The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-09-06
A HONEYMOON TRIP.
BY EMIL ,zoLoA.

"A AVN11 MVVN xAx4e
40 BY EMIL zoLoA.
1t Is q week since 1Iucien Berard and
Hortense Lariviere were married.
Nine. Lariviere, Hortense's widowed
mother, has for thirty years past kept
a toy shop in the Rue de Ia Chaussee
d'Antin. She is stiff short woman,
with an overwhelming temper. she did
her best to prevent her daughter from
marrying Lucien, the only son of
hardware dealer in tho neighborhood,
butthe young people somehowgot the
best of her. However reluctant, she
had to yield her consent; but she now
intends to keep close watch and tight
hand over the young couple. Although
by the marriage contract she has given
up the toy shop to Hortense, merely
reserving to herself room in the
apartment, she still, in fact, manages
the house, under pretense OF showing
the young folks the details ofthe bust
ness. =
1t is the month ofAugust. The
heat is intense and business very dull.
Nine. Larivlere, of course, is as sour
as ever. She will not let Lucien for
get himself for moment when beside
Hortense. Did she not the other
morning find them kissing in the shop!
! A proper thing this, to be sure, and
likely to bring custom to the place!
She had never allowed NJ. Larivlere to
touch her even with the tips of his fin.
gers during business hours. He, it Is
true, never uream1 of such thing.
And that is how they had built up g.
business.
Lucein, not yet daring openly to re.
volt, sent kisses to his wife when his
mother in.law's back was turned.
At last he plucked up courage one day
to remind her that both families,
previous to the wedding, had promis.
ed him and his wife a honeymoon trip.
At this remark Nine. Lariviere
puckered her thin lips.
well" she answered dryly, "take
an afternoon walk in the Boulogne
wood"
The newly married pair looked at
each other dumbfounded.< Hortense
now thought her mother perfectly ri
diculous. Even at night she could
scarcely be left alone with her hus-
band. At the least noise, up came
Nine. Lariviere in her bare feet, and
knocked at the door to inquire if they
were not i'll. And when they answered
that they were in the best OF health,
she would exclaim:
"You'd better 60 to sleep then, or
| III catch you mapping behind the
counter again tomorrow morning."
The mother-in-law's conduct was
beyond endurance. Lucien mentioned
all the shopkeepers in the vicinity who
took short trips, while kinsfolk or
trusty assistants were left behind to
mind the shop. There was a glove
dealer at the corner of the Rue Lafay-
cite, who was at Dieppe; the cutler OF
the Rue Saint Nicolas, who had lust
left for Luchon; the jeweler near the
Boulevard, who had taken his wife to
Switzerland. Nowadays anyone who
was anybody took months holiday.
""Twill be the ruin of the business,
Sir, do you hear?" clamored Nine.
Lariviere. "ln NJ. Lariviere's time we
went once q year, on Easter Monday,
to the Vincennes wood, and we were
the worse off on that account. Shall
tell you what it will come to? You
will be the ruination of the house, with
your taste for voyaging like this! Yes,
the ruination OF the house!'
HRut IT. VIVA 1iotiootlx, q oroo1 ,,o1.,
that we SHOULD take a t, ip somewhere, !"
put in Hortense. "Remember, nam.
ma, you, said So"
"Perhaps did, but that was before
the marriage. We are apt to say all
sorts OF nonsensical things before the
wedding. Come, now, don't be- ridicu.
lous!"
Lucien went out so as to avoid a
quarrel. He had q ferocious inclina.
ton o strange his mother-in.law. On
his return, however, after a two hours
, absence, he was another man; he
spoke in soft voice to Nine. Larivi-
ere, and had a queer smile at the cor.
ner OF his month.
In the evening he asked his wife:
"Have you ever been in Normady?'
"Ot course you know l haven t."
said Hortense. II have never been
anywhere except to the ,Vincennea
wood"
On the following day Lucien's father
Father Berard, as he is called in the
neighborhood, where he is known as q
, jolly good fellow, with sharp eye to
! business-burst into the toy shop,
quite unexpectedly, and invited him
slef to breakfast.
When coffee came on to the table,
he said in an off hand way:
II have brought our children pres
: ent," and he produced two railway
, tickets.
"What's that?" inquired Nine
, Lariviere, in a husky voice.
+ 1.-Two frst-class tickets for a. circu
lar trip through Normandy. Well
my little ones, what do YOU saw tc
, that? A whole month of fresh air
, You'll come back as fresh as roses"
Mime. Lariviere was astounded. She
. . wanted to protest, but did not care
t to quarrel with Father Berard, who
was Of an obstinate turn of mind anC
y would always have the last word, but
! when she heard the hardware dealer
= speak OF taking the pair off at ono,
to the station, her amazement exceed
8 ed all bounds. Father Berarc
i wouldn't loosen his grip on them til
he saw them both off in the train.
"All right" she muttered with in
: ward rage. stake my daughter ava,
! from me if you like. So much the bet
t ter. They won't be kissing each 9th
: er in the shop at least, and I can lool
= after the honor of the house,
= The young married couple soor
reached the saiht-Lazare station, &C
n companied by Lucien's father, who
8 had barely given them time to throw
. some linen and clothing into q trunk
o He bestowed sonorous kisses on thei,
:. cheeks, advised them to see every
l thing. and to tell him about it wher
| they got back. 'Twould amuse him