Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-08-22

lhlnk so i 10 not Know, Hhe replou,
in hor helpless way. "IIow can toll a? All,
miss, If | order an old clock to be made for
mo, then know it is not genuine but when
! buy roady- mado old clock l cannot tell.
Nobody can, she added, with cynical
smile.
She was likewise ignorant of her parent
age. She was almost sure her father was
Dutch, she fancied her mother was Russian
1T makes no difference" she said They
are dead-I know that-and buried"
Her idea of happiness was to eat and drink
her ill and then listen in dreamy silence to
an endless round of oporatic airs tnkled out
of a large music box. At such times Adolphe
would steal in and place n cup of black cof-
foe at her elbow, ,-coffee that he had made
himself, just as he knew she liked it.
THAT good Adolphe =! she would murmur,
30 caressingly that a CLEAN OF pleasure al
ways lighted up the good Adolphes broad,
stolid countenance.
He puzzled mo quite AZ much as his mis-.
trOss did. He was not servile, although he
washed the china aud he had u very indc-
pendent air despite his half.livery. l found
myself wondering how old he might be, for
he was one of those slim creatures with dusty
blond hair and white eyebrows whose age ia
extremely difficult TO guess. His skin was
fresh and rosy, not trace Of beard was visi-
BILE; but in his little gray eyes lurked an e1-
preston not altogether boyish. Aida treat
ed him as though he were lad Of sixteen
summers, and sometimes urged him to take
n holiday-an offer which he always declined
"lIo is too sedate for his years." she said
at is not natural that boy should work as
he does. Would you believe itS-he gets a
lesson ia English three evenings in week"
And from this stray romark | surmised that
1 II. l..
Life at the Maison Dobbe was growing
rather humdrum, when we we're all plunged
into q state OF great excitement by the ap-
pearance of Edouard Braun. His good looks
did not proptiate me and he took such
pains to explain that he was Braun, not
Brown, that instantly made up my mind he
was English, not German. My opinion was
strengthened by his beautiful Cockney &C.
cent which be declared was acquired during
his long residence in London.
Aida, who believed no one, did believe
him, and gravrly told me that no was a rich
man and a member of an excellent family ia
Vienna Adolphe and were scepticNl, the
maid sided with her mistress, and so the
house of Dobbo was divided against itself.
One dismal afternoon l found Adolphe 10
the shop, poring over tattered copy of one
of Ouida's romances and looking out the
II
earue,tness that struck me rs truly comic.
Where is Mademoiselle Dobbe ?" asked in
English.
Gone out with Monsieur Braun, Adolphe
answered, in the same language. lie paused,
looked at me, and added sadly, Damn that
Braun :"
ooh, you must not say that ~ exclaimed
with all n spinstor's horror OF profanity.
as it not good English 2" quoth Adolphe,
in cherubic innocence. 1T il in this book
hore," tapping the tattered romance.
l was forced to admit that it was idiomatic
and correct enough in one sense but when
l explained my objection to tho adjective,
Adolphe glided of in torrent of glib French
apologies. But, mademoiselle, he contin
ned, that Braun gRmbles at Monte Carlo.
lie was u valet, and was discharged because
he stole from his master. One Of my friends
knows him but, alas l dare not say a word
of this to Mademoiselle Dobbe" He looked
inefably miserable, and his lips quivered.
was on the point of giving him franc
to assauge his childish g,ief, when two fussy,
vulgar Engishwonen entered the shop and in
bad French asked the price of beautiful
brass sconce. 1t was one of the articles that
only Aida herself sold but instead of say.
ing that the proprietor was out and the Gus
TONERS must call again, Adolphe rubbed his
dusty hair and hesitstingly demanded q hun
dred francs.
was Mortified, for l knew the sconce to
be worth only half that sum.
Adolphe seemed frightened, confused, per
picked, and acted like such a blockhead that
one of the women remarked frankly in her
native tongue that no was quite an idiot
Then the customer asked to see tho proprie-
tor and Adolphe stammered out that the pro
ho1 tn 20 hrr bor
mother. The comedy ended with the sale of
the sconcc. No sooner had the women quit
ted the shop than Adolphe turned to me with
a smile-such smile !-astute as a Roman
augurs. l was glad l had not offered him a
franc to assuage his grief.
When he told Aida of tho bargain, she
opened her sloe- back eyes. Zone hundred
francs!" she repeated.
Adolphe nodded. And my commission p
he murmured softly.
Aida gave him a tap on the shoulder aud
piece of gold. Ever after she treated him
with profound respect, and she said TO me,
''He is Swiss; he is clever
Meanwhile, Monsieur Braun came every
day to the Maison Dobbe. He sang little
songs to a guitar accompaniment, completely
silencing the once favorite music box.
think that he must at some timo havo figured
tawdry ditties and sang with such a melodra-
matte air.
Adolphe listened to him patiently, and in
the intervals of the singing served Aida with
the coffee she loved If black coffee could
have broken the spell, Monsieur Braun would
have received his congo but the beverage
was not so potent, and the sweethearts gall i
wanted gayly while Adolphe tended shop nc
studied Ouida's works.
"She will marry him, >" was the burden oi
his plant
"Why should you care ?" asked at last.
Adolphe stared. "But he will spend al
her money, Mademoisele. 1t is shameful,
he added sadly, chow foolish women are"
This unhattering remark puzzled mo- Il
was the utterance of no callow boy, and
looked searchingy at Adolphe's clean pink
and-white face. l detected tiny wrinkles
around his eyes; l almost believed there was
a simmer Of gray over his thick, tow color
cd hair, One morning, early, unmistakabl'
traces OF beard were visible. Altogether,
put Adolpbe down as man who for some oc
cult reason chose to look Gs much like boy
as possible, My suspicious were deepeneC
when found him one day going through
the pockets of Monsieur Braun's light, tan
colored overcoat. He brought out pair o
gloves, smelled them and put them back.
gaudy silk handkerchief underwent the sam,
treatment and then from the depths of al
inner pocket he produced a letter.
As no was about to read it, l stepped for
ward. "Adolphe," said l sternly.
He beckoned to me with smile. "Wha
fool is man who leaves his letters in hi
pockets :" he said, with cunning expires
sion. Then he calmly read the letter, mad,
a few notes of its contents, and put the epis
| tie back where he had found it.
1t was nothing to me what he or Aida o
Monsieur Braun chose to do, but watched
them all with lively interest," l was not
whit surprised when one fine day Adolph,
said he was going to take a vacation. Aid
begged him to stay, but he was ine1orable
and accordingly off he went, no one kneN
whittier About a week later was called tC
London on business, and too was forced t.
bid adieu to the Maison Dobbe.
"You will never see the Maison Dobb
again." Aida said. 81 am going to sell up
or is it DOWN."
"Out," l answered. "And apres ?"
81 AN going to marry, quoth Aida, "an'
then farewell shop"
To leave was like breaking of in the mid
die of three-volume novel; and all the wa
to Paris 1 wondered what the end would be
Arrived there, however the first person