Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-01-20
A ROMANCE OF LEICESTER SQUARE.
CHAPTER /.

N
CHAPTER /.
Any one takinga short cut from Oxford
street to Leicester Square, and passing
through Frogmore place, would hardly
feel tempted to make his home in that
locality, unless economy combined with a
central situation were of very great i'm
portance to him, or he were a disciple of
Mark Tapley, and DESTROYS of testing that
great philosophers method 10 the utmost.
The shops do not seem thriving; there is
very little traffic; a plague-like stiffness
pervades the street. More smuts alight on
your nose than in other, thoroughfares
the bricks look worm eaten, las perhaps
they are, for 1t Is wonderful what diges-
tons some insects have,-the mortar de-
ticent, the windows dusty; nor has it &C.
CURED to any landlord since the days of
Queen Anne that coat of paint might be
beneficial to the outer woodwork. Num-
ber elk was not distinguishable from the
other houses by any external attributes,
and yet when You opened the front door
and entered the passage, you found your
self in different atmosphere. The oil.
cloth and wallpaper were of the cheapest
description, but tastefully chosen, clean
and bright, the stair carpet, again, though
Of common drugget had new, fresh,
we'll brushed look; and you would not
have hcsitated to lay hold of the balusters
in white kid gloves But 1t was in the
sitting groom on the first floor that the con-
tra& between the inside and outside of the
house was most striking. There were
three large mirrors with broad gilt frames
upon the walls; two highly ornamented
and sentimental timepieces pointed to diff
ferent hours, and were both wrong; the
chairs and sofas were of red velvet and
giided nails; the table-cover was gorgeous; ;
the fragile knickknacks, some funny Others
pastoral, but all glittering or pretty, were
arranged wherever they could add to the
general cheerful effect. This was the
home of Monsieur Jules Menars and his
daughter Marie, who breakfasted every
morning at eleven, off meat, fruit, flowers
and light wine, and used napkins at the
meal, like benighted foreigners as they
were.
II am ready for the coffee, my cabbage"
said M. Menars, middle-aged, middle
sized man, clean shaved with the excep-
ton ora bushy mustache, which he wiped
ss he spoke. W
directly, little papa" replied the girl,
a graceful brunette and she tripped out
OF the room. She returned in five min
stos with an envelope in her hand, as well
as the cotfee-pot. 90 papa" she cried,
Monsieur Victor has given US an order
ior the Lyceum this evening. There is a
new piece which is, o 80 beautiful! He
says that there has never been one to
equal 1t beforel And there is an over.
ture with solo for him, which he plays
al! by himself; only think"
"Ah, yes" said her father, rolling up a
cigarette 81 have noticed that that is a
popularity of solos. Victor has talent, and
will make his way. As for the play,
dare say that 1t is very good but the Lon.
don plays always seem to me a little sad.
The English can paint fine scenery, and
accomplish wonderful effects, but they
cannot act like the French, truly not If
we were going to see Partisan vaude-
vslle this evening, now--ah!"
"Ah, yes How | should, like to see
Paris again l was so young when we
lett" .l..
"See Paris. Why, so you probably
will, either with me or another Aha 1!
there is the sound of Victor's ilageolet; no
doubt he is practising the new music"
"Yes, papa; how soft and sweet it
sounds coming through tho ceiling!
Kun, am glad that his instrument
is not the ophicleide, certainly" And so
M. Mcnsrs touched and evaded question
which was the puzzle Of his daugl 'er's
life: why did they live in Englandy He
could not be an exile on political grounds
because he received pension from his
government, which, together with what
he got for giving fencing lessons to few
pupils, and her earnings as maker of ar.
titicial flowers, at which she was very
skilllul, kept their little household in
some comfort indeed, but did not go
~ FAR as, from all accounts, il would have
done in their own country Since Marie
wanted to know her fathers reasons for
residing in England, why did she not ask
HIM the question directly Because there
Was something about NJ, Menars which
prevented every one, even his iayorite
chtd, from pressing a subject which he
evidently wished to- avoid.
Marie was five years old when her
mother dec, aud her father brought her
over TO England twelve years before and
she. had an indistiuct recollection Of see
ing him IN uniform, with a sword by h,
aide. She asked him once ii he had MOI
been a soldier, and he replied, 40 yes
he had been drawn in the CONSUMPTION
like the Others y; and hurried, as ever
from the topic of his former life. O.
course the girl had her,theory of his ret
cencc, and ofloourse it was romantic
ono. He could not recover from tn.
hook of her mothers death, nor bear