Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1879-05-06
MISCELLANEOUS. .
TEE LADY In THE BLUE HAT.
[From the Paris Figaro.l

ltrOm the 1ar1S EiEaro.l
SHE Marquis de V. has an income of
~ 100000 francs year. Hence the sun
does not rise in his apartments until eleven
O'Clock. H is valet superintends the brushing
of his masters clothes with one eye, and
reads the morning paper with the other. The
bell of the outer door rings, and the valet,
after the bell has rung two or three times.
and he has heard the voice of one of his
masters intimate friends outside, finally
consents to go and open it.
II have been making a racket here for
twenty minutes" said tho visitor, Paul dc
L., bounding into the room.
"Monsieur did we'll to knock" j" said Celes.
tin, the, valet, following him with slow,
dignfied step. "He might have wruug till
the day of judgment, for my servant was
brushing my masters clothes, and l was
reading my morning paper. 1t is remarka.
bly, bright and interesting this morning"
Paul explains to the valet that he has
come to persuade his master to commit mat
rimony, but finds in Celestin foe to MS
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 masters bedroom.
stWho's there2"
l---siI tsensieaF, aid-bhe-v valet.-sI I-l,ave
como to announce the arrival of Monsieur
| Paul"
paul! Let him ipI Paul." he cried in
a louder tone, ''why in the devil didn't you
come? What are you putting on all that
style with me for?"
Il have come to talk about matrimony,"
said Paul entering.
"Matrimony thunder !" cried Mederic,
bouncing out of bed. You go and order
breakfast" he cried to the valet, III need
all the strength l muster; as for you,
Paul, don't lisp word of your outlandish
idea until we are fairly seated at the table,"
"This looks bad" said the Yiscount to
himself
"That's all right" said Celestin tho valet,
casting a triumphant glance at Paul.
During breakfast Paul fairly spread him,
self in cracking up marriage. He proved
conclusively 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 became infat>
uated with his own eloquence; in fact, he
scared at times to almost inaccessible heights
and Mederic disputed his arguments with
considerable ingenuity. After an hour or
two of this sort of thing, Paul exclaimed,
"Let's get down to business. We ought to
have begun with it. 1 have a cousin who is
widow She has such blind confidence in
me that she is willing to accept any ono I'll
pick out a new husband for her. You're
the man like best, so you shall have her"
81 don't want her."
"She's a pearl"
''Not any for me, thank you"
"She's an angel"
HAll the samc to me-"
"She's young and pretty"
"What of it?"
''She's rich and we'll educated"
"That's none Of my business"
"Sunday she'll attend morning mass at
Saint Roch. She'll be at tho right of the
pulpit, and she'll wear a white hat with blue
trimmings. Co and see her"
'Not l."
elf she don't fix you at the very first
glance, I'll never say another word"
You've already said too much"
81 won't stir until you promise to go
there"
:Well-Ill go-but what good will that
do ,yS'u ySu2' !, .,,
''l'd like to bet on it,
"l'd be betting on certainty"
"What's this treasures name?"
that is, if the first sight does the business for
you"
Mcderic was at the church door at the
time appointed, looked in, and saw nothing
answering the description. But, as he turned
away, he met on the church porch a charm
ing woman whose hat seemed to him to be
blue with white trimmings, or was it not
rather white with blue trimmings? He saw
blue gauze, white satin, blue tulle, and white
silk capriciously tangled together-wos tbi:
blue hat? One needed to be more than q
= man to decide the question. The lady took
seat at the left of the pulpit.
THAT settles it, said Mederic. "Paul il
right. She is very good looking. I'd like
to know her name and where she lives"
at seems as if that gentleman were fol-
lowing me-" said the lady in the blue hat, a:
she entered moderately pretentious house
on Algiers street after the service.
Mederic learned from the porter's wife
that the blue hated woman had been {
widow three years, that her name was Ara
bella P de B. that she had lodgings OF
the fourth fight above the basement, which