San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-28
a LUVGh BUhGLAh,
New York Evening Word.

French emigrant girl who oihclates as
his housekeeper.
Marie Duplesses was just suited to
the old mans stingy nature, as she
was of an economical turn OF mlnd,
and the old miser was wont to say
that she made the provisions go fur
Their than he could himself. Moreover,
being an emigrant, he had only topay
her half wages.
Old Mrs. Darby, who had come, in a
neighborly way, to exchange what
she called "a settin' O. eggs" glanced
through the perspective of doors
standing wide open, to admit the
sweet, summer air to where Marie
Duplesses was busy in the kitchen:
"She's a pretty gal"' said Mrs.
"Well lookin' enough" assented
Moses Wrightham. Handsome is as
handsome does, in my opinion"
"The French is said to be awful de-
ceitful." said Mrs. Darby, lowering
her voice. II hain't got nothin'
special again Marier Duplessy, If that's
her name, but was readin' in pa
per last week dreadful account o.
how a servant in Normandy poisoned
whole family to get the money her
master had saved up
"You see all sorts o. things in the
papers," he said, with a short, dry
cough. "Most of 'em is invited, L
guess likely"
"Maybe they be-" said Mrs. Darby.
"But nobody don't exactly like the
idea of bein' found in their bed with
their throat cut and all the bureau
drawers forced open with rusty
knife bladeW
And satisfied that she had made
her misery old neighbor sufficiently
wretched, Mrs. Darby took up her
basket of eggs and trotted away.
From this time Moses Wrightham
was even more cautious than was his
ordinary wont. He watched Marie
Duplesses from the cracks of doors,
and through the panes of the lighted
kitchen window at night. He sat up
late, watching his boarded store, and
rose early to make sure that it had not
taken to itself wings and fled away
during the hours of darkness. In
short, he was thoroughly and system
atically wretched.
And Marie, all unconscious of this
surveillance, went about her work,
merrily singing, as was her custom.
"Marier?N said old Wrightham,
with suddenness that made thepoor
little French girl start.
"Mo"sieur?'
"WhO was that fellow who went out
the medder gate when / came into the
front one, just now:?"
Mary blushed as red as the reddest
hollyhock in the garden.
&c frianH Of na'0 she
answered in her broken English.
oliver de blacksmit's sonw
"Oliver, the blacksmith's son, eh?',
said old Moses, distrustfully. "Well,
[ don't want no blacksmith's sons
prowlin' round about here-nOr |
won't have 'em, neither
Monsieur, Marie looked wistfully
up T have long wished to inform-if
you could yourself suit with another
servant.n
"Fiddlestick," cried Wrightham,
twisting himself out of the room. 81
took you off the emigrant ship, and
it's your business to stay with me a
year at least"
But, monsieur-N
II won't let you go, so there now.
And there's no use talkin' any more
about it ~ said Moses Wrightham,
banging the door behind him by way
of putting prompt and ettectual end
to the matter.
1t was only two or three nights
after this colloquy that Moses Wright
ham, always a light sleeper, was
reused by what sounded to him like
the hum of voices in the room below.
Instinctively he sprang out of bed,
robbers. burglars and murderers be-
ing the first agreeable ideas that Oc-
Cured to his mind.
but they'll have to walk over my
dead body afore they get to my strong
box" was his thought, as he crept on
! tiptoe to the window, and held his
| breath to listen to the words that he
could plainly distinguish in the still
ness of the night.
"Ihere's TO sense in it. Marie"
spoke out Oliver GaynOr's low, dis
tinct voice. 1.-The fact is, he knows
the value of what he's got, and don't
mean to give it up. And | mean,
with your leave, Marie, to take it from
him.
But. Oliver, pleaded the soft tones
of the little French girl, "is it right?"
Fright? OF course it is. What
business has that miserly old screw
to mOnOpOlize what would give so
much real pleasure to the others ?
PIP
But old Moses waited to hear no
more. Thrusting his treasure bag
under his arm he FASTENED down
stairs, resolving to save his money and
lite by flight.
He opened the kitchen door and
rushed plump into the arms of Oliver