Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-04

had failed her most completely invitation
| were issued from the directoral mansion 70
a grand ball, and in spite Of myself I wa
compelled again to don a dress coat. As th
hour approached for starting for the afai
+ my wife, who was celebrating the knot O
my necktie, said to me:
"'Ddn't forget, Herbeloc; to look at every
thing, 30 that you can tell me all about ii
and, BY the way, I saw from the papers tina
monsieur le director had ordered the creates
lot Of delicacies from Cheviet's, among then
dollhouse peaches. If you love me you'll
bring me one.'
"eMy dear child I demonstrated, tina
isn't to be done. It is impossible. Thinl
how difficult It would be for a gentleman il
q dress suit to pocket a peach and escap
being seem But the more I objected tn,
more determined she became in the fancy
Nothing could be simpler in the midst Of tn,
coming and going than to take a peach as i
for myself.
"'Perhaps it is childish she declared, 'bu,
I cannot help it. Since I've heard then
talking of Cheviet's peaches I've had thu
greatest desire to taste them. Promise me
Herbelot. promise to bring ME Just one.'
"What could I or any other man do unde,
the circumstances? I loved my wife and she
was Ill, and the request was not so unreason.
able after all. So I promised, and hurried
from the room, the last thing I saw as I closed
the door being my wife's great blue eyes,
brilliant with e"ss,ne"'' fixed upon my face
ut was a grand ball indeed, flowers every.
where, magnificent toilets, and a splendid or.
chestra. Everybody was there, among them
the project and president of the tribunal, and
the officers Of the garrison-in short, ali the
top Of the basket. Nothing had been spared
that would give ec1at to the fete over which
the wife and daughter OF the director, nv
chief, SO gracefully presided.
"Supper was served at midnight. the
dancers passing from the ball room directly
into the salle-a-manger, and a gorgeous SUD-
per it was.
II had scarcely entered the room when l
saw in most conspicuous position in the center
of the table the celebrated peaches from
Cheviet's. Arranged in q basket of the rar-
est china and delicately interspersed with
vine leaves they proudly dispensed their ap-
petizing odors, the rich crimson and white Of
the velvet skins betraying at once the lus-
NAOuoA4C1o VI Ou0 A6VOIs
"From the end Of the table where the SER
wants had placed me, I looked upon the dish
with a gaze as eager as my wife's, picturing
to myself the pleasure I should give her If.
by q lucky chance, I could carry home a
specimen Of the exquisite fruit. Gradually,
as I caressed them with my eyes, the desire
to possess them assumed a more determined
form. I decided that I would have not onlv
one, but two Of those beautiful peaches. But
howl That was the question that puzzled
The servants in attendance kept the
s~trictest watch upon the basket, for M.
Tabaraud, the director, had reserved to him
self the pleasure Of Offering to q privileged
few this product Of Cheviet's industry.
"From time to time, at a sign from him,
the head waiter would take a peach, daintily
it in two, and present the halves to the
persons designated. Igreedily watched the
arrangement, and tre1nblingly
the pyramid grow smaller and smaller.
However, when the feast was over, and the
guests recalled to the dancing hall by a
prelude from the orchestra, the instructions
had been so discreetly carried out that there
still remained a half dozen or SO of the won
derful fruit lying imbedded in their nest of
II went with the crowd, Of course, but it
a false sortie, for I had purposely left
my hat behind me-a tall stove pipe, which
had occasioned me a world of trouble all
through the evening. Under the pretext of
regaining it I could return to the sale, and
perhaps, for I was well known to the domes-
tics OF the house, obtain a peach. When I
the room the walters were engaged
carrying to the pantry the remnants of
spread. At a certain moment I found
myself entirely alone and near the buffet
upon which had been placed the dish of
truit. There was not q second to lose. I
approached the basket, and, quick as light
ming, rolled two Of the peaches into the
crown Of my hat, adroitly covering them
with my hand.
Carefully holding the hat against nv
breast, I returned to the ball room. nv in
BENTON being to cross it quietly and slim
away, like the English, and when once out
Iide to run every step of the way home.
ut was not as easy to do this as I had an
ticipated, for they were beginning the co-
tilion, and all around the grand salon there
was a double row Of black coats and woll
flowers surrounding q third row formed bv
The chairs Of the dancers: and in the middle