The morning call., 1890-11-23
A CHAIR-MAKER'S
ROMANTIC LOVE.
De BanvilIe Tells Of a Vagrant
Girl Adoring a Village Lad.
A Barefooted Wanderer Buys Kisses With
Stolen Monsy-Au Unrequited Passion
Which Lasted Lifetime.

INV permanent, Ior my part
came under my observation that lasted MY
FIVE years. without day OF respite, anu was
terminated only by DEATH"
The MarQuiSe ca pped her hands.
isn't that nicep' cried she. "How de-
licious to be loved SO! What happiness 10
live fifty-fve years enveloped by such aifec-
ton! How happy he should be, and how
he ought to bless life, the man VINO Is
adored in that fashion"
The doctor resumed with a smile:
Indeed, madame, you are not deceived
upon the point that the beloved being was
man. You know him-he is Nj. Chouquet,
the apothecary of the town. AS to the
woman, you knew her also-she was the old
chair member, who came every year TO the
chateau. But will make my self better un-
derstood."
The enthusiasm of the ladies had cooled
and their countenances expressed disgust as
if love had no business save with elegant
and high-born people.
The doctor continued:
Three months ago l was summoned 10
that old woman's death-bed. She nau ar
rived the day before in the wagon tnat
served her for dwelling, drawn by the
sorry horse you have seen, and accompanied
by her TWO huge black dogs, her friends ana
guardians. The cure was always there.
She made us her testamentary executors
and, to explain TO us the meaning OF her last
wishes, related to us the history OF her whole
life. | know Of nothing more touching
THE BAREFooTED vAGRANT.
So Her father and mother both were chair
members. She had never lived in house
built upon the ground.
when young she had wandered about
ragged and dirty. They stopped just out
side of the villages, along the bitches; they
unharn essed; the horse cropped the grass 4;
the dog dozed, his muzzle upon his paws,
and the child rolled amid the verdure,
while her parents mended. in the shade OF
the roadside elms, all the old chairs OF the
commune. They spoke but little In that
travelling dwelling. After the few words
necessary to decide who should 90 arouDd
among the houses uttering the weli-known
cry, The chair mender is here! they began
to twist the straw, sitting opposite to each
other or side by side. When the child
strayed too far or endeavored to make lhe
acquaintance of some village urchlli, her
fathers angry voice recalled her with, Nv Ill
you come here, you little wretch! These
were the kindest words she ever heard.
when she grew larger they sent her to
gather up the broken chairs. While mus
engaged she became acquainted with several
lads here and there, but it was then the pa
rents of her new friends who roughly re-
called their children, shouting, WI you
come here, you slovenly boy? I'll teach
you better than to chatter with barefooted
Migrants? ,,.. 49,. town, =.
her. ,ou = to,. .,,.
she kept them carefully.
sslna 1aV-Snp then 10 wears OlQ-a5
she was passing through this district. she
met, back of the cemetery, little CEouquet.
who was weeping because comrade had
stolen sous from him. These tears OF a
little bourgeois, of one OF these lads whom
she imagined in her weak Migrants head TO
be always contented and joyous. upset her.
She approached, and, when she knew the
reason of his trouble, poured into his hands
all her savings, sous, that he naturally
took, wiping away his tears. Then, Wild
with joy. she had the audacity to kiss him.
As he was attentiyely gazing at the money,
he let her 90 ahead. Seeing that she was
neither repulsed nor beaten she began again
she Rugged him with all her might, with all
her heart. Then she ran off.
RoBBING FOR A YOUTHFUL LOVE.
s'What was passing in her miserable
head? Had she attached herself to this
boy because she had sacrificed her vaga-
bonds fortune for him, or because she had
given him her first tender kiss? The mys-
terry is the same for children as for grown
VI, people. o so.,s =. ,,.+ oorno,
of the cemetery and of the boy in the hope
of seeing him again she robbed her parents,
pocketing sou here and another there from
the money she collected for chair-mendlng
or the sums with which she was sent to buy
provisions.
when she returned to the district she
had two francs in her pocket, but she could
oply q ulimpSp of the little nnOtbp-
cary, looking very neat, through the win
| dow of the paternal shop, between bottle
filled with red liquid and a shelf well stocked
| with drugs.
''She only loved him the more, fascinated,
agitated, rendered estate by the glory of
cOiored water, this apotheSis Of sparkling
glass.
"Siie kept in her memory the ineffaceable
recollection of him, and when she met him
the following year, back OF the school house,
playing marbles with his comrades, she
Rugged and kissed him with such violence
that he howled with fear. Then to quiet
him she gave him her money-three francs
twenty centimes-a genuine treasure that he
stared at with wide-open eyes. He took it
and let her caress as long as she wanted to.
For four years more she poured INTO his
| hands all the money she could get, which he
pocketed c0nscientiously in exchange for
willing kisses. II was one time thirty sous,
once or twice two francs, once twelve sous
only (she wept with pain and humiliation on
account of the smallness of the sum, but the
year had been bad, and the last time five
francs, huge coin that made him laugh
contentedly.
"She had no thought but of him. He
awaited her return with certain i'm atience
and ran to meet her as soon as he saw her,
which made the young girls heart leap.
INFINITE DIPLOMACY.
''Then he disappeared. He had been sent
to college. She found this out by shrewd
questioning. Then she used infinite diplo-
macy to change the route of her parents, SO
she could pass through here at hOlida ne.
She succeeded. but only after yeal ,pent
In stratagems; she had thus zen two yo RS
without seeing him, and SHE ..ardly recog-
nized him so greatly had he changed-he
was so tall, SO much improved, and so I'M
posing in bis jacket with gilt buttons. He
feigned not to see her and passed proudly
by her. This made her weep for two days,
and from that time she suffered constantly.
Every year she returned, passed before
him without daring to speak to him, and he
did not even deign to turn his eyes toward
her. She loved him desperately. She said
TO me, He is the only man / have seen on
this earth; know not if any Others exist !
Her parents died. She continued their
trade; but she took two dogs instead of one
two terrible dogs that no one would have
dared to brave.
lone day, on entering this village, in
which her heart had remained, she saw
young woman come out of the Chouquet
shop on the arm Of the man she adored.
She was his wife. He was married.
"That very evening she threw herself into
the pond near the Mayors house. A be-
lated drunkard fished her out and carried
her to the apothecary-shop.
The younger Chouquet came down in
robe de chanbre to care for her, and re-
stored her to consciousness without appear
ing to recognize her Then he said to her in
harsh voice: You are mad! You must
not be so stupid!
This sufficed to cure her. He had spoken
to her. She was happy for a long while.
:" He would receive nothing for his care
Of her, though she st0utly insisted upon pay
ing him.
"And all her life passed thus. As she
mended chairs she thought of Chououet.
Every year she saw him through the win
dow Of the shop. She acquired the habit OF
purchasing of him supplies OF trihing medi-
cines. In that way she saw him close be-
side her. spoke to him and gave her money.
''As l told you when ! began, she died
this spring After having related her sad
history she begged me to take to the man
whom she had loved so patiently all the
.I,.l