The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-25
THE BAKERS Loss
THE BAKERS GAIN.
CASTOR GaVarni Tells an Amusing French
Country Love Story.
The Notary's Clerk and the Bakers Charming
Daughter-A Declaration Of Devotion
Followed by Night Alarm.
EpeciaI TO THE SUNDAY CALI.

Pouparlin-eu-B igarrau was by all odds
the most wearisome town in the whole de-
partment of the Garonue- mferieure.
Among its $500 inhabitants it contained
only eight pretty girls. fact that Disguised
all the young men living within its limits.
One of these eight pretty girls was Berthe,
daughter of M. Agenor Melenfrond, one OF
the two rival bankers of the town. Berthe
was sweet sixteen and would have had
plenty of admirers had not her father pitt
lessly driven away all the young men who
had ever ventured to paw her even the
slightest attention. NJ. MalenfrOnd had
amassed considerable money and did not
wish his daughter to become the wife OF a
gallant without sou.
Stanislas Coquelard, the town notarys
youthful clerk, was gifted with sentimental
soul He had Just reached that age when
the heart opens 10 love as the corolla of
flower to the kisses of the breezes Stanislas
thought that Pouparlin should furnish him
with other happiness than contemplating
the broad meadows during the day and lis
teninG to the song of tile nightlngaieS during
the night.
THE CLERKS OBSERVATIONS.
1t was toward the close of April and while
he conscientiousiy copied the notary's doc
uments the young clerk thought of the
charming Berthe and wondered what be
could do to get into the good graces OF her
hard-hearted father, who, by the way, was
a Eidower StanislaS had read in the young
girls eve that she was dissatisfied with her
lot and firmly believed that she would not
be ayerse to accepting his heart and hand If
ever he got an opportunity to offer them TO
her.
Stanisaus Coquelnrd was 20. and had
abundant faith in the belief Mat his time
would come.
The nutary's house was situated opposite
the bakery, and occasionally the clerk had
exchanged through the windows more than
one furtiye glance with the pretty Berthe.
Every morning on his way TO the nntary's
he stopped at the bakery and bought sou
loaf OF Berthe. As he paid for it lie rolled
his eyes alter the fashion OF young man
who Is desperately smi;ten, and intends
that the object of his alteration shall know
il.
EFFECT OF MASCULINE ELoQUENCE.
On her side the bakers daughter was far
from regarding Stanisias III way TO dis
courage him.
Such state of things could not last very
long without producing the usual result.
The baker made his bread during tue day,
then went to bed and did not rise until 1t
was time TO begin baking. toward halt-past
10 at night.
One evening the clerk. taking advantage
of the moment when NJ. Malenirond was
still slumbering while awaiting the hour at
which his nocturnal toll was TO commence,
fell Mt Berthe's feet and began a speech, to
which he added the most expressive panto-
mime. He ended by asking her to marry
him.
Berthe, unused to such masculine elo-
Quence, was melted and in n low voice con-
scented to unite her destiny with his.
Stanislas, greatly affected. kissed Berthe
several times so enthusiastically that he
awakened NJ. MRlenfroud, who slept in
chamber over the back shop.
The baker listened and thought he recog-
nized the han " of his apprentice. who had
been sick for a week OYeTjOyed, he leaped
out OF bed. crying
wait little, my boy, and Tll help you
| knead the bread! I'm coming DOWN.
A FEARFUL DILEMMA.
! The lovers stared at each other in con-
! sternEtiun. At that instant the stairs
| creaked beneath the bakers heavy tread
! How was Sfanislas 20 escape? The stair
way was between the shop and the room in
| which were the two turtle dOvesl
There was not 4 second to be lost. Berthe,
who had n good head, extinguished the
! lamp and whispered to the termed Stan
"nide yourself quickly in that chest over
| there. and don't be afraid. I'll take care of
! everything"
Coqnelard followed her recommendations
ana felt his way along the wall in the dl-
rectInn Berthe had indicated with a rapid
! gesture Ia the darkness he missed the
| chest but encountered the gh-trouGh :;
| he felt a lid beneath his fingers, lifted 1t,
and as nimbly as squirrel in danger leaped
! into the box.
! He came down amid the dough with
| thud. but he mad the presence OF mind to
| draw the lid over him.
At that moment the baker entered the
! apartment
| "Sacrebleup gr0wied he, there no light
here"
Berthe instantly replied:
"It's the fault of this wretched lamp. l
tried to turn up the wi K, but it went out
| I hat law Nicole must have forgotten to put
| oil III it,
A two minutes search ensued then came
| the scratching of matches, aud tue lamp
| was lighted again.
"What" exclaimed NJ Malenfrond. ARE
you alone? Why, l thought heard some
one kneading little while ago.
| You had the nightmare, fatherw an
swered the daughter, soothingly. why,
who on earth could be here? Gervais. our
apprentice, is still sick and wont be out of
bed for a week to come"
A STRANGE OCCURRENCE.
Then didn't hear right. But now Pm
up I'll 90 to work"
And the baker, rubbing his hands to get
| them in working trim, went to the dough-
| trough and raised the lid.
| At that moment great elammy hand
arose from the depths of the box. hurting
fragments Of soft dough in every direction.
| whats that-whats thatV exclaimed
| NJ. Malenfrond, drawing back couple of
| PAGES. ''Who the deuce is in
| He did not finish. An enormous plaster
of dough was applied 10 his face with a
splash, cutting short his EXPLANATIONS and
binding him at the same time.
| The baker was conscientious in the eX-
ercise of his trade. His dough was well
| kneadpd, and. though he made tremendous
| efforts to scrape the plaster from his vsage,
two or three minutes elapsed before he was
able 10 open his eyes and speak.
| During the whole OF this scene Berthe,
| parayzed with establishment, had not
| stirred.
When her father had succeeded, unaided,
in Kidding himself of his plaster she re-
covered her senses and began to cry:
'Oh, mon Dieui it MIST be Tobber"
"Ahi the scoundrel" groaned poor NAL
enfrond, where is he, that l may knock
| him down ~
And all sticky as he was, he rushed to the
dOugh-trOngh.
1t was empty, and empty in every sense.
/ Stansas in his flight had dragged off on his
person all the bakers dough. He had left
in the bottom of the box only his shoes that
would have bothered him In running
"OufW cried the unfortunate baker. 1.-THE
thiefl | cannot bake tonight. He has
taken the bread out OF the mouths OF more
WHAT HAPPENED TO sTANIsLAs.
During this time the clerk, all covered
with dough, hastened as well as he could to-
| ward the shop OF the other baker, that was
not far away.
The latter received his farinaceous mass
with the greatest atfability as he brought
with him fifteen or eighteen livres of dough
| He scraped the clerk consciertionsly, so
cOnscientOusly that the next day some of
the inhabitants OF the town found in their
l0aves, ono plug of tobacco, another a
| porte-monnaise containing Is sous, a third a
| pocket handkerchief and bnnch of keys.
The luckiest had for his share sheet of
stamped paper.
This worked against NJ MaIenfrond's
rival, who, accused of inattentUn to bust
ness, lost a part of his customers, thus once
again proving that wrongly acquired prop
erty never benefits any one.
A few weeks afterward Stanisas ven-
tured to ask Nj. Maenfroud for his daugil-
| ter's hand. AS the clerk had received a
legacy Of few thousand francs the baker
gave his consent and even took him into
| nnrtnarshiD in the bakery shortly after hia