The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-30

ago. At last Il seemed 70 me that we were
well enough acquainted 70 talk and j
spoke TO her. She replied. She was de
cidedly q very nice girl.
"She went ashore 1t SaiDt-Cloud and ]
followed her. She had some goods 10
had just gone. ! walked along beside
her.
ait must be very pleasant in the
woods ~ said i.
"She answered: oh! yesr
".Shall we go there, ma,lemoiselleI
"After some hesitation she accepted and
we went side by side amid the trees. We
heard birds singing everywhere. Then
my companion began to run and Rambol,
intoxicated by the mild air, the sunshine
and country odors. As for me, ! ran n
gamboled also. What fools we are, mon
sieur, at times.
"Then she sang operate airs and
'Musette's Song 'Musette's Song"-how
poetic il seemed I'd me then!-I almost
wept! Oh! monsieur, never believe in n
woman who sings in the country, espe-
cially il she sings 'Musette's SonR@
'She was soon fatigued and sat down
at her feet; / looked at her little hands
pricked by the needle and the sight
greatly affected me. ! said to myself:
Behold the sainted marks of toilm oh
monsieur, monsieur, do you know b
they signify-the sainted marks of toll?
They signify all the gossip of the work
corrupted by what is related, the misery
OF daily habits, the narrowness OF ideas,
sovereignty installed in the woman who
bears at the tips of her fingers the sainted
marks of toll!
.'rhen l knelt beside her and opened
my heart, for j was hea over ears in love.
She appeared astonished. When she had
had enough of my declarations, she arose
and we returned To Saint-Cloud. 1 did
not quit her until we reached Paris.
81 saw her again the following Sunday,
the Sunday after that, and all the other
German. Maisons-Latiitte, Poissy, every
where. The little wretch, in her turn,
pretended to be i'm love with me. Finally
/ altogether lost my head, and three
months afterward | married her.
"Ah! monsieur, there's the trouble!
One says that life would be sweet with "A
wife and he weds that wife. Then she
scolds you from morning till night, UNI
derstands nothing. knows nothing, chat
tiers endlessly, sings at an ear-splitting
pitch 'Musette's Song loh! 'Musette's
Song what stuff quarrels with the Goa
man, tells all the secrets of the family To
the neighbours servant girl, runs her hus-
band in debt and has her head full of
stories SO STUPID, of beliefs SO idiotic, of
opinions so grotesque and of p~rejudices
SO prodigious that | weep with discourage
ment every time l talk with her."
He came to n pause, somewhat u of
breath and greatly moved. l looked al
HIM, full of pity for the poor innocent
devil, and was abou to say something to
him i'm answer when the boat stopped.
We had arrived at Saint-tloud
The little woman who had made such
an impression upon me arose To go
ashore. Is she passed me she glanced at
me with a furtive smile, one of those
smiles which set you wild. Then she step
ped upon the plank. / sprang forward to
follow her, but the man seized me by the
arm. | shook him of with a sudden move
ment, but he grabbed me by the ~coat-tail
and pulled me back, crying: "You shan't
go, you shan't go!" in a voice so loud that
everybody turned to see what was the
matter.
A general laugh arose and / stood mo-
tionless, but furious. The boat started of
again. The little woman, standing on the
wharf, gazed after me with disappointed
air, while my prosecutor whispered in my
ear, as he rubbed his hands: ~ have
done you the greatest service you ever re-
ceived i'm your life!"-Guy de Mdupas-
suuf