The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-09-20
M. MICHAUD'S FIANCEE

M. MICHAUD'S FIANCEE.
 Monsieur Michaud lived in Paris. No, the Paris known to rich English and Americans who drive up the Champs Eiysees and ride in the Bois de Boulogne, dine at a famous restaurant, and take their cafe noir at the Palais Royal. Quite another kind of Paris, which foreigners know nothing of, and where the real heart of middle-class life palpitates and struggles, trying to work itself into state of calm prosperity, through by-ways never suspected by strangers who do no, cross the Seine to plunge into narrow street nearly parallel with the Rue du Bac.
 Only in Paris would there be men like Monsieur Miohaud to be found. He was bachelor, verging toward the far side of middle age, very ugly, and living alone m small apartment in a tall, narrow house, with spiral staircase. Madame Joliet. who lived just one stage above M. Michaud, came and attended to his menage, and smiled as women will smile al bachelor eccentricities, chatting 10 him meanwhile, poor soul, about the hardship of life and the difficulty of get ting enough money for herself and Georgette. Monsieur Michaud always listened good-naturedly, paid regularly for her labor, and was delighted w hen the door shut behind madame again, and he murinured oonteneedly:
 An, ciel quelles sont bavardes, ces femmes. Not that her George,te is like her in that, or should hear her. No, Ceorgette is not like the other woman s daughter below. What a ehatterine magpie, a brainless piece of goods she is.''
 It must not be thought that NJ. Michaud did not possess the characteristic French pollteness. On the contrary, he was very polite, and to her face the woman be- low was madame; but when alone he consoled himself with unadorned truth
 Georgette worked at something all the demoiselles in this house did, except the one who occupied the reg de chaussee. and she turned up her nose at the others as they da,ly descended the cork-:crew staircase and hurried away to various shops or places where francs were to be made by very patient .oil.
 0eorgette was one of these: and every morning her light step could be heard ,ust touching each stair with the gentlest footfall, and yet with certain decision of character. But her face had some thing more than character in 1t: it was a thin face, with large, peniraiing gray eyes. which now and then seemed to sparkle; but only on occasions when she felt Joy or sorrow. A low broad, fore head, delicate Roman nose, and a mouth with so much and such varying expre- sions, that description is impossible. Looking at Georgette, one ins,ictively eoiled up her hair over a cushion. powdered 1t, gave her a fichu ala Marie Antoinette, and fancied her going to the scaffold with raised head and half pa- ihetic, half scornful expression. Thi. was purely imaginative, nothing so traei- cal ever befell Georgette; her hair was just brushed of her delicate temples and instead of the scaffold she merely went daily to Mme. Bertine. This lady made head-dresses, and was in no way connected with guillotine.
 Sometimes, however, the illusion might have been almost perfected. fer Georgette occasionally said half aloud. as she neared the Beretine establishment. and thought of those she must associate with all cay: "Mais. quel supplice . Georgette was very young for such an exclamation, but she felt she was made tor better things, and if she had only been somebody else, somewhere else. she would not have been found day after day at Mme. Bertine's. This discon,ented seeiing had begun years before; when eeorgette was about twelve years old hes mother had taken her to free rcpre. senkAtion at the Francais," and there she had seen little piece, entitled .On ne oadine pas avac Famour." The girl nao soboed so loud that some one had angrily said <" Hush ..'
 ,. Maman, could do that could act IHe tna.' because l could feel it all real, ? suI sAlo when they came out. "lt was comedie." s ."
 Nevertheless it va. real to Georse,,e, ana from that day she knew she could act II her mother weala let her. But Madame Joliet had 10 assistic ideas Georgette should cam her Livelihood with her needle in . respectah,e manner. and not go among set of acsresses whooe characters were. accorSs.r ,r madame, always douhtful. Wss n Ik.iv ,.at :n hoaest and respectable vidox should listen to her only child's lonein~ for the ssage7
 That was ail the history of Georreue's lie, and young as she vas, and wisk thas vonderful fsce, she just siehed, "ouei suppoce, when che stspped over the threshold of Madame Bertins'x
 One winters evening Monsieur Mi- cnaad had settled himself vesy comfort- aosy n his armchair, near the white