Arizona silver belt., 1891-10-24
LA BELLE AND LIE BEAU.

Hate hours" said Mir. Pendleton, ''are very, very wrong, I shall not per init Mrs Pendleton to do this sort oi thing often"
 It was Mir Pendleton's fault that he was sitting up for his wife, for she had urged him again and again to go with her, but as he would not, and the oc. casion was a cousins wedding party, she had gone alone.
 During the twenty years of their mar ried life she had kept vigil often enough for Mfr Pendletoni but it is a curious fact that people who think nothing of remaining abroad until the wee sIua' hours" themselves are overwhelmed with drowsiness long before midnight when they are called upon to sit up for any one else. Mfr. Pendleton had sent the servant to bed at II o'clock, and seated himself before the fire in the back parlor with O newspaper and a cigar and decanter of port wine. But the paper had been read through, ad- vertisements and all, and a good deal of the wine had vanished and ''still she came not.n
 Mir. Pendleton had just aroused him self fror1 state of oblivion to find the roses which his wife had embroidered on the toes of his slippers singeing, and the soles curling up, and his wrath was growing great
 q am afraid Amelia Ann is becom, ing frivolous" he said, as he filled a bumper with port wine and swallowed it slowly. This is not the way my mother used to behave, or my grand mother, or my aunt Penelope; they were stayers at home. am afraid Amelia Ann is losing the domestic vir. tues and getting Frenchy." He glanced about him and shook his head.
 "Frenchy, he repeated. "Frenchy. 1 don't know that I ever noticed before how Frenchilied my house has become. French china everywhere" He turned and gazed about the room. Couple of Cupids, very French. Jeannette and Jeanot in china, a cushion with something about 'DorInez' em- broidered on it. and on my respectable mantelpiece a French belle and a French beau, just unmaskad after ball l suppose, exchanging glances. It's dreadful thing for a mans wife to become Frenchilied at the age of five and forty, very dreadful thing. '" Here Mfr. Pendleton emptied the de- c&nter.
 Ia Belle and Le Beau" he re- peated, "Frenchy, very Frenchy," and tunbled into his armchair again, with his eyes fixed upon the figure of the belle, whose blue eyes, pink cheeks and powdered hair, pale cream tinted robes and pale blue mask, together with her coquettish pose and alluring smile, made Der most attractive.
 Upon my word, she Is very pretty, though, " said Mir Pendleton, "a lovely creature, If were not a married man l should fall in love with her. She is delicious, adorable"
 Monsieur ilatters, said small wee voice very near him "oh, I am sure monsieur fattersW
 Mr. Pendeton gazed about him.
 What a remarkable imagination must have" he said. T really thought some one spoke. Imagination" {" re- peated Mir Pendleton, tumbling back into his chair What immense imagin- ation must haven
 Pardon, Monsieur" said the small -weet voice again. 1t was not ze
 egination-it was I.
 Ehl" roared Mir. Pendleton. He sat
 ring at the china figure, La Belle,
 no had apparently left her place on he end of the mantelpiece and stood SiSsing her band to him in it's center.
 "Helloi" said he.
 " 'Ello," replied the belle, waving her mask at him.
 Why Good graciousl You are aliveln cried Mir. Pendleton.
 !" Ave ze 'orrible look of one who is dead, Monsieurp asked La Belle, re- proaehfully. 'Non, I am sure."
 Not dead, m'm--not dead. Nam seIle, said Mfr Pendleton, 'but-but -inanimate, don't you know; in fact l thought you were made of china"
 'So am" said La Belle. 'Ah, | Monsieur, are you also of ze people who 1 believe zat lady of china lave no soul, ! no esprit, no affections, no roInance7 You are very much mistaken"
 La Belle was so evidently affected that Mir Pendleton was touched; he drew bis handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes. q am the last person to hurt a Iady's feelings, said he. But how was to knowp'
 "Votze ozers belief, every von belief also, said La Belle. No matter, iorgiT you. grief but forgiff."
 That's kind of you, said Mr. Pen dleton. Won't you come down and take chairP
 In a moment La Belle had skipped from the mantelpiece to the arm of his chair. She was even prettier on close than at q distance. As 'he sat so near his elbow, fir. Pendle- on felt again that he must be careful Q remember that he was a married nan.
 Certainly China ladies are prettier han the regular sort" he said. As ior the men-now that fellow there.