Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-06

thodical, and lf-possessed. Did you no.
tice that he had the good taste not to
make the slightest allusion to his matri.
monial projects?"
1t did not occur to Rabotteau that there
was very good reason for the Captains
admirable reserve, inasmuch as his host
and hostess had talked all the time.
AT four o'clock next morning, when the
officer went down stairs to mount his horse
the Justice was awaiting him to conduct
him to the breaktast-table. That evening
there was new edition of the revels OF
Balthazar. With the utmost politeness
land forbearance), Lecomte begged Elodie
to preside at the piano. She sang with
unmistakable sincerity and feeling, the
plant of the waiting Penelope:
speed thee my needle, my hero comesg'
In turn, the young man was invited to
favor the company, which he did without
the slightest hesitation. He had magnifi.
cent voice, and showed, moreover, no mean
talent as a pianist, when he followed up
his vocal effort with an exquisitely rem.
dered Lied ohne Worte of Mendelssohn
ElodIe's parents were enchanted; as for the
poor maiden, she felt as if borne on the
wings of love to the seventh heaven. Two
days afterward, Rabotteau adroitly turned
the conversation upon the subject of the
marriage of officers, and pretended to be
opposed to it. Lecomte smiled significantly
and politely combatted the opinions of his
host. He added that during the war the
married officers had done their duty more
bravely, if such thing were possible. than
the others.
That night the Rabotteau family could
not sleep for joyful anticipation; Elodie
the least of any, you may well imagine.
$50 much the better If 1t comes OFF, said
Madame Rabotteau to her husband, "for
according to my calculations, these last
eight days will cost us at least 400 francs"
swell, you cannot make an omelette
without breaking the eggs" replied the
Judge sententiously.
He had secretly written to Tardivel
saying, "Your Lecomte is simply charm
ing. He suits us perfectly. Shall ]
breach matters to him ?"
Tardivel had replied "Do not yet make
any sign. When he comes back, l will
attend to everything"
AT length, the last day of the maneu-
vres arrived
That evening the Rabotteau cook had
made a supreme effort, destined, from all
appearances, to be crowned with success.
But, alas at the usual hour, the Captains
horse returned, riderless, to the stable, led
by the officers body servant Elodie, who
was watching behind the blinds for the
coming of her fdnce, as he was called
throughout the house, rushed into the
garden with a sharp cry of anguish:
"My God Is he wounded?"
"No, mademoiselle," replied the knight
of the whisk-broom, laughing with conf
cal air. "The Captains health is in stqtu
quo. Only you must tell papa not to keep
the soup waiting for him."
"He is not coming to dinner p' exclaimed
the poor girl, with visible disappointment.
mo, mademoiselle, he is going to dine
at the CheraI Blanc and will also sleep
there. / am to bring his linen to him as
soon as / have unsaddled Cocotte."
Elodie, pale as death, ran to inform her
mother of this unlocked for event.
Heavens p cried the latter to her hus-
band, "what misfortune and here we
have lobster that cost a dollar seventy
five. What can have happened? Suppose
we question the servant"
"Could you dream of such thing? NV
dear, thanks to discipline and the salutary
influence of the Police Court, those mill
tary servants are the tools and chattels of
their masters. You would learn nothing
and you would spoil it all, perhaps. To-
morrow | will inquire into the matter"
1t was, indeed, melancholy trio that
dined that day on the sumptuous chefs
deuvre of the Rabotteau cook.
Next morning at an early hour the
Judge fastened to the hosiery of
the Cheval Blanc and said to the landlord,
who was elated beyond measure by the
presence in his house of dozen officers of
all ranks:
"Could you tell me whether the Captain
of artillery who was stopping with US"
His room is No. 8, your Honor. The
Captain is still in his apartment, for the
maneuvres were finished yesterday. Ex-
cuse me for not showing you up stairs N.Y.
SELF but am rushed to death with bust
ness"
Rabotteau went up the wooden stair
way, entered the hall into which opened
numerous doors, all painted white and ex-
actly alike, each bearing its own number
in large, black figures. He was about to
knock at No. when he started back as if
a tiger were lying on the door-mat. 1t
was not tiger, however, that he had seen
By the side of a pair of boots to which
the spurs were still attached, was tiny
pair of shoes lined with pink silk. They
were slender, arched, elegant, saucy little
boots; boots of which it could be said
with conviction: "They encased pretty
woman's foot a while ago"
Yes, but for the time being, the pretty
woman was-elsewhere. Unhappy ElodIe!
Poor Madame Rabotteau Scoundrel of
Tardivel Shameless monster of a Le-
comte Oh! yes, indeed, they are fine
set, those officers of the Polytechnic
School
At that moment the key turned on the
inside of No. 8, and the door was timidly
opened sufficiently to give passage to
little white hand, the hand of the wearer
of those silk-lined boots. Then appeared
wrist, round and slender, wearing
handsome bracelet. Then an arm, a plump,
rosy arm, stretched out and out. No,
never had Rabotteau seen an arm like
that, and if the other resembled it, which
no doubt it did, that rascally Lecomte was
a very lucky wretch.
Nevertheless, the arm, the wrist, the
hand, and the little boots were drawn in
quickly and gracefully, the door was
closed, and the Justice of the Peace was
left standing there feeling foolish enough,
and yet with an underlined sense that some
one ought to be arrested for the embezzle-
ment of son-in-law.
However, the case not being provided
for by any article of the Code, there was
nothing to do but return home.
"Well?" cried with one voice the two
women who were anxiously awaiting him
on the road.
''That Lecomte is worthless scoundrel.
Go to your room Elodie, wish to talk
with your mother"
Then Rabotteau, with eyes still glitter
ing-from anger, no doubt-related to his
faithful better half what he had just wit
messed.
'0h, dearw groaned the good lady, "did
any one ever hear Of such a scandalous af-
fair? A pretty example for Saint Colon
ban What are we going to say to Elodie?
The poor chi,d-that monster has won her
heart All you may thank your rascally
Tardivel for it By the way, there was
letter from him by this mornings mail"
On the table the Judge found missive
from tho onrracpaDdapf .bat aluayc die