, 1881-10-07
THE STORY OF 4 COUPE.

livery stable keeper. His establishment
Is now half century old, and he fur
nishes the FaubOurg st. German with
all the carriages they hire. Many of the
upper ten have their homes in the
country. and never take their horses to
Paris. Therefore, Monsieur de Merisi,
Immediately after his arrival, went to see
barley to engage coupe.
After the usual salutations, the follow
ing dialogue began:
well, barley, want handsome
coupe, with one horse; now, how much
will it be?"
What will tine amount of work be,
sir?"
"Oh, not very much. never want it
before five in the afternoon. l pay q
few visits. and take drive in
the park. In the evening want it to
take me to the theater, or home from the
club"
barley refiectively scratched his head.
"Well, how much a month do you
want for him?"
''Hum-let me see. For new coupe
and a good horse in May, the busiest
month, $50 francs is cheap"
"What! from five o'clock to midnight :,
or one o'clock in the morning."
"You must remember that during the
remainder of the time can't use either
the coupe or the horse"
well, let US say 700 francs; that's
handsome pay for so little work"
"All right, grumbled barley. Same
place, l suppOse?"
eyes.
''I'll send it around tomorrow"
An hour later barley received, with the
utmost respect, another important Gus
fnO1ar Mime Ia RalrDU
"Well, madame, what can L do for You?
Carriage, Ell! We'll, let me recommend
a landauin that madame's toilet can be
seen to the best advantage"
''No, sir; as you see, L am yet in
mourning, and came to Paris only to set
tie some affairs"
"But madame will pardon me if 1 say
that in a coupe her beauty"
''No, Monsieur barley, am widow,
and live retired. I want carriage only
for my shopping and such things;
coupe will do me-a simple coupe with
one horse, elegantly lined, but dark.
How much will it be per month";"
THAT depends upon the work"
''Oh, it will not be much. At nine
o'clock will drive to mass; after break
fast shall have call to make and shop
ping to do; at three o'clock shall drive
home. This is all, for l never go out in
the evening"
well, madame, during May, our
business month, the price is 700 francs
a month"
''Too much, think. 1t seems to me
that 600 francs"
Come, madame, have something
that will Just suit suit you-something
very elegant but quiet; lined with
silk"
You tempt me. Well, be it SO. Send
it around tomorrow morning"
And so it happened that NJ. de Merisi
and Nine. de Belroy had the same coupe
by the month.
The gentleman found this out very
soon. One day he saw in one of the
pockets note book with gray enameled
cover and gold border, in which were
several cards. On the back of some of
these were memoranda, such as calls to
lie made, impressions, reflections, etc.
He examined a card and read on one
side.
MADAME DE- BELRoY.
On the other side. in a delicate femi-
nine handwriting, were these pencilled
lines.
Amer Asss 70 the Sister,
Then % the Mission for The Poor,
A. half pas; t~eiyr. my lawyer.
Thea % he cemetery.
Then b - Thomas Church
Attso 0'eoet soc grsnimammA
A. three 0clo-k Jullus
How lzssl ,hst he j. mine.
The coupe stopped at the club.
''she must b. a saint. " thought Merisi
"but Who - this Juliusg"
Hc replaced the notebook where he
bad found "a, and, alightiBg, said to the
coach man.
''sions one left a notebook in the
coupe. Consequently, some one must
have used n.
The coaehman's confusion showed
Mcri-i that he was not mistaken. The
name of Nine. de Belroy was pot un.
kH0Nu % him. but hs had lived SO long
avay from Paris that he couldu I remem.
ber who she was. As soon as he had en-
tered the club room he sought for infor-
nation.
''De Bassino. said he, ''do You know
Nine. de BelFoyy'
yes. replied that gentleman, "she
that waa little DE st. SaOne. Poor Bel
roy died last year. and she is plunged in
grief It Vas a great loss"
"Whoy Belroy ?"
"Np; his wife. who il charming, but
n always invisible. Society sees her no
more.
Merizi now waited anxiously for an
other find in the coupe. But, alas for a
whole week neither notebook nor any
thing else was forgotten. But the little
saint, who spent her time so piously,
occupied his mind necessarily. So he
said one evening 10 the eoachman:
Il have discovered that my coupe is
also used by Nine. dc Belroy. Do not
deny Il; / am sure. Now, am curious
10 see this lady. Tell me where / might
do so
Well. sir. every morning at nine
o'clock take her TO mass at the Church
OF 50. Philippe"
Next morning II. de Merisi was pune
tual and saw his saint at her devotions.
i. seemed TO him that never before had
he seen such lovely face. She was still
in mourning. She wore a small bonnet
of black tuile, which framed her lovely
blonde hair; a long veil of black gauz
hung down on tue train of her dress,
which was of dead black silk, trimmed
with black surah. In her black gloyed
hands were n missal full of saints pie
ares and illuminated texts.
Merisi paid little attention to the mass.
'Ah," thought he, ''if / had known
there was on earth such a wcman-beau-