The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-10-27
A BORROWED FARE.

a widower with one daughter, is
seated in his dining-room, near a set
table, at which from time to time he
throws a despairing glance. He
holds his paper before him, but it is
scarcely probable that he readsit, for
he has held itupside down for a good
minute and has not yet discovered
his mistake. Behind his green spec
tacles, the ex-mercer's impatient, pre-
occupied glance falls ten times to the
minute on the old china cuckoo clock
which, without hurrying, without lag
ging, goes on it's quiet way andrepeats
it's monotonous tic-tac. Then the
aforementioned glance falls again
on the tureen in which the soup is
growing cold. And the glance grows
tender, as his nostrils are assailed
by the appetizing vapors that escape
from beneath the lid.
There are two covers at the table,
and two chairs extend their backs
invitingly to the diners. M. Dufour
is waiting for some one. some one
who makes him wait. But, like the
late Louis the Fourteenth-whom he
resembles, perhaps, in this particular
alone the ex-mercer does not enjoy
this especially when the companion
of his vigil is a repast which has
nothing to gain from such a delay.
Promptness at table, as in business,
is his hobby; he is no longer in bust
ness, the worthy man, but he still
eats. Breakfast and dinner are, to
him, SO many notes of hand, coming
in at fixed hours, and which he must
honor as he would his signature. At
those hours M. Aristides Dufour fills
his stomach. dutifully, conscienti-
ously' with the same punctuality
that he formerly observed in empty
ing his strong box on the fifteenth
and thirtieth days of the month.
And when you know that the cuck-
O'Clock is on the point of sounding
half-past six, you can form an ap-
idea OF the violent state
in which M. Aristides Dufour, retired
mercer, widower, with a single daugh-
ter, found himself at the opening of
this veracious history; and especially
since he has been waiting for his
daughter, before sitting down to
table, since five minutes before six
o'clock.
Never, since M. Dufour retired from
business (that is to say, since he had
the misfortune to lose his incompar-
able wife, Nine. Celine Dufour, born
Bobichon, who was, at the ame time,
his clerk and his partner had such a
catastrophe fallen upon his peaceful
house. Not to have tasted his dessert
Mt halfpast six!-for that hour was
about to strike, it was striking, it
had struck. Half-past sikh The lit
tie door of the rustic clock has
opened wide, the mocking-bird, flap
ping his wings, has hurled out his
''cookoo" in particularly ironicas
voice.
To see, for forty-five minutes past,
On excellent soup losing all it's good
qualities at a few feet away, and, in
the bargain, not to know whatgood,
or bad, his dear little Charlotte was
doing!--it was q cruel torture, in
which, to anguish of the heart, was
added cramps of the stomach. Never
had NJ. Dufour been SO near to COM
pretending a suicides motives. His
glance, now become little wild,
wandered over the table, vaguely
seeing among the knives, the forks,
and the spoons the instrument with
which he would put an end to this
horrible suspense,
At this moment, Gertrude, the old
servant, monsieur's cook and ma
demoiselie's maid, a veritable female
factotum, enters, grumbling, into
the dining-room.
NJ. Dufour, his patience and his
strength exhausted, has let fall his
paper. His two plump, soft hands,
hanging at the extremities of his
swinging arms, look as if they too
wanted to fall off.
swell, SIR" snaps Gertrude.
swell, Gertrude" signs the unfor-
tunate man.
Hadn't ! better take back the
soup?"
"Do you think SO, Gertrude? Char
lotte can not fail to come in in q
moment. 1t is even quite surprising
that she is not here now. When did
she 60 out, and where has she gone"
"Mademoiselle left at four O'Clock,
as she always does, to take her piano
lesson. The lesson lasts an hour.
Half an hour to go, as much to come
back. Mademoiselle should have
been able to return, as is her Gus
tom, at six o'clock"
"And it is thirty-fiye minutes past
SIX"
"At this hour, you know, the omni-
bus is often full"
"Deuce take the omnibusl"
Cor mademoiselle, encouraged by
the fine weather, may have wanted
to take a little walk and come back
on foot by the Rue de la Paix. And
there are many dress-makers'. many
jewelers. shops, many things to see
in the Rue de la Paix, for young peo-
pie"
"May the devil fly away with
dresses, and jewels, and young peo-
pie too, when they are as late as thisl
I'd like to know what there can be
to see at dinner time? "A hungry
stomach has no ears; nor should it
have eyes,"
Notwithstanding the lovers, the
Ycoxcombs who follow pretty passers-
by, whispering in their ears a lot OF
silly"
dPshaw, I'm easy enough on that
score. Loversl You're joking Ger
trude, Charlotte Is agood girl, thank