Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-04

right beauty as she catches the well-loyod
tones And now the kitchen door once more
flies open with joyous bang. All Thove-
nard, what think you of this pearl whose
wretched casket you have been reviling This
laughing child with bright, tender eyes, and
rumpled, shining hair soft crimson lips, and
pretty, pleading ways, as if so well accustom-
ed to be blamed for all things, that she tried,
not knowing it, to beg n little kindness.
Thevenard's heart bent fast and loud. He
never needed now her tiny feet, shod rough
ly in coarse shoes, but kept his eyes fastened
on the bright girlish face, that seemed in
some mysterious way to beautify surround
ings, which he would have sworn five min.
utes before all fairyland could not have made
enduable
"Justine" she said, with a pretty coaxing
air, ''have you got my slipper at last my
poor little stranger slipper, that have not
seen for five whole weeks p
Indeed, | have" replied the handmaid,
'and trust that il will bring mademoisellc
much good luck"
1T will bring comfort to my poor feet at
any rate. These grent heavy shoes hurt me
so but, oh, look justine! Justine &C. For
Thevenard, unable to restrain himself and
forgetting all his promises had rushed out of
the closet and caught the little trembling fin
gers in his own. What he said, lac hardly
knew, and poor Cynthia was much too scared
to find out but Justine, seeing that matters
were advancing more rapidly than she had an
ticipated first took the precaution to shut the
door, and then devoted herself to soothing
the terror of her young mistress.
Gradually it dawned on the poor child that
this gray haired gentleman, so richly dressed,
and with such keen, dark eyes, was urging
her, Cynthia, to take him for a husband. He
was the actor Thcvcuard. Surely, she had
had heard of him All, yes, she knew well
who he was; but what she could not be made
to see was how he came to be in that kitch-
en- and in love with her. He was rich he
said, and would crafty her every wish. His
aim in life would be to make her happy. But
then at sixteen one is apt TO be little senti-
mental, even if one is French and Cynthia
hardly knew whether to listen to OF laugh at
this ancient lover, who looked so absurdly
out of place in these surroundings. but who
pleaded his cause with such terrible earnest
ness.
Actors however, have one great advantage
over the mass of men in such matters. Hav-
ing spent their lives in making love, night
after night, they naturally know Low to do it
most efTectually and Thevenards low, thrill
ing tones were already beginning to find
their way into Cynthia's little heart when
terrible sight the door opened and her two
sisters stood before her. That was a tableau .
The intruders white with anger and astonish-
ment; Cynthia trembling and terror-stricken /:
Justine sobbing and Theyenard rcsolute as
ever
What does this mean - shriokcd the ell
der sister, and before the second had time to
gasp out repetition of the question, the in
trepid lover stepped forward still holding
Cynthia's hand
1T means, mesdemoiselles, that /, Theve-
nard, the actor, at your service, have the
honor 10 be your sisters accepted suitor.
And 30 the matter was settled by this dar-
ing coup d'etat, for Cynthia, too frightened
TO make any resistance, and happy to have
so able defender from her sisters wrath.
surrendered herself at discretion, won over
by sheer bravery, and forced to say yes. be-
cause she really lacked the courage to say no.
Well, one thing is certain, anyhow, that
neither of them ever repentod Of their choice.
Thovenard made a most exemplary husband,
treasuring his pretty child-wife as if she were
some rare flower, and blessing every day of
his life the lucky chance that led him by that
cobbler's stall. He even manifested his de-
votion and his wisdom at the same time by
portioning his two sisters-in- law and marry
ing them both off to husbands at a distance,
thus securing peaceful life for himself and
his spouse. The elder Of these estimable la
dies followed her husband TO Maurtius,
where she long fourished and prospered, be-
ing treated with respectful awe by both ma
tiyes and colonists. There is a rumor to the
effect that she came TO her death at last in a
rash attempt to scale the Peter Botte Noun
tain, but on that head We cannot speak with
certainty
The younger cmigrated to the United