The morning call., 1890-11-16
THE STRANGE REouEsr.

tliC VI TIC uISt UOS Ue u.
TIE STRANGE REQUEST.
"What tough story, Elisa! Why did
| you tell it to me?'
Because we are enjoying too complete
| felicity, Boniface, and l think it is time TO
| throw something out of the window
Not on the passersby, surely!" exclaimed
Roustafion, with great uneasiness.
Elisa continued without paving any atten-
ton to this remark:
"Boniface, have something to ask of you
that may seem strange TO you"
ASK ahead"
II would like-now, don't make fun of
mel would like to be certain that we will
not be separated even after DEATH"
~ don't ask anything better for my part"
is that so? Then it would be very hand
some In you, oh, so very handsome, to order
the first thing tomorrow morning a tomb
for two, for US two, all by ourselves, in the
cemetery of Pere Lachaise, that we nav
rest there in peace, far from the maddening
crowd"
Let's retire." formulated the head of the
house. whose eyes hao begun to blink; to-
morrow will take care of itself"
GU will order the tomb?"
"Ill order as many as you like"
Faithful to his promise, Roustafiou the
next day sent for mason and settled, in
concert with his better half, upon the price
of superb mausoleum.
II want" said Eliza, "two places, no
Will ului III DIOuLG-LlS anu NINE.
his hand in my hand; also a shield above
each arm to contain our names-all this
very plain and in good taste. Catch the
idca?"
"Bet yo}r lifew answered the mason.
the tomb, one may say, was rousing
success.
The mason returned one morning and an
nounced that the job was done.
Nine. Roustafou kissed him on both
cheeks instead of giving him money to get a
drink with.
Seeing this, Roustafiou, who did not wish
to appear mean, offered to 60 at once with
the workman and wet his little country
house.
The rejoicings took place at the Bon Going
and lasted until evening
THE CLOCK OF ETERNITY STRIKES.
When Roustafiou returned home the clock
of eternity struck 8.
Elisa was anything but pleased, and NUT
tered:
=" If l opened that hog I'd find the 100 sous
in him, and more too! Come, now, marchv'
She gave the tipsy man push.
The latter climbed up 10 the second story
and made his way to the conjugal chamber
March!' repeated Elisa.
Roustafiou marched he marched so far
that he reached the window at the end of
the room, and, as it was wide open, out he
waltZed into space and went crashing
through the skylght into the shop below.
The funeral decorations and services were
on a scale commensurate with the grief of
Eisn who before the tomb pronounced this
memorable speech
:" l shall speedily rejoin you, oh my well
beloved; you wont be long there, drying
mortar all al0ne!'
Then she went every day to shed tear
upon the stone that covered all she loved
This grief lasted just week. 1t ceased
the moment the Widow Roustafiou noticed
that it was injuriug her busness-and her
beauty. She sighed. nevertheless, for
month.
Once she said to herself that after all err
ROustafou Of husband had only obeyed
the law of nature, death bein,, the lot of all;
sooner or later he would have had to submit
to it; he was the most in hurry of the two,
he had gone before, and, besides, lie was an
angel in heaven. She would rejoin HIM at
the latest possible date.
Roustafiou had been in the ground three
months when the idea occurred to her that
she had committed a folly in expanding so
much money for the construction of a
funeral monument. She had yet long wears
to live and RoustafiOu was ENJOYING there
all alone, with great dignity, 100 good liyres
of her income. the price OF handsome hog,
without counting the profit she was losing
on the amount. She might have buried him
in the potter's field, or even elsewhere!
But, as one always does foolish things in
this life, she had listened only to her heart
The fourth month she said: THAT dug
of Roustafioup'
The month after she exclaimed: "Ah !
why do they, force woman to remain a
amusing to be widow? It's plainly to be