Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-28
NOT A WORD ABOUT NINE. DAGAND.

mother in that tone. She was perfectly
right Just read this: Whose shoulders
such shoulders Good heavens, do you
know these shoulders they are writing
about are your shoulders? And this Prince,
too, who dares to award you q prize for
beautvl''
You see the worthy man had old-fash-
ioned, nav, barbarous ideas, the ideas of a
past generation, Of notary in the Rue du
Dragon. His brethren in the Boulevard
Malesherbes are more advanced.
But Nine. Dagand knew how to deal with
her irate partner. She talked to him with
the prettiest, the most insinuating grace
imaginable. He words were eloquent and
persuasive in themselves, but reinforced by
her tender looks, by her arch smile, they
were irresistible.
"What was the cause of this distress and
anger? He was accused of being the hus-
band of the prettiest woman in Paris! Was
this really such a horrible, such hopeless
calamity! And might she ask which of his
frienes had been kind enough to show him
the horrid article?"
"M. Remand"
"Ahl NJ. Remand! Poor dear M. Re-
naudl''
And here Nine. Dagand threw herself
back in such paroxvsm Of mirth that her
beautiful hair was shaken down upon her
shoulders, framing a laughing face and a
pair of dark eyes that could look very soft,
coaxing and seductive when their owner was
so minded.
"M. Renaudl NJ. Renaudl The husband
of the lovely Nine. -Renaudl You had bet
ter start of at once; don't lose a moment.
Go to the President and demand an imme-
diste divorce; you can say to him: M. Au-
bepin, nd me Of my wife! Her crime is
this, she is pretty, very petty, much too
pretty. 1 want an ugly one, very ugly
one, one like Nine Remand, with great
long nose, huge foot sharp chin, a red
complexion, and a scraggy neck! You
would be content then, wouldn't you?
Come, you old simpleton, kiss your poor lit
tie wife, and forgive her for not being ab-
solutely hideous."
This Grafton had been emphasized by a
lively pantomime on the part of the fair
speaker. Her movements had thrown the
cashmere dressing gown into disorder, and
the offending neck and shoulders CLEANED
within reach of NJ. Dagand's lips OF
course be succumbed. He himself, in spite
of his anger was not entirely unaffected by
the verdict of the press. His wife had never
seemed to him so radiantly lovely, and,
utterly subjugated, he went down into his
study, and set to work to make money for
the prettiest woman in Paris.
A most wise and opportune course! For
as soon as she was left to herself Nine.
Dagand fell into train Of thought which
pointed to chequer of the Rue du Dragon.
Nine. Dagand had intended to wear
a certain gown at the Palmers'
LII ~, LII IL
duty on many occasions. But her new posi-
tion brought new duties in its train. She
could not 90 to the Palmers' without fresh
gown. a gown signed with some famous
name. She ordered her carriage in the
afternoon, and with much decision gave her
coachman the address of one of the most
eminent men milliners in Europe. She felt
q Little huttered as she entered, running the
gauntlet of crowd of footmen who were
chatting and Laughing in the ante-room.
Nine. Dagand passed into sumptuous, a
too sumptuous reception room. About 20
important customers were already waiting,
great ladies and famous actresses, all equally
anxious, feverish and excited. They sat
watching q file OF tall, good-looking girls,
who marched slowly backward and forward
before them. These were the warehouses or
show women. clad in the latest creations OF
the masters genius, their bearing full of au-
dacious elegance. The great artist himself
was present, dressed like diplomatist of
rank, his black irock coat closely buttoned,
in his cravat a diamond pin, the gift of a
royal highness who was never in hurry to
pay her bills; at his buttonhole a many
colored rosette, the gift of reigning prince
ling, who hurried still less over the bills of
certain lady OF the corps-de-ballet. He
I-1,1 I'm,
bv the supplications and beseechings of his
clients. "M. Arthur! n. Arthur" Sucn
was the cry that resounded on every side. 1t
was n. Arthur He passed from one to the
other, defereBtial, yet not servile, with the
duchesses, easy, yet not familiar, with the
actresses And on every side heaved billows
and cascades of velvets, satins brocades,
embroideries, silver and golden tissues, the
whole thrown carelessly over chairs, and
tables, and dlvans, as if by accident, But
what cunning calculation underlay this
seeming disorder
Mime. Dagand first ran uD against work
girl carrying white gown on her out
stretched arms. She retreated ana took up
her station against the wall, but here she
found herself in the way of one of the fit
ters, a tall, resolute-looking brunette, who
was giving orders in an authoritative tone
through a speaking tube. Bring me up
the Princess gown at once, /" she was saying.
Nine. Dagand moved into a corner, in a state
of dazzled DeWilderment, and watched her
opportunity to waylsy some passing sales
woman. Never would she dare approach
the terrible NJ. Arthur himself She saw
him take stock of her in q rapid glance,
which seemed to say: "Who can this be?
Not dressed at ALI Dressmaker on the
other side of the river" At last Nine.
Dagand succeeded in getting hold of sales
woman, who looked at her with the same
slightly disdainful expression and remarked: