The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-15

cellent penp3e-house first class, first class
wouldn't act blindly, of course-must ask
information-bu he would attend to all
that-but if, as indeed he was certain be.
forehand"-Re-enter the nephew with the
cigars. Thibaut broke off short, and stuck
his fat finger to his mouth in sign of warn.
ing Almost at the same moment for
midable sneeze made every glass in the
hall ring again.
"Uncle," said Marcel, with the most
charming calmness, you are taking cold. :"
Il shouldn't won-whatchour' A sec
ond sneeze cut the word in two, and
Thibaut, plunging his face into his hand
kerchief, strangled therein, one after the
other two more nasal detonations. But
his good humor was no whit lessened; he
continued to joke, smoking and sneezin g
together. When the servant from the Lee
made mansion brought him his own
clothes he thrust his hand in his pocket
and pulled out whole louis. "There my
good girl" said he, take that for your
pains. And give my compliments to your
master and mistress-mind you don't for.
get, now"
The next week, in company with his
nephew, he went to take the train. As
they walked past the Lemadie grounds,
| SaUUcnlN StOIpcO anu Will d ufiu
hand rang the bell At an impatient move
ment from Marcel he turned toward that
young man and said, .If this bores you, my
dear boy, you can walk on. 1, however,
certainly owe the Lemadies visit of
thanks, and shall pay it"
"a visit of thanks? For your cold in the
head?"
Exactly" said Thibaut, with perfect
placidity.
The door opened, and Jeanne showed
herself, more charming, more enticing
than before. Out of mere politeness Mar
Gel followed his uncle.
Then followed at once the most sympa-
thetic greetings, shakes of the hand warm
ly exchanged Then were the chairs gath
cred about the table, the MARSHA was
brought, the glasses were filled, and gayly
were they clinked together. The converse
ton became animated, and Tnibaut now
let drop the pane of his friend Chevalet,
an old wholesale dealer, who at the time
when NJ Lemadie was in the jewelry man
ufacture had done business with him. The
old merchant was delighted at this unex-
pected disclosure of common friendship
and in his turn took up the praises of
Chevalet and launched into the recital of
|
since, while Jeanne listened, her eyes mod
estly lowered, and Marcel sat lightly on his
chair, his eye in spite of himself caught
and fixed by little blonde curl which just
at his right, almost reaching his ear, fiut-
tered out in the soft breeze and would not
! keep still.
That same evening Thibaut had long
and mysterious colloquy with his sister-in-
To, - I,,tl 10 ~.
the gestures and by the facial contortions
of the speaker and by the reflective, attent-
i've physiognomy of the listener, was of
the highest interest to both of them.
Soon, soon did Mime. Filhol become
the intimate friend of Nine. Lemadie
and NJ. Marcel, her son, strongly
unwilling at first to accompany his
mother on her neighborly visits, accus-
toned himself little by little to the task
and ended by paying visits on his own &C
count, when he passed the whole evening
there without her. This caused certain
very curious and malicious smile to show
itself in the corners of the twinkling eyes
of his uncle Many things did that smile
signify. Jeanne and he had become great
friends. So soon as he appeared she ran to
him, her hands outstretched, and even
kissed him hravely, like good old uncle
as he was, who knew the future.
On the 18th of September Nine. Filhol
asked the hand of Mile. Jeanne Lemadie
for her son, Marcel. Nobody was surprised.
For several weeks they had all known what
was coming
That very evening both families sat at
table in the garden at the foot of the ter
race. The soft evening was stirred by mild
breezes, full of odorous scents, the stars
twinkled in the dark blue sky, and the
moon threw her pale light on the table
where the coffee smoked in the cups, and
projects for the future, the happy future,
succeeding each other one after the other
without interruption, were gayly dis
cussed
Niece" said Uncle Thbaut, will you
take turn in the garden with me?''
He passed the girls slender arm beneath
his own, and when they reached the spot
whence had darted that furious jet of water
from the nozzle of the hose he stopped her
and he said, Just suppose l had not been
on the other side of that gate three months
ago, eh?"
''Ah, uncle" said Jeanne, "why do you
tease me still about that? Haven't you
forgiven me YETI"
Forgiven your" cried Thibaut sWhy |
there was nothing to forgive, my dear
child. l knew well enough that you didn't !
do it on purpose"
And that is perfectly true" said Jeanne
without thinking ''for it wasn't you was !
aiming att
Aiming atr' said Thibaut sstounded. !
But if you'-
''Oh, good graciousr said Jeanne q
I've told your
Consequently she told him all. Under |
her breath and desperately ashamed she |
owned that she had been aiming at Mar
Gel. ''He-he used TO walk by every day." |
she said, "and | used to look at him, and |
he never looked at me, and used 20 won
der why, and l did everything | could
without doing anything you know, uncle |
but he never honored me with the small |
est attention.
THE imbecile.''
Wasn't he? Well, that day felt so mis-
cradle, so desperate. because he wouldn't |
look, and all at once | saw him with |
you. Then-oh, l don't know what came
over me, but l thought, All, you won't /
look at me" and so-bang!-I turned the
nozzle on him: Only was so wrought up,
so unhappy, that
THAT it was l who got the duckingl |
Upon my word, Sparisti, if l had known
that sooner
Well?" she said, looking at him boldly
with her hooking eyes.
We'll? Well. indeedl | shouldn't have
concerned myself about your marriage,
mademoiselleF'
You Wouldn't" she said, with look
and tone incredulous. Go along, YOU
dear old uncle; don't | know your You
are too good TO, make any one unhappy |
And, after all, " she said, so coaxingly shat
Thibaut felt himself lost before she spoke.
you guessed, probably, that you would !
have -, Taar lir- w. ! I