Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-23

eyes.
"At last :" said Mile b. "How do you
feel ?"
LET me go !" cried Bleuet, striving to free
! himself
''Not until you are entirely yourself" and
the young lady still kept her arms about him.
"say that you are no longer angry with me, s"
said she.
Bleuet was still silent.
"You nre still vexed, then 2"
"What have done TO you that you should
make laughing stock of meY
! Mile b could find no better response
| TO this than a second kiss. At this the school
boy felt the little bitterness that had still re-
mained in him melt away.
NO" said he, II am not angry with you
any more let me go!"
"Why You want TO run to your mother
and tell her everything, that she may come
and reproach me-"
II am not a tell-tale," answered Bleuet,
who was now entirely restored.
"Well, then" said Mile b, 'let us
make peace aud you must remain here lit
tie longer otherwise your mother will see
that you have been crying, for your eyes are
very red
But Bleuet insisted upon leaving.
"At least" said the young lady, ''you will
| come to see me again 2" And she added
|
door, as you see that cannot stir"
Bleuet thought he saw more pleasantly in
this, and resuming his grave air he replied:
No, will not come to see you again.
| do not wish to be your plaything!"
"What funny little man !" thought Mile
b when she was alone. "He is very
amusingl"
However, this scene had entirely upset the
SCHOOL, boy, and lie could not sleep that night
| The next day he was absent-minded at school,
He failed in his lessons and duties and re-
turned home overwhelmed with pensums.
What is the matter with you p asked his
mother, as he came in, the picture of woe.
Nothing" he replied And taking up his
| grammar he went to the window and tried to
study. But, alas no grammar in the world
could furnish poor Bleuet with what he want
| ed. which was simply some pretext to return
to the pretty young lady who had made such
fun of him This pretext Mile b herself
furnished him with. She was also at her
window and was reading a novel. She saw
the school. boy, who furtively glanced at her,
| but lowered his eyes the instant she lifted
hers to him. Seeing that Bleuet either didn't
or would not understand her looks of invita-
ton, Mile B tried another method. She
| let her romance fall into the court yard, ex-
claiming in a tone loud enough to be heard,
| Good gracious, my book :"
The school-boy saw and heard. He thought
that this was Just the pretext under which he
could present himself at Mile B--'s apart
ment and ut the same time preserve his dig
nifty. He ran down the stairway, picked up
the volume, and hastily bore it back to its
owner. who was greatly enchanted with her
subterfuge, and vastly admired the iutelli-
| gence of the lad who had so perfectly com
pretended it.
| This second interview was much calmer
than the first, and Mile B SO arranged
matters that she won the school boys entire
| confidence. He unbosomed himself without
reserve and,eYen admitted to her that he had
searched so ardently for the means of aveng-
| ing himself upon her for the mystifcation of
the day before that he had forgotten his les
| sons, for which fault lie would be kept in
| three or four days.
Great heavens my poor lad, said Mile
| B, laughing; you were still angry, since
| you were thinking of vengeance !"
Yes said Bleuet. But he didn't tell the en-
tire truth. And to change the subject, he en-
tered upon the long litany of his school troub-
les and made Mile B laugh until the tears
came by drawing for her the portrait of his
master, NJ Cortier ferocious man who gave
| pensums of 300 lines. And this very morn
ing he gave me four !" exclaimed Bleuet, $50
that cannot play before Thursday"
/ luhl ltIIlOlt. ohlu hllc Dut
| listen since indirectly l was a partner in
your fault, will divide its punishment with
you and help you do your pensums."
Gan the time 1 have them ?" inquired
Bleuet, enchanted.
"Yes"
"Then will have them every day :" cried
the school-boy, thus disclosing the secret of
his fame
From that time Bleuet became the compan-
| ion of the pretty invalid, and his pranks made
her forget her sad situation. Every day, on
returning from school, he went to her apart
ments and remained there until midnight
But all this period was not devoted to pas
sion, for Mile B did not wish that love
should make Bleuet forget his grammar. She
| acted as his instructress and could compli-
ment herself as much with regard to her pu-
| pill as her lover, for when the distribution of
| prizes came around Bleuet laid three at the
feet of his charming sweetheart
We insist upon this word because Bleuet
| was head over ears in love with Mile B.,
and accepted as serious all the attentions of
that wearied young lady, distinguishing per-
| fectly between the caresses she bestowed up
on him and those he received from his moth
err In short, our hero was prey to grand
passion in miniature. On her side, she who
was the object of his alteration lad accepted
the role of well-beloved and played it with all
the seriousness in the world, as if she wished
| to deceive even herself.
Besides, the eyes which find her beautiful,
and the voice which tells her that she is SO,
will always be needed by a woman, be they
but the eyes and the voice of q child.
The two lovers were very happy and took
great care to quarrel once a week, in order to
enjoy the sweets of reconciliation. These
quarrels however, were not of long duration,
| for both parties to them had an interest in
bringing them to an end-Mlle B be-
cause of her weariness and Bleuet because of
| pensums in arrears.
Everything was complete in this passion.
Beuet had rival and wanted to fight duel
with him. This rival was of the large and
terrible family of cousins, and as all cousins
are lovers by nature, handsome Leon come to
pour out his sighs before Mile B, who al
| lowed him to sigh ahead that Bleuet might
grow Jealous and create some fun. When
the school-boy found handsome Leon at Mile
BIS feet he could scarcely believe in such
perfidy. Why, that very morning his sweet
heart had kissed him ON the forehead and had
called him her dear Bleuet, and was it possi-
BILE that while he was struggling with nouns
and verbs at school she could allow another
man to kiss her hands2
On seeing the school-boy the cousin ex-
claimed
''Ah, here's little Bleuet, of whom you
have told me. What a nice child?"
Bleuet wished he was 20 years old that he
might slap this man, who not content with
taking his place, permitted himself to be in
solent as well but he was only 10 aud could
do nothing.
After the cousins departure there was
scene. Bleuet was superb. Again he wished
to break things and even talked of killing
himself. Mile b swore that she loved
him only, but this did not entirely satisfy
Bleuet. The next day he feigned sickness tc
get off from school and kept guard over his
sweetheart from morning until night, The
following day his mother forced him to at
tend his class, but the session was terrible
one, for Bleuet proved the most insubordin'
| 20 punil avar scan