The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-08

! / ffr1t. q ! f11uS ni1nai. 8 serrsnt wosll
he 1 pe6cA e1relnily from The dish
|. <c< il uith i silver knife, and offer III
/. fwo haIye1 81 fich plate Of Sevrc
q 8GFe 70 - pefson designated-
fw9lch<d ekeee procee1inRs with anx
tiefr, and fei1 cold chills creep over M
!. = the l1se5ous pyfsxnid k1oxly bu
Isuff1y meIked Aw1ys
Il Tstill Tie rase vas not quite emptie<
. VIXEN the dancers. recalled by . fes
prc3irzsnnry chords from the orchestra
hastily returned 10 the ball room. II
. | facf. could eez1uf hall dozen OF thu
/ precious fruit stu living in their leafy
Il followed the crowd. bat mad.
q only . pretended exit. had left my
hat In i corner in the supper room. II
}crtier 10 have an excuse for coins
Hack after It II was . six hat. and
had given me considerable troabIe in
properly ,dlsposiug OF il during the
ieyeninx. As WAS quite intimate .!
1.-THE house. the servants paid no stten-
tf;on to my movements Besides. at
THAT moment they were busy taking
1.-THE dishes and silver 20 the kitchen.
In an instant I had made my way to
the buffet, on which the coveted fruit
had now been placed. No one was in
the room, and there was no time 10
lose.
After furfiveiy glaneing TO the right
and left. I suddenly seized two OF the
peaches and placed them carefully in
my hat. FIRST wrapping them IN my
handkerchief Then very calmly and
with rnuch dignity although my heart
Twas heating frightfnlly, left the sup
per room, pressing my hat against my
breast and holding 1t there BY my
fright hand skiilfully thrust in the
| bosom OF my vest, which attitude gave
me omexhat heroic, not TO say Ne-
poleonic, aspect.
any if,te,ltion was to cross the ball
room quickly, and then suddenly dis
appear. Once outside, would carry
| the two peaches tied In my handker-
chief VIGOROUSLY home
ssT afs little scheme seemed not to be
| so easy 20 carry out as had imagined,
! as dancing had just commenced again.
| All around the room was double
row of black coats and wall flowers,
Surrounding q second circle formed
by the empty chairs OF the dancers.
| Then came large empty space IN the
middle. where the latter were enjoying
themselves. 1t was this space that
! had to cross in order 90 feach the door
OF the waiting-room.
II timidly wended my way between
| the groups and giided adroitiy among
the chairs with the sappleness OF an
adder. | trembled with anxiety lest
some awkward elbow should displace
my head Towering and cause the COW
eted fruit TO tumble onto the floor. |
could hear them rolling around, and
turned red up TO the very roots OF my
hair.
- AT last. after much tribulation and
several false alarms, | made my way
out into the open space just as a new
figure was being arranged In this lat
ter enc of the ladies stands in the mid
die of A circle OF dancers who, joining
hands. pass around with their backs
toward her. While this Is being done
she places a hat she holds in her hand
an the head OF the gentleman she
/ wishes for partner in the quadrille.
Ion this occasion it was my hosts
daughter who was to perform the hat
trick. and I.had hardly taken two steps
on my way 10 the waiting room when
she Gale out.
.ll----Ss- arat, must have hat
Then she caught sight of me with
my s;oyepipe glued to my breast. 1
saw that i was recognized, aad could
feel ali the blood in my body rush into
my face, while my heart seemed TO
stand still in spasm OF alarm.
".Ahr she said, you come Just IN
time. NJ. Herbelot. Your hat, please.
HBefore | could stammer out a
| word OF protest she had seized that
useful article. and, so suddenly, tnat
the peaches were thrown some DIS
lance in one direction, while my
handkerchief and the vine leaves new
in another mn.
.sYou can imagine the scene. The
DANCERS laughed In their sleeves ut
the disclosure OF my theft and my
utter discontinue. My host frowned
and looked annoyed, while the staid
wall flowers eyed me askance. ! felt
nav limbs giving way under me- How
/ wished that there had been trap in
the floor that | might have disap-
peared from public view.
THE Young girl sit her lips to keep
from laughing as she politely returned
me my hat.
.sM Herbelot, she said in slightly
ironicai tone, had you not better pick
up your peaches2
This was the signal for an outburst
OF laughter from an parts OF the room.
Even the servants had great difficulty
in restraining themselves from join
ing in the general mirth. As for me,
pale. haggard and trembling. ! fled
from the room. | was.so upset that
II was some moment before | could
find the outside door, and when /
FINALLY reached the open air / lost no
time In returning home to pour my
sorrows into my wife's sympathizing
ears.
THE next day the story was all over
town. When l went TO the Office my
/ fellow clerks saluted me with:
- Herbelot. pick up your peaches.
at made me blush again. | could
not walk step in the street without
hearing some one behind me say
That's the gentleman with the
peaches
"The situation became intolerahle,
and week later ! sent in my resigna-
ton.
IAN uncle of my wife's had an estate
in the neighbordood of my native
/ town. asked him TO take me as an
assistant; he consented, and we moved
! TO Chauteraine. What more Is there
to tellg | went resolutely 10 work,
rising at dawn and not shirking any
necessary labor. II turned out that !
| had a greater talent for agriculture
than for drawing up official docu-
ments. fer in short time became a
real farmer The estate throye so
well under my management that our
uncle lett il TO us at his death Since
/ then have brought il 10 the state OF
high cultivation in which you viii nov
find IL.
We had reached Chau;eraine, pass
| ing through an orchard where the
| trees were laden with fruit, the limbs
hanging SO heavy with their luscious
7! burden OF apples and pears that they
touched the ground. After leaving
the orchard, and going through "a
I FegefAuIe ryurgfrt vrc could sec the
white front OF the homestead, over the
walls OF which trellis work had been
made. whence hung a fine show OF
peaches ripening in the sun.
"You see" said Vital Herbelot, in
conclusion, "that worship peaches.
| owe my happiness to them. But for
/ the amusing incident have related |
/ should III be slender official trem-
bling az the projects frown, swelling
the crowd of underpaid subordinates
who find the utmost difficulty IN max
ing both ends meet, and fearing lest
should be blessed with large family
from an inability to raise and provide
for my offspring; while now | am my
4 Ia Il