The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-17
A FRENCHMAN'S TALE.

at the hour when the low tide signal /,
gyino form along the wooden walk IRON
The little Village OF green lighthouses to
The waters edge 20 ciiticise or admire tho
fair bathors IS they trip by IN their ilow.
inr pcirnoirs. with the. aly's maids IL
COW. Here az thetop az the ..ne we have
The usual Eugllshmau. with extrayagaut
checked knickorboekers, nudgng the
stout little Irishman ~ h.5 side as each OF
the pcign0ir, sails pass. and saying 10 Lin.
in Il most audible whisper 80 mighty fine
u1i--aw Bv George a Cooscd pretty
anklel" 10 which our lrisAIan replies.
with the broadcast Of accents 'l!s, by 81.
Patrick. but she wouldn't b. the worst
f0r a pound or two the more. And
down there. whore the ripples break
VI the stones. we recognize that
tall Monsieur lc Comte dc s.. with
bis craniag neck and bis eyeglass. The
rogue lie always takes up his stand
down there where he can study the graecs
Of the outlines revealed by the pcignoirs
as they drop from naughty shoulders and
arc caught by Obscquious maids No
bcircss nor GOwagcr but lie knows the ex-
&c. cut %; her blue flannel "corsage and
dow much of the natural she les about
neri Between these two extremes IS
every Imaginable grade-from your high
Urea airy cockalorum down 70 your sleek
VOmbcd groom and your white aproned
.yarcon. We have seen them Il hundred
times. aud we know them by heart. The
never ending procession Of ladies-we are,
80 our shame be il said tired Of that, too.
The fat have lost their charms in our
satiated cyes. the thin 10 longer coil
themselves about our hearts. The stones,
Soo. on which we are sitting (for sand is
scarcc on this rough beach, remind rs
that they were never intended 10 be sat
on and we arc just preparing to leave
when the tall gentleman whom wc met at
The table d note week ago strolls up and
sinks down BESIDE us.
"Ah. but my good friend"-for he
speaks English as fluently as he does sew
eral other langaages-''is it not pleasant
80 sit down when one is tired! Here |
have been stalking about like n lonely
stor. ever since Nina went into the
water"
DO not be surprised. reader at the IA
miliar tone which this big Frenchman
talks There is nothing like a week of
table d'hotc ncighborhood at Frascati's TO
make friends. especially when one of the
parties is curious American and the
other talkativc and Travelled Frenchman.
Monsieur lie Qua had easily swept away
my reserve by showing none himself, and
before our third dinner was done we had
gotten over an amount Of ground on the
road to intimacy which with reasonable
people and az reasonable times. is not TO
be raced over in less than two weeks.
"Ah. madame is in the bath | re-
marked. scanning the crowd Of heads bob
bling about on the waves.
la VOLTA" lac said pointing her OCT TO
me. She was standing up; the waves
reached oaly to her small waist, leaving
exposed a chlrmngly graceful bust and
admirable head am rather a skeptic as
regards feminine beauty; but hero was
truly face about which there could be
mo doabt itch black hair and soft eyes.
full red lips. tralspar-- But | never
was good at describing faces. especially
vomen's. Suffice it 10 say. she was an
ideal brunette. could not help telling
any tail FRIEND so But, continued l.
"her cast Of feature is certainly not
French; she seems moro to be Spanish
No, said her husband, "she is not
Spanish
f "l,alian?' ! vcnturel, with moro curl
osity than poliieness
, Non pas ltAlienne."
A. lie Gil not advance any further in.
formation. and thinking that he did not
wish to tell lle. desisted. and was pre-
pairing to change the subject. when. with.
out any warning, he began the following
story:
1T was on n summer evening in the
year 49,. that was sitting on the YER
auda of beautiful house near the city of
Caracas. Directly before me stretched a
perspective Of exQuistely kept lawns and
shaded walks. while further off, here and
there among the trees. shone silvo~y
little Lake. far in the distance the white
houses Of the city caught the CLEAN of
the evening sun as it sunk behind the
mountains in the west But il was not
al this BIT Of natures painting that was
gazing | needed not to search the dis
tancc for beauties TO charm my eye. when
at my side was seated what seemed TO me
then 10 be the most beautiful woman in
Tho world. Whether she Is what my
fancy painted her or not | leave YOU 10
decide for she is my wife"
- ,mbled something to the effect that
she was az angel Of beauty, which tho
story teller did not heed.
NO words continued he. can de-
scribe the admiration which had for the
rich warmth of her dark hair and the
gentle depths of her black eyes, the melt.
ting red OF her lips. or the graceful curves
of her figure. My dear friend, had inst
proposed to her. 1t took the courage of a
Napoleon 10 do 1t. but | did. and then
waited breathless for her answer. So in.
tense were my feelings that have not
forgotten a single word OF our converse.
ton.
NO, my dear Mr. IL Quail she said
with that friendliness of tone so tantaliz. /
Ing to lover who secs his doom ahead.
Il do not doubt that what you say is true
that you love NE with all your heart
and soul; and | cannot express how fat.
tered an by it. feel for you. sir, the
respect due to man whom my father
has brought TO his house rs friend. md
the friendship which 10 woman can NJ.
ause to man who has often amused and
sometime instructed her
y miss MIN. Il \