The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-03-15
"Will you come and be my maidp

"Will you come and be my maid9 /
will take you home with me-" l said.
could not leave this poor child to strug-
gle on alone. I saw that she really
needed my help My waiting maid had
grown saucy and I had discharged her
that very morning. So took the little
wait home and kept her as companion
and maid combined, for soon discov-
cred that she had not only true Paris
ian taste in dress, but also that Pauline
st. Jeane, as she called herself, had
seen better days. There was refine
ment and delicacy about her. that
stamped her as a perfect aristocrat. l
questioned her about her past life, but
her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and
she begged me not to press my in.
quiries. 1 knew she had been unhappy,
but was perfectly stainless, for one
glance into her innocent, childish face
told me that. Every day grew more,
and more attached to my companion,
and she loved me intensely, devotedly.
1t was very pleasant to know there was
some one waiting for me when l came
home nights from the play, tired and
weary. 1t was pleasant to watch the
pale, thin cheeks grow rosy and round
out, and to see peaceful, contented
look stealing into the dark eyes, and to
know that have saved her from life
which might have been worse than
death. -. "ti- ID. -#
My engagement drew to close.
Positively the last appearance" the
newspapers said, and that was to be
my benefit. had selected the "Lady
Of Lyons" for that evening, and on
the afternoon preceding the perform
ance Pauline and I were inspecting my
wardrobe. She had thrown white
lace shawl over her head and stood by
the window holding the garden scene
dress in her hands. She looked so pref
ty that I said: at is you who should
wear that dress" .d es.-,fa ..p 5,
had been to my trunks in the hall
and brought from thence my arms full
of finery and had left the door leading
from my parlor into the hall open. I
was busily engaged in shaking out the
folds OF pink silk when, glancing up,
saw Charlie Howard in the door. /.
had not seen him for some time, and
my sudden exclamation Of surprise and
pleasure caused Pauline to turn from
| the window. Then l saw the Prince
grow very white and seize the door
knob in convulsive grasp as he
fairly glared toward the window. In
great astonishment turned and saw
another very white person coming from
the window with rather an unsteady
step. Then there was Simultaneous
cry Of
| "Chariie!" 5- ssL q
"Julie!"
| A rush-a collision-a concussion-
and prudently retired to nay dressing
room and shut the door. -
So my Pauline was Charles Julie.
[ sat down on bandbex to try and col
/ leet my scattered senses, but finding
! that impossible / contented myself BY
collecting the scattered contents of the
bandbox. 1 found myself depositing
some rich lace in the match-safe and
hanging up bonnet on the door-knob,
and doing several other very idiotic
things. I could hear confused mur-
| murs in the next room, sobs, broken
| English, rather cracked French, and
every other sixty seconds sound which
would cause me to calculate, "more
bliss" .3Ljg4 CE- ~ 5@Et5 4i5a
At last my door was pushed open,
and Cnarlie-the old Charlie-the
laughing, jolly Prince--not the grave
and dignifed lawyer l had known of
late-dragged me out to hear explana-
tions. "The old Marquis had the good
sense to die about sixteen months ago,
and my darling there took her jewels
and left France to come to America to
find me-. Think of that, Edith. That
poor child crossing the ocean to find
me! She knew very little English, and
had her pocket picked the first day she
landed. Then she pawned her jewels.
It was the old story of struggling
/ against poverty. What could she do,
i brought up to every luxury, to earn her
bread2 Finally she fell in with that
dancer who took her to the theater,
and there you found her, and my sister
saved my wife, God bless you, Edith"
t After this very lucid explanation
there was a great deal of congratu-
lation, kissing, and embracing all
around. Then | very appropriately
remarked something to the effect that
"the Prince would enjoy his own
again" i'1-tt'i d., ~. - : Il '''' -. -
/ "vat is dat you call himp Le
Prince? Oh, oui, il est mon Prince-il
est noa roi,'' half-laughed, half-sobbed
I my enthusiastic adopted sister-in-law.
/ "Et vous etes ma reine," said the
Prince, rather sheepishly, and in a de-
/ cidedly Henry v. style of wooing, and
at that I left the royal pair to enjoy
their new-found happiness. So you
| see nv prophecy came true, and Charlie