how we'll ne rortrait naiehts 1our own.
il /, certainly the portrait OF tile man " no
should be vonr hushsud' "
The lacy eeHE.bie ana kind She was
not angry. aud laughed heartily, and as he
w"> an Intelligent man, Gisfiarne. IA vary good
frtiow, with q suitable fortune, he was Se.
eepteti. He married the widow aud did not
IeaNt' the rooms.
lie never icit them until lastvear at the
death Of has wifi whom he sdorrd, and whom
He rendered happy till the last monlent De-
cenps renained their friend. mi both, When.
ever they saw him, thsnked him for having
ni;.''" thc marriage of their furniture.