The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-11-06
MAS 1T CHANCE OR DESTINY!

WAS H OnANOE Vh DES I'M.
She was an under teacher in a small
Protestant Partisan pe11SiOn1dt. That
put into words means: she slept in a
dormitory with twenty children, the
windows being carefully closed at night
fall, rising at five o'clock, just saving
them all from asphyXiatiOn. In winter
she had to see that the chillblained
hands and feet were duly plunged into
the icy-cOld water in the corridor where
the north wind blew in gusts through
the loose windows. For breakfast She
ate the watery soup thickened with
large pieces of bread and cabbage, or
made pastry with lentils: after which
she sat and shivered all the morning
in the scIool-room, heated by small
iron basket of Goals set in the wide
chimney; the lunch of cold meat sliced
into thin enough pieces to 60 all around
once with potatoes or beans with red
wine, made pale with water. over, she
went into the garden and in summer
sat and mended the children's clothes.
In winter she walked the entire hour
20 keep from freezing. At the six
O'Clock dinner she was alWagS asked
twice to the dry, tough meat, but it
was well understood she was to de-
cline. From this time on until the nine
O'Clock bedtime, she was first oversee
ing the children in the garden and aft
erwardS at their studies in the school
room. All this can be told, but what
can not be told was the worst part of
1.-THE mental torture she had 20 sub
10 do 10 Il,
found fault with the children's hair
in the morning. until beltime, when
their lack Of progress was attributed to
her want o. attention. The truth was,
she was young and pretty, which
Madame could never quite pardon. nor
the independence and spirit she had
guarded during the two years this pain
full existence had lasted.
All the circumstances of her life
were sad enough to seem invented for
fiction. Her family had been one of
position and wealth in Scotland, and
when her father and mother died. the
little Lucy was placed at one of the
best schools in England and kept there
until it was discovered the money had
all gone through mismanagement; and
the only way her guardian could think
TO dispose of her. was to send her to
Paris with the few hundred pounds
left, to perfect her French, in order
thatFshel might become a governess.
At seventeen the money was all gone,
her guardian dead, and. having no
friends. she could do nothing better
than become the under teacher.
1t is surprising enough also to be 4
flight of fiction, that at nineteen her
blue eyes were bright, her slender fig-
IRE straight and her step light. She
was winsome rather than pretty, with
certain quiet dignity come to her partly
from her ancestors, partly through her
inmate superiority. The vivacity natu-
raj to youth, of course. was wanting,
nor could the most exacting critic de-
mand it here to complete the picture of
a beautiful character.
Such 'was MademoiSelle Lucette,
when one day in vacation, she received
au invitation from Scotch lady and
gentleman who were in Paris for few
days, TO 90 with them to the Re G des
LOqeS, in the forest of St. German.
They, themselves, would continue their
rOute on to Rouen, but a French lady
to be of the party, would return to Pa.
riS with her.
Madame gave very unwilling con-
sent. "lou know the hours" she said;
lat ten O'Clock the gate is locked and
can be opened to no one after that
hour"
Of course she would be back long
before ten she Thought, at she flew
along the streets to meet her friends at
the station, feeling like bird escaped
from the cage.
En- route the party divided, Lucette,
at the request of the French lady,
stopped with her at Reuil to visit NAL
maison, while her friends went on to st.
German, and this change in their plans.
slight as it was, turned the whole cur
rent of her life. A rendezvous had
been agreed upon at the Chateau of St.
German, but when they arrived, their
friends were nowhere to be found in
the crowd, so all they could do was to
get into van and drive through the |
forest to tae fcte, where, among the |
thickeSt of the trees. booths covered |
with green bOughS were full of small |
-acrobats, giants and all |
the rest OF the accessories TO such an /
aasemblage; large crowds were collected |
where fried potatoes and fritteIs in |
greasy cornucopias were being eaten /
from the frying pan, for this was the |
principal object of the tc,e. to eat the /
fried potatoes, so dear to the Partisan /
palate, in the forest. When night came |
On, the coarseneSs of the scene changed |
TO one of picturesque beauty in the |
light of myriads of colored lamps sus- |
pended in strings between the trees and !
festooned around their trunks.
Lucette was gazing in wonder upon
the nOyel picture when wave ofpeople !
swept by and separated her from her |
friend. At first she bravelv tried to |
lind her and lost half an hour in the |
pursuit: then, trembling and bewil- /
dered, she hunted for van and was a
long time in finding one When at last
she reached the station the train had |
just gone and it would be whole hour
before the next one. She shigered with /
constipation as her eye fell on the |
clock and saw it was already past nine |
and no possibility of getting home be-
fore ten.
The trembling bit OF humanity hud-
died INTO corner to get out of sight
soon caught the eye of a young, fair
haired man, pacing up and down, like
wise waiting for the train. She scarce
~ noticed him for he was a gentleman
and confined his observation to a coy
ert glance. Every time his beat brought