Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-01-28

| WOulQ QOL ike part OF Ills pay In aQ-
vance, since his pupils were all in the
country.
II have the money now," she hastened
to add, as he forgot himself and stared at
her like a lout, ''and it will be more con-
venient for me to give fifty francs now
than 100 at the end of the month.
He also perceived with great pleasure
that she had taste for his conversation.
After his "lesson' was done, he sat hours
together chatting with her, holding his
little pupil on his knee. She even
knew that there was such thing as the
Revue de Deux Mondes in existence
| She had elegant taste in jewels, loved the
pictures of the best masters, had pas
sionate enthusiasm for whatever was
good, noble, and beautiful All these
discoveries overwhelmed him with pleas
ure, because he had the means for gratify-
| ing her most unbounded dreams.
He had reached the eighth lesson in his
course, he was in the full tide of his sue
cessful effort to teach his pupil the
| Flemish dialect, when the house maid
handed her mistress note which informed
| her that her frien1 had secured German
| teacher for her.
my slow going friend" said the lady,
laughing, II am going to reply that
| luckily you didn't wait for her tardy letter
of Introduction.
Il have something to tell you, Ma
dame" feebly articulated Mederic who
very well comprehended that he must
hurry up the denouement if he did not
wish his comedy to be changed to melo-
drama. The genuine professor was liable
to enter at any moment.
Good heavens! my dear sir, what is
the matter? Are you going to faint away?"
cried Madame Arabella.
Madame, | have confession to
make
"a confession? To mea''
MADAME, love you
Then Mederic talked to her for an hour
by the watch He executed thousand
variations upon that same theme-'I love
YOU And what is surprising, his de-
claration was not idiotic, in spite of his
loving sincerely. The lady was naturally
disturbed, but she was too much of Paris
ian woman to show her emotion.
If loved yoaS, sir she said, raising
her beautiful eyes to his, what aooattd be-
come of US? l am not good at construc-
ting high-sounding phrases. | will only
repeat what probably you know now. |
was an orphan when | married. had
great name and small dowry, and my
husband was very little richer than |. |
endured our moderate circumstances with
out complaining but he guessed the trou
bic and undertook to increase our means
by speculations, which ended disastrously,
so that when he died he owed 100 900
francs. | did not hesitate second to give
up my small fortune in order to bequeath
to my daughter an unblemished name. A
rich relation settled an ince4ne on me on
condition Of my never marrying again.
Tell me. sir can | deprive this little
daughter of those luxuries which are ne
cessities to so delicate a child? said,
and | repeat, what mould become Of us, if
loved y0u. since you are dependent on
teaching German for your living?'
"It is in that, Madame, that my crime
looms up in gigantic proportions. 1 do
not knoao ae0rd of German
"What! You have not even that re-
source p
NO." said Mederic, smiling, 'but I
have an income of 200, 600 francs which,
perhaps, will partly make up for it.
Then he confessed everything - his
name, his visit to the church and his talk
with his friend-except that he did not
mention his friends name, as he wished
to devise theatrical sensation for the
latter's benefit. He had so submissive an
air, his speech was so persuasive that the
lady of the blue hat consented to allow the
extenuating circumstances in his favor
She did not even insist very strenuously
upon knowing the name OF the otficious
friend who had trumpeted her merits so
loudly.
Doubtless, she said gaily, ut is one
of my bankers friends who persists in
thinking | have done a fine thing, as
the world goes We live in time so
morally disturbed that they who do their
plain duty are regarded as heroes"
Mederic went home intoxicated with
Joy. His head was in the clouds, and he
felt like stopping now and then, lest he
should knock off a star or two, And yet
the lady had by no means said eyes.
Still less had she said mo
THE FRIEND AND COUSIN.
The Marquis found his friend Paul at his
house.
MY dear Mederic," said Paul, Il have
a confession to make. When | came here
| three weeks ago, | swear by my hoary-
| headed ancestors, that L had the most
disinterested desire to see you married.
had a pearl in my hand that l would
have given you on the spot; but it is well
to distrust your first thought, because that
is only go0d-it is second thoughts which
are best When | found myself alone, l
still said: Yes, Mederic shall be happy.
/ haven't better friend in the world.
But as I was walking along | began to re-
fleet: Yes, | have better friend now
than Mederic-that friend is myself
returned to the beautiful widows, and
begged her not to go to the Church of
Saint Roch, or if she couldn't possibly
stay away, at least not to wear the pretty
hat she wanted to wear for the first time,
for good luck. She laughed, she blushed,
she laughed again. Then | mustered up
all my courage. | said to her, 4 love
you, my cousin And she said: My
cousin, I know it. And so my dear
Mederic have come to invite you to the
wedding. But, now, take my head, for
have betrayed friendship. One word. how
ever: | have come and come again sew
~. - 49,.