The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-21
ghe aaha Daily gao aaledaesday gorine October

| and accompanying himself on guitar Jne
color of greasy soup-Chardins, Van Os-
tades, all
Suddenly I stopped. One Of these do
mestic interiors in an instant won my at
tention by its charming air of simplicity
! and comfort.
She was so happy and contented in her
little faded parlor, this good old lady in
| her black dress and widows cap, seated in
the depths Of an easy chair covered with
greenish Utrecht velvet, her hands peacea-
bly, clasped across her knees. Everything
around her was old and modest, and
seemed to be preserved, less through dis
Greet economy than from its sacredness as
a souvenir; doubtless of her honeymoon.
passed with the gentleman in the coat a la
| Goethe. the howered waistcoat and com
| plexion little Drowned by time, whose
oval pastel adorned the wall
The two lights on the mantel were suffi-
| cient to permit me to distinguish the old
bits of furniture in the room-the clock,
| mounted on painted FISH carved out of
marble; the upright piano of forgotten
form, on which young women, in mutton
leg sleeves and hair a la Greek used to play
airs that were doubtless from Romagnesi
was confident that child, an only one
and well beloved had flially remained un-
married to care tenderly for the old widow
1t was she who had so carefully seated the
old mother, who had put the cushion un-
der her feet, who had wheeled near her
this little marQuetry table and placed on
it that salver and those two cups; l waited
to see her come in, bringing the evening
coffee-this daughter, sweet and calm, who
would be dressed in mourning like the old
lady, and who would greatly resemble her.
Absorbed in the enjoyment Of scene so
sympathetic and in the pleasure of imagin-
ing this humble poem, | was standing be-
fore the open window, confident | would
not be observed in the dark street, when l
saw a door open in the back of the old
fashioned room and suddenly appear-oh,
how far from my thoughtl-my companion,
Slaughter himself, the hero of all the tits
on the river and of numerous struggling
wrestling matches.
A swift doubt crossed my mind. I felt
that l was on the point of discovering a
secret.
1t was he, sure enoughl His terrible
hairy hand held a little silver coffee pot;
he was accompanied by poodle which
played around his legs-a brave and classic
play clarionets, the poodle of the "Con-
vol des Pauvre" of Vigneron, the poodle
shaved like lion, with cuffs of hair on his
four legs and a mustache as large as that
of stage general.
Mamma" said the giant, in voice in
effably sweet, ''here is your coffee. think
you will find it very nice this evening.
The water had thoroughly boiled, and
poured it drop by drop"
Thanks" answered the old lady, roll
ing her easy chair toward the table with
the movement of enfeebled old age.
Thanks, my little Achilles. Your dear
papa often told me had no rival in max
ing coffee. He was so indulgent, so good;
poor, excellent man, But am beginning
to think that you make it still better
than l."
At this moment, as Slaughter poured
out the hot coffee, delicately as a young
girl thinking about getting married, the
dog by his discovery of the sugar bowl
placed his two fore paws on his mistress
knees.
"Down, MedorT'' she cried with indigna-
ton. Did you ever see such a provoking
dog Come, sir, you know very well that
your master never forgets to give you the
bottom of the cup. Be quiet a moment if
you can. BY the way" she turned to her
son, "you have taken this poor creature
out to walk to-day"
Certainly, mamma" he answered in a
voice almost infantile when 1 went to
the dairy for the mornings milk 1 put Me-
doris leader and collar on and took him
with me. And he feels now quite comfort
able. Don't fear, mamma, he's all right"
Reassured on the important point of the |
dogs health, the good lady drank her
coffee with the air of an epicure, watched |
with inex7ressible tenderness by both her
son and the poodle.
1t was needless to hear and see further. |
/ knew already what sort of family life
peaceful, narrow, pure, resigned - ny |
friend Slaughter hid under his fanciful |
bravado. But the view that chance had
given me was at the same time SO humor-
Gus and so touching that | could not resist
the pleasure of enjoying it a few minutes,
and this indiscretion was sufficient for me
to learn the real truth.
Yes, this type of a vulgar man about |
town, which seemed to have escaped out
of one of Paul de Rocks novels, this des-
pot of wine shops and public houses per-
lOlHeu sIMplE, CourdSeOuSly, IN JhlS poor
home in the outskirts of the town, the sub
lime duties of a sister of charity. This
dashing oarsman had made no longer voy-
ages than the journey to mass or vespers
on Sunday with his mother. This profes-
sor of billiards could only play bezique,
this breaker in of bulldogs was enslaved
by a poodle. This Ralph Royster Doyster
was an Antigone.
The next morning when 1 went to the
office asked Slaughter how he had spent
his evening. Without the least hesitation
be spun for me the story of bloody affair
which took place at o'clock that morn
ing in the Boulevard Enfer when he had
Knocked down, with one blow of the fist
and his thumb passed through his key ring,
one of the dangerous prowlers around the
outskirts Of Paris.
listened with an ironical smile, ana I
meant to confuse him; but, remem bering
now praiseworthy is goodness which hides
tseif, even if 1t has funny side, struck
tim in friendly fashion on the shoulder
and said TO him, meaning it too:
Slaughter, you are hero "-TransIated
rom the French of Francois Coppee for
Roma1Ce.
Copper and Aluminium.
Copper fused with tin forms bronze. an