Wichita eagle., 1888-06-03
representation at the odeon.

cOngraCllate you On your WORK II Is more
than amusing; it is brilliant. This is the
opinion also of my colleagues who have read
it. I desire, Monsieur, to make your ac-
quaintance, and request you to favor me by
q visit On an early day.
'sYour comedy win be sent almost inlme-
diately to rehearsal, and win be put ON the
stage after the withdrawal of II. Victor's
piece, 'The Hunting Party I shall have
the honor of inrimating to you ere long the
day on which you will be requested to send
your comedy before the artists to whom the
parts will be allotted.
Il subscribe myself, Monsieur, with every
assurance Of esteem, your very humble, very
obedient servant,
'DEsNOUETTEs, Manager"
/ shall not try to describe our proceedings
during the next quarter of an hour-or rather
l should say my proceedings, for Raoul lay in
bed laughing, while l waltzed round the
room, hurled the English book into corner,
read the letter aloud with comments. waved
it triumphantly aloft, and performed other
absurdities; was, indeed, overjoyed Raoul
was going TO be a great mamie would
rival Scribe, Angler, Sardou, those giants of
the stage-he would make his way into the
charmed circle of the Coincide Franchise! !
said all this, which made him laugh more
than ever. He begged me to sit down, before
Pierre came up stairs to see which of Us had
gone mad
But you are satisfied 7" said to him, sink
ing at last, out of breath, into chair.
docs that letter not fiatter you sufficientlyT
''Satisfed-I tell you, Paul, this is wonder
full! It is one Of those things which happen
once in half g century. Now that it has hap
pened, begin to wonder how ] could ever
have imagined it possible!'
'You must go to u. Desnouettes to-mor-
rowi You must"
ASK him for q loan, eh =
''And why not He might have advanced
you a few napoleons; it is the only omission
notice in his otherwise admirable letter.
Money we must have. Who, after this, could
go on transleting English =
II am not going to borrow from M. Des-
nouettes.n
Very good; there is another way. Give
me the letter, and Will turn it into money.
Times will change in the Quarter before a
man with comedy accepted by the Odeon
needs to starve!a
''By all means take the letter and get the
money if you can. And now, like a good
iShO"- Ei'C lAlC f'Sl S-A1N& iN'' lAAiNS
lines to write-you can guess p whom"
''Of course. It's pity we can't spare her
the letter, is it notYa
IT viii tell her the good news. How it viii
rejoice her! Last night, after l left you,
Paul, | saw her. We talked of this very
thing, of the comedy. Like you, Gabrielle
never lost faith in it. She has prayed to the
Virgin every night that it might be ac-
cepted."
!'WeIi, it has been, anyhow. Here are the
pen and paper. Wait one moment while /
put some water ia this ink; it is almost
dry"
Just then there came knock at the door.
1t was Pierre who entered.
"It is the coat of NJ Girard." he said;
"Nannette bids lie say that she has done her
best, though tailor would doubtless have
been more skillful."
''How, my coat4' said Raoul; "what, then,
was the matter with my coatF'
Monsieur has, then, fOrgotten" said the
servant; ''the sleeve was torn from the wrist
right up to the shoulder"
At this moment had my back turned to
Raouls BED, being engaged at the wash stand
in dropping water into the ink bottle. A sud-
den cry of alarm from Pierre startled me:
''Quick Monsieur, quick!-he has fGintedl
Ny God, be is deadP
few TO the bedside. Raoul's face had be-
come Of a deathIy palior; his eyes were closed;
his lower Jaw dropped down; his right arm
hung Aaccid over the bed.
"Gracious heavent7 / cried in alarm; ''what
is wrong with him! Quick Pierre dip this
cloth in cold wGter-then run for brandy
run your fas5estl Here is-oh, my God, | have
not soul"
''Say not word more, Monsieur, ! will
hasten-I viii fly-I will bring the brandy
Let Monsieur be at ease--there is no need Of
the money"-and here this paragon of ser
wants had rushed OFF and down the stairs be-
fore could say a word. | had passed my
arm under Raoul's head, and was bathing his
brow with the wet cloth. Before Pierre came
back he had revived, to my intense relief
He opened his eyes, and looked me wildly in
the face. II lad forgotten that!'' he said, in a
voice quite unlike his own, and with shudder
l could feel.
Forgotten what, my dear Raoull' but
again his eyes had closed, and hls head
dropped back on my shoulder.
Pierre returned after q short absence with
the brandy. We made Raoul drink some.
presently he came cut of the second fainting-
fit, and looked az US curiously.
what is wrong" ne said.
''Monsieur has tainted, said Pierre; "Mon-
sieur feels better now, is it not solr
''The good news has been too much for you,
dear Raoul,' I said; you are certainly un-
we'll Shall bring doctor TO see youf'
ION no account. am better nOw-Uuite
better" Tho tone in which he said this as
very decided. "As YOU say. It is no doubt the
sudden JOY that has overwhelmed me. shall
sleep now, and tomorrow / shall be quite re-
covered"
He seemed disinchned to talk further j
sat beside him, watching, till he fell asleep.
There was something in his manner and ap-
pearance that puzzled me and made me
anxious, for had never seen RsoUl Ike this
before began to fear lest this might he
the beginning Of a serious illness, aad yet, on
the evening before, at the cafe Of La Source,
h had seemed to be in his usual health.
There was nothing that knew Of weighing
On his mind; he had had no quarrel with
Gabrielle: the comedy had been accepted. /,
must, I thought, be the sudden coming ot
good news, acting OF a temperament naturally
hiGh-strIng. Raoul had q splendid physique.
His figure was 1.-THE and slim. Eke an
dtlSte > L-tI- Ht -AaA = tAltf7 = 'dtaaf'l al
the gymnasium in the Rue de IL Sorbon-le
But irregular dining viii try the best con
sitution; and Raoul, ike many writing men,
was creature Of nerves. In tins way. sitting
by his bedside, l explained to myself h.s
fainfiEg ft and random words Soon ! NV
him slurlbe-ing peacefully. This reass1Ted
me, and | retired 70 rest.
CHAPTER Ill
The next forenoon saw me On nv way 70
the hos3se Of Lew Jacob. the Us1lrsr, with the
Odeon letter safe II my pocket Raoul bad
passed sSansxiaat restless night, but IN the
rr,nrr.ir,r r.rrfesskd hirnssalf r-aita yeu Ttere