The national leader., 1889-04-06

die of circle of dancers who, Joining
hands, pass around their backs toward
her. While this is being done, she
places a hat she holds in her hand on
the head of the gentleman she wishes
for partner in a quadrille. On this
occasion it was my hosts daughter who
was to perform the hat trick, and / had
hardly taken two steps on my way to
the waiting room when she called out:
ga hatl must have hat
''Then she caught sight of me with
my StOvepipe glued to my breast. 1
saw that l was recognized, and could
feel all the blood in my body rush into
my face, while my heart seemed to
stand still in spasm of alarm.
"Ah!' she said, ''you come just In
time, M. Herbelot. Your hat please. {"
Before could stammer out word
of protest she had seized that useful
article Of my attire, and so suddenly,
that the peaches were thrown some dis
tance in one direction while my hand
kerchief and the vine leaves flew in an
other.
You can imagine the scene. The
dancers laughed in their sleeves at the
disclosure of my theft and my utter dis
comtiture. My host frowned and look
ed annoyed, while the staid wall flowers
eyed me askance. 1 felt my limbs
giving way under me, How I wished
that there had been a trap in the floor
that l might have disappeared from
public view.
''The young girl bit her lips to keep
from laughing as she politely returned
me my hat.
"M. Herbelot,' she said in a slightly
ironical tone, had you not better pick
up your peaches?'
''This was the signal of an outburst
of laughter from all parts of the room.
Even the servants had great difficulty
in restraining themselves from joining
in the general mirth. AS for me pale,
haggard and trembling, l fed from the
room. l was SO upset that it was some
moments before l could find the out
side door, and when finally reached
the open air lost no time in returning
home to pour my sorrows into my Wife's
Sympathlzing ears.
''The next day the story was all over
town. When went to the office my
fellow clerks saluted me with:
'Herbelot, pick up your peaches.
''1t made me blush again. could
not walk step in the street without
having some one behind me say:
"'That's the gentleman with the
peaches
1.-The situation became intolerable,
and week later l sent in my resigna-
tlon.
IAN uncle of my wife's had an estate
in the neighborhood of my native town.
l asked him to take me as an assistant;
he consented, and we moved to Chau-
teralne. What more is there to tell?
l went resolutely to work rising at
dawn and not shirking any necessary
labor. 1t turned out that I had
greater talent for agriculture then for
drawing up official documents, for in
short time l became a real farmer.
The estate throves so well under my
management that our uncle left it to us
at his death. Since then have brought
it to the state of high cultivation in
which you will now find 1t.
we had reached Chauteraine, pass
ing through an orchard where the trees
were laden with fruit. the limbs hang
ing so heavy with their luscious burden
of apples and pears that they touched
the ground. After leaving the orchard
and going through vegetable garden
we could see the white front of the
homestead, over the walls of which a
trelliswork had been made, whence
hung fine show OF peaches ripening in
the sun.
"You see," said Vital Herbelot, in
conclusion, that l worship peaches.
| owe my happiness to them. But for
the amusing incident 1 have related l
should still be slender official, tremb-
ling at the projects frown, swelling
the crowd of underpaid subordinates
who find the utmos5 difficulty in max
ing both ends meet, and fearing lest l
should be blessed with a large family
from an inability to raise and provide
for my offspring; while now L am my
own master, raise my own wheat and
am not afraid of whole houseful of
children"
At that moment my ears were aSSail-
ed by the joyous shouts of boys and girls
issuing from the interior of the dwell
ing. and at the window of the ground
floor, framed in by the peach covered
trelliswork, appeared Nine. Herbelot.
plump and handsome yet, although ap-
preaching 40, herself resembling a ripe
peach gilded by the light of the setting
sun.
Vanderbilt and HIS Father.