Middletown transcript., 1891-04-16
LA BELLE AND LIZ BEAU.

Late hours" said Mr.. Pendleton
are very, very wrong. shall moi
permit Mrs. Pendleton to do this sort
Of thing often.
1t was Mr.. Pendleton's fault thai
he was sitting up for his wife, for she
had urged him again and again to &C
with her, but as he would not, and
the occasion was a cousins wedding
party, she had gone alone.
During the twenty years of their
married life she had kept vigil often
enough for Mr.. Pendleton bat it is a
curious fact that people who think
nothing of remaining abroad until the
wee sma' hours" themselves are
overwhelmed with drowsiness long be-
fore midnight when they are called
upon to sit up for anyone else. Mr.
Pendleton had sent the servant to bed
at IL o'clock, and seated himself be-
fore the fire in the back parlor with 9
newspaper and a cigar and decantel
of port wine. But the paper had
been read through, advertisements
and all, and a good deal Of the wine
had vanished and "still she came
not"
Mr.. Pendleton had just aroused
himself from state of oblivion to fine
he roses which his wife had embroid-
--td on the toes Of his slippers singe-
ing, and the soles curling up, and hi
wr, tn was growing great.
"I am afraid Amelia Ann is be-
coming frivolous" he said, as he fill
ed bumper with port wine ant
swallowed it slowly. This is no
the way my mother used to behave
or my grandmother, or my aunt Pene
lope they were stayers at home.
am afraid that Amelia Ann is losing
the domestic virtues and getting
Frenchy." He glanced about hin
and shook his head,
"Frenchy," he repeated. "Frenchy
don't know that l eyer noticed be-
fore how Frenchifed my house ha
become. French china everywhere
He turned and gazed about the room
Couple of Cupids, very French
Jeanette and Jeanot in china,
cushion with something about Dor
mez embroidered on it, and on m!
respectable mantlepiece a Frencl
belle and a French beau, just un
masked after ball, l suppose, ex.
changing glances. It's a dreadful
thing for mans wife to becom
Frenchifed at the age of five ant
forty, a very dreadful thing" Her
Mr.. Pendleton emptied the decanter.
"' La Belle and LIE Beau,'" h
repeated, Frenchy, very Frenchy,
and tumbled into the armchair again
with his eyes fixed upon the figure Q
the belle, whose blue eyes, PIN
cheeks and powdered hair, pale crear
tinted robes and pale blue mask, te
gether with her coquettish pose an
alluring smile, made her most attrac
tive.
"Upon my word, she is very pre-
| ty. though" said Mr.. Pendleton, 81
lovely creature. If l were not
married man I should fall in Low
with her. She is delicious, adora
ble."
Monsieur fatters," said a sma
wee voice very near him. "Oh, / al
so sure monsieur fatters !"
Mr.. Pendleton gazed about him.
"What remarkable imaginatio
l must have!' be said. ST reall
thought someone spoke. Imagina
tion," " repeated Mr.. Pendleton, tun
bling back into his chair. "Wh,
immense Imagination I must have"
Pardon, Monsieur" said tt
small sweet voice again. It was nj
re imaglnation-it was l."
"Eh j" roared Mr.. Pendleton. E
sat staring at the china figure, I
Belle, who had apparently left h'
place on the end Of the mantelpie'
and stood kissing her hand to him
its centre.
Hello !" said he.
"'Ello, replied the belle, wavir
her mask at him.
d" Whyl Good gracious You a
alive!" cried Mr.. Pendleton.
cave l ze 'orrible look Of one WI
is dead, Monsieur ?" asked La Bell
reproachfully. "None, l am sure" ;"
Not dead, M 'm-not dead, M'an
selle, said Mr.. PeDdleton, "but-b
--inanimate, don't you know in ia
9 | thought you were made Of china"
$50 l am" said La Belle. GA
: Monsieur. are you also of ze peop
who believe Eat lady of china "a
: no soul, no esprit, no affections, !
!. romance? You are very much mi
t taken"
La Belle was so evidently affect
ed that Mr.. Pendleton was touched
be drew his handkerchief from
pocket and wiped his eyes. 81 q
the last person to hurt lady's fe
, ings," said he. "But how was l
know p
"Votze ozers belief, every Won b
lief also," said LIE Belle. "No ma
ter, | forgiff you. l grief, but I fo
gift"
That's kind Of you," said \
> Pendleton. Won't you come do