Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-21

I things are NOT done IN good houses lIk
| Madame s-but for this once-he is young
| ignorant has not seen a house like Mad
ame's before-if Madame will this ono
| pardon him..
Meantime the ta5lequ ri,ant had changed
| Before US stood culprits awaiting sentence
| Only the strange young man with tn,
whistle kept his self-possession; he has
slipped noiselessly off the table and stoo(
by it erect like soldier, watching US.
Suddenly Henri and l both smiled, anC
| then the ice was broken.
So this is Pierre | said. Why, yol
| have stolen in upon us like a thief Ii you
had let US know when to expect you W,
| should have given you better welcome
| The mother Victorlne, and l had it all ar
ranged, had We not?' l said, appealing t
her.
To my surprise something, either in my
words or manner, seemed to confuse botf
Pierre and his mother, and |, feeling as If
| had, in some unintentional manner, beer
severe, and hardly knowing how to Sc
them at their ease, turned 10 the younG
man near the table, saying:
as You are the band, Monsieur, sup
pose?
He shrugged his shoulders with an ell
almost of patronage; Iwhistled, Madame
the others danced
90 You like music?' inquired.
Yes, Madame; it is my profession.
am military bandsman.'
O. Listen, Celestine,' / said, turning &c
my maid. Perhaps this Monsieur play:
| the fiddle too; it would be better TO play
and better TO dance to than this. Run uI
stairs and get the one there is behind my
secretaire.'
1t was an old fiddle l cared little foi
and only kept for old acquaintance sake
My dancing master had used it. Some
thing about the young man interested me
even surprised me- and felt great curl
osity to hear him play. So when Celestine
reappeared | asked him if he would begin
! the music before We went up stairs. He
| took the instrument up, calmly frightened
the strings, and then began. First ne
! played with infinite pathos the quaint Il
pleut bergere, and then, the poor little old
| instrument vibrating under his long, 1.-THE
| fingers, he changed to the slow measures oil
a country dance, adapting to it first the
| familiar air of Plus on est de fous plus Oh
| rit,' and then, with skillfut credence To
| souviens-tu.' Ny brother and | listened
| astonished, and watching the young mn
stefan, who, his face flushed now as he
warmed to his art, looked like the picture
of some Italian improyisatore, with his
| brown throat, his dark hair, and his ex.
| presSlye Cuuntenance.
But when he paused, Bernard nudged
me, and [ remembered We were probably
wanted Up stairs and not down stairs, So,
turning to Nictorine, / said:
So Do not hurry TO end your soiree, my
good Nictorine. And pray arrange with
Pierre to come again soon and bring his
friend with him. On Sunday you might
give them Il little dinner and have some
music after
Then Bernard and l went up stairs,
where he made the most of our adventure,
and gave q graphic account OF the scene,
emitting no detail from me framed in the
doorway, aghast in my pretty, stained yell
low gown and powdered hair, himself be-
hind me in his pumps and tights, to the
maids and men within, all dumfounded.
From This time the aspect of kitchen
life in my house was changed. The musi-
clan became very popular, and he and
Pierre being constantly down stairs came
at last to have q sort of nondescript footing
among my people. l confess, Mesdames,
that in those days | was very-what shall |
say-impetuous, impulsive. | mean that
so soon as thought came into my head |
liked to have it put into execution; SO |
found it agreeable TO have larger retinue
than | could otherwise have afforded, and
thus | made use of the young men, always
supposing them to be on leave and glad of
odd francs and dinners The musician, Paul,
was my favorite. Pierre was useful in a
thousand ways for rough kitchen work, but
Paul was all intelligence and skill, never at
a loss ask him what one might, always at
hand when wanted-never in the way. BY
degrees, too soon perhaps you will say, L
trusted him implicitly, and contided to him
all my commissions, especially when there
was need OF a sure hand. l remember once
got 500 francs from Bernardo was Paul
| sent for them to him another time my
cousin borrowed my plate for large party
she gave-it was Paul l sent with it to her.
In the evenings when went out wearing
my diamonds and the old de Bellemaison
pearl and sapphire and emerald set, Paul
came with me to sit on the coach box and
be my guard. His manners were very
gentle, and | understood how he came by
them when afterward | learned how he had
been brought up. He was very kind to my
children, too, and when they had scarlet
fever he nursed them night and day. AT
first he came up to try and amuse my little
boy before he knew what was the matter,
when he was sickening, and then when
the nurse fell i'll too he would hardly
leave the room to lie down or eat his meals.
hild llCll TIC hSAC DCllSl
he staid with them and amused them, and
brought them little clever toys he made for
them, and put up with the childish irri-
liability of their convalesceTce with more
than a Woman's patient tenderness.
"Of course. Mesdames, devotion like this
touched me, and | grew almost to love the
strong youth who was so gentle and pro-
tecting to me and my little ones. He treat
ed me as if | were Princess or bit OF
china that would break, and he even
seemed to love my pretty dresses, and
shielded them from every rough touch as
If they were part of myself.
Judge, then. dear ladies, of my horror
at what followed. One day l called for
Paul, and was told be had not come; the
next day and the next the same thing took
place. The third day / was alarmed, feel
ing sure something must have happened TO
him. Pierre came as usual, but knew
nothing of his friend. They had different
lodgings and Pierre had not found Paul at
his rooms when he called. l was very anx-
ious for my brother 10 come, as l hoped he
would suggest to me what steps | could
take to find ont about the youth, so felt
relieved when l heard a ring at the door
and Bernard's quick step on the stairs.
Then he stopped, and | heard voices; he
was talking to some one-probably to one
Of the servants. | waited for q few min
| utes, then sprang up in my impotence and
opening the door quickly | went to the cor
! ridor, and leaning over the banistcr called
him.
Bernard, Bernard 1 said, come, I
want you
He was talking to Old Victorine, which
struck me rs odd, and both of them seemed
startled by my voice. Victorine, too. | no.
ticed, tried to crumple up and hide a
tiny printed newspaper sheet she had in
her hand.
Coming, my dear be said, coming
wait one minute
Terror seized me: my husband, some
thing had happened to him he was away.
l almost tainted, and l gasped out his
name:
Henri, Henri
"'Do not brighten tbyself. my dear, said
Bernard-my dear, good Bernard-rushing
to me to support me then as he did after
ward in many terrible sorrow. Henri is
well. That is have heard nothing of him
or from him, absolutely nothing, but what
my little sister herself has told me-
But the newspaper, them Why did
she hide it? l must see it. l must know
what it is must not know
T "Oh! naughty Eve said Bernard with
such natural play fulness that | was partly
treasured. You shall know, else you are
sure to imagine something a thousand
times worse than the reality can be- 1t is
only your Paul. We know nothing, but
there has been a crime, and VictoIine
thinks he