Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-05-22

NO.. 1875.
Gales ano Skettbes.
THE LADY IN THE BLUE HAT.

.
does not rise in his apartments until IL
O'Clock. His valet superintends the brush
} ing of his masters clothes with one eye,
| and reads the paper with the other The bell
of the outer door rings, and the valet af-
ter the bell rung two OF three times, and
he has heard the voice of one of his mas
ter's intimate friends outside, finally con-
sents to 90 and open it..
II have been making Il racket here for
twenty minutes said the visitor, Paul de
L., bounding into the room.
Monsieur did well to knock, said Gel
estin. the valet following with II slow,
dignified step. ale might have rung till
the day of judgment. for my servant was
brushing my masters clothes, and was
reading my morning paper. tits remark
ably bright and interesting this morning.
Paul explains to the valet that he has
come to persuade his master to commit
matrmony, but finds in Celestin foe to
his project. For Celestin is afraid that
lady at the head of the house will either
dismiss him or give him something to do.
So Paul asks to be shown to the apartment
of his friend.
The valet knocks directly at the door of
his master : bedroom.
Whose there? pa
a. monsieur said the valet Il have
come to announce the arrival of Monsieur
Paul.
paul Let him come in Paul. he
cried'n a louder tone, .'why the devil
didn't YOU come ino What are YOU put
ting on all that style with me forp"
II have come to talk about matrmony,'
said Paul, entering.
"Matrimonv thunder :" cried Mederic,
bouncing out of bed. You 90 and order
breakfast" he cried to the valet: 'I'll
need all the strength can muster; as for
YOU, Paul don't lisp Il word of your out
landish idea until we are fairly seated It
table
This looks bad" said The Viscount to
himself.
That's all right, = said Celestn, the va
let. casting a triumphant glance at Paul.
During breakfast Paul fairly spread him.
self in cracking up marriage. lie proved
concusively that it stood in the first rank
of civil contracts, and was altogether the
most admirable of the sacraments of the
church. As he listened to himself he be-
came infatuated with his own eloquence
in fact, he scared at times to almost mac
cessible heights. and Mederic disputed his
arguments with considerable ingenuity.
After an hour or two of this sort of thing
Paul exclaimed. Lets go down to busi-
ness. We ought to have begun with it.
have cousin who is widow. She has
such blind confidence in me that she is
willing to accept any one I'll pick out as
IA new husband for her. You're the man
like best, SO you shall have her
Il don't want her
''She's pearl"
Not any for me, thank vou'i
"She's an angel.
'All the same to me-.
"She's yonng and pretty
''What of it ?''
'.Shc's rich and well educated
That's none of my business
. SUNDAY shell attend morning mass at
Saint Roch. She'll be at the right of the
pulpit and she'll wear a white hat with
blue trimmings. Go and see her.
Not IT,
IF she don't fix You at the very first
glance, I'll never say another word.
You We already said too much
II won't stir until YOU promise to go
there.
"Weli--I'll go-but what good will that
do you?"
you'll be charmed"
I'D like to bet on it,
I'D be betting on certantv.'
whats this treasure name ?''
~ I'll tell YOU when you've seen her
that is, If the first sight does the business
for YOU.
Mcderic was ut the church door at the
time appointed, looked in and saw nobody
answering the description. But, as he
turned away, he met in the church porch
Il charming woman whose hat seemed to
him to be blue with white trimmings, or
was it not rather white with blue trim
mings? He saw blue gauze, white satin,
blue tule, and white silk capriciously tan
gled togcther-was this a blue hat One
needed to be more than a man to decide
the question.
The lady took a seat at the left end of
the pulpit
That settles it, said Mederic. Paul is
right. She is very good looking. I'd
like to know her name and where she
lives
1T seems as if that gentleman were fol-
lowing me, said the lady in the blue hat.
as she entered moderately pretentious
house on AlgierS street after the service.
Mederic learned from the pastors wife
that the bue-hattted woman had been
widow three years, that her name was
Arabela P de b.. that she had lodg-
ings on the fourth flight above the base
ment, which. it must be admitted, was
hard to distinguish from the fifth story. AL
most before he knew it, he was ringing Il G
bell of her apartments and had been ad-
mitted. As he waited he began to east
about for some preteNt for calling on her.
He decided not to mention Paul's name
nntil forced to do so. At that moment the
door opened.
Madame Arlbella ~ stammered Med
erie. bowing.
Il am She," replied the lady, who
seemed even prettier without the blue hat.
After n prolonged silence Mederic be-
gan;
Il have-come-I have-eome-'
90 understand" exclaimed Madame
Arabella vivaciously; you are the probes
sor of German. and YOU have come ON the
recommendation of my friend, Madame
Delattree. | beg pardon for not ha, ing
aided YOU little in introducing yourself.