Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-03-03

{ CDOk. MY lstDlc IL tilC thSkC - INV. ssAAe~ .
beg you to be my guest there.
The Professor would not listen to IT.
I'VE eat together in order to be together
said he, mot for the sake OF showing EACH
other courtesy When / see strangers
beside me cannot talk with you at ease
besides must confess that my stomach
can no longer bear cooking. So do ME
the favor of revoking Your invitation:
You owe me no formal courtesy, and
don't care to accept one from you. Lat
with me tomorrow, and the next day,
and every day. You could give me no
greater pleasure. for | am all alone.
The Colonel. who was no sponge. was
long liz being persuaded. Then he decId-
ed to eat the next dav with Tisson.
Two weeks passed. During this time the
Colonel and the Professor had seen each
other something like dozen times. Then
one evening. when the coffee had been
brought on after dinner. and old Pascal
had left the room and Coste had lit his
short pipe, he coughed and. after a short
, Introductory oath. made the following
lengthy remarks. which he had been pre-
pairing for week:
That is all fine and good, lsidor. but
it cannot last forever"
wv hat
Il live better Just now than ever have
before; but the board doesn't suit me. ai-
ter all
..Why?''
when | was a lieutenant my dinner
cost me sixty francs a month: a captain,
| paid eighty. Since ! was promoted to
major-and that is a long row of years.
have laid aside from my pay. for eating
and drinking. from one hundred and twen
ty to one hundred and fifty francs a month.
must retain these old customs if | want
to keep contentcd.. And If you can find
no means for me TO spend my money in
youf company shall have to give up
eating with YOU"
You are not in your right mind
Now, have been thinking how hard
that would be for me, and flatter myself
that YOU would miss me, if | should sud-
denly disappear from your table
''On that you can swear your biggest
OATH
"And, therefore, want to make you a
reasonable proposition"
A long pause. A new and stronger fit
of coughing from the Colonel,
well, proceed said the professor,
quietly. IL see what you mean to say.
Allow me to tell you, Cassimir. that that
is really childish
VERY well, Isidor: but, childish or not
| shall insist upon it, And if YOU think
as much of me as of you you are net
afraid to make me, in II measures member
of your famlv-so-so-Ibc BEG YOU 10 agree
with nv proposition"
The Professor resisted for a long while
lie advanced the most telling arguments
to persuade the Colonel to remain simply
his guest but he would not be converted ::
and mt last the professor gave way.
~ on were always an obstinate boy and
| the best tempered of us two said he.
$50 your will be done; after tomorrow
you pay your board
But the discussion was not ended with
this. Coste wanted TO pay too much
Tisson demanded too little At last they
agreed to leave it to the arbitration of Pas
cal, who had been in the house thirty
years, and was regarded by the Professor
as Il member of the family
The old servant. who kept the entire
household in model order. was what is
called in France me Diditresse femme.
who could give clear. sensible answer to
every question, addressed to her After a
brief talk with her. it was ascertained that
NJ. Tisson would suffer no loss and make
no profit il the Colonel paid him one hun
dred and twenty francs for his share at the
table. This price was at last agreed up
on by both parties. and thus was ended
the long and lively discussion From that
day there began for the lonely old man a
new. glad life. that made them youthful
once more, caused them to forget the bur-
L. ,,T % l,l,n,ll L.,
tor years. The Professor had only a little.
the Colonel nothing at all to do. Every
day the two were together for hours.
Then they went together upon the Peron
and the Espanade. the principal prone
nades of Montpelier. or sat in the Profes-
sor's library and in the Colonel's arbor,
or played an almost endless round of the
pleasant game called .'le Hai1.' so popu-
lar in southern France. They passed the
evening in their club. where they met
their regular partners in whist, and where
both were gladly welcomed and highly
respected guests. They became accus-
toned to each other like old people from
whom life rccedes more and more. who
are loved by few. who are able TO interest
themselves in only little circle, and who
only care for each other. They soon came
to be indispensable to each other. Tisson
was uneasy if Coste came five minutes
late to a meal; and every morning the
Colonel had a long and confidential inter-
view with Pascal. in order to learn wheth-
er 1.-THE master had slept well. whether
he had coughcd. and whether his morning
coffee had agreed with him. lie was a
regular attendant at his friends unversi-
ty lectures /; his venerable head. his atten-
tive. earnest face. were soon familiar to
the whole university; and the young stu
dents took a liking to him and deterential-
ly made room for him when he appeared
in the lecture-room.
Continued Tomorrow