Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-17

''Delicen Advertisement was made In the
papers, anxious investigation made every
where, but toe schooner and her crew were
never known in the old Crescent City.
II ever there was q little girl that had
everything her heart could wish for Delice
was that girl When she was a year old she
possessed thirteen rattles. six alligator's teeth
set IN silver, five coral necklaces, half dozen
little gold shawl pins, four swinging cradles,
a beautiful altar at the end Of her little room,
with Madonna looking down upon her bed
Over the mantelpiece, gloomy in us depth Of
shadow, was ar oil painting from one OF
Deiice's new fathers, representing the wave
whipped beach OF the Chandeliers. with a
wreck going TO pieces half a mile of shore
and a tub rising on the crest of great sea-
It was not little amusing to see how jeal-
Gus Of feminine attentions to their charge
these Poissors Rouges were They told their
sisters and mothers that the little one was
well cared for and needed none Of their time
The old nurse, they said, was experienced,
and they themselves knew q thing or two
now about babies.
Thus the months had crept away. and dolls
and spelling blocks had taken the place of
rattles. D4lice could tell the names Of all
her fathers. some twenty-five now, for some
OF them had dropped off and were carried
out upon that road which the average dead
Orleanian must travel When she was years
old she could command at least five carriage
Of one afternoon. and it was no uncommon
thing to see her out driving with some SIX or
eight young gentlemen, superbly mounted.
riding IL attendance Les Poissons Rouges
were proud OF their little beauty. and great
sturdy fellows, with nustaches that were the
observed on opera nights, would hand the
tiny fairy 20 the carriage with the grace of e.
courcier, and when sue smiled sweetly and
said, sNerci, Papa Raoul .Sror "YseuIs," the '
would blush like big boys. Her ex-
penses were 50 trifing in comparison
with the funds N the excheouer
Of the paternaI organization that it
was resolved to invest a certain sum annually.
and so on her fifth birthday, for they had
selected a birthday fer her. she was as well
cared for a little girl as any in the state; and
as for beauty, why 10 ask the question was to
elevate to the zenith the eyes Of her twenty
two fathers ana to bring 70 their mouth
twenty-five right hands with finger TIPS
punched together, which they would Kiss as
if the flavor were divine, and Simultaneous 2
calculate: CONNIE car The truth IS that
her big black eyes, deIicately chiseled face.
symmetrical limbs and dignitsd bearing made
her appear as of royal rather than plebeian
blood, and she led her followers by silken
cords, young as she was
Then came the day hereinbefore men
toned, the assemblage az the Cafe Bien-
venu, the silence and the anxiety. Four
days before DeIice had complained OF feeling
ill-her head ached and her eyes were in
famed Four doctors were at once sent for.
and after a consultation it was announced
that Dellce had the scarlet fever. Her nurse
and guardian occupied a large private resi-
dence near Mlguel's, and 50 II was that the
cafe was made the headquarters Of Les Pois-
sons ROuGes, that news might be received
every few minutes. At first there were no
serious symptoms, but on the third night she
grew worse. She asked for Theophile, Raoul,
Jules, Henri and the rest Of her beloved
papaS. These big bronze fellows would close
the gate gently, walk on tiptoe down the gar
den walk between the camellias and cross the
veranda 50 quietly tue cat could not hear
them.
In the little room an angel face looked
Up from its nest Of soft pillows and a
smile played about the crimson. feverish
lips. She held cut her hand. spoke q few
simple words, aud the silent figure would
withdraw and go across the street to
ALgueTs with lump in his throat
and his eyes much infamed. Then
matters began TO grow more serious. No
vehicles must pass that way. There should
be more quiet over at MigueI's. and bulletins
would be sent 20 the cafe every hour, 50 that
they might know how Dellce was progressing.
boot hot
gentlemen Were startled by the slamming of
window shutters over 1t Nile Delice's They
rose from their tables leaving their orgeat
untasted and started for the sidewalk They
stared over. OLD Latiche was opening all the
windows up stairs. Why was this. Then a
little negro girl came running toward
Miguels- Theophile Latrere met her and De
fore sue could speak commanded her silence.
Mes amls,' said he, the news need not be
told We know what il is. TAere is no longer
need of silence. We are childless.r There
were sobS in the cafe and many wet eyes
The parrot. as if recognizing that 1t was No
more under restraint, gave an experimental
~caramba, ana finding that it produced no
sensation repeated It.
Two by two they marched across to the
house, with hat IN hand Up the EraveIIy
walks the little procession came and on into
the large chamber They gathered about the
bedside and, almost unconsciously. they
crossed themselves as II ia see presence of 81,
angel The little bed became q shrine, and
their wexen beauty with smile on her white
face, their Delice, saint
Perhaps & mothers face had welcomed
the sweet child beyond toe breakers. and a
mothers hand had led her 10 a strand
whittier than the snowy beach of the CbanSs-
leurs.
She came from very far" whispered
Henri Xavier from the foot Of the bed. The
Creoles thus beautifully express the idea tina.
one las narrowly escaped death in in
fancy.
so very, very far responded julie.
Veron.
The sunlight wrought IN rare design, with
jasmine leaves, a tapestry Of shadow on the
wall beside the bed. The litde clock on tns
manteI beat It's tIc-tac, tic-tae so loudly that
each stroke touched toe heart The wind
from the garden below came softly in, its lar
filed with the perfume Of flowers, and q
mockingbirG on the chimney over the way
dropped some tender notes that were so ex
quisitely sweet that the men looked st one
another as Jhev stood around toe bed. SIS if
voice from another world had spoken. lie:
Poissons Rouges had now no mission left
The bond hat had held them together Wa.
severed.
we VIII always remember and love bsr.
said Tneophile, as he laid her little hand baci
across her breast and placed bud between
the dead fingers
/. And remember ali orphaned children
tee. said Raoul D7vergue.
TWENTY-FIVE voices said, Amen
Les Poiesons Rouges7 never came together
again. but each had sown seed OF charity