Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-09-23

cessities to which he was periodically COM
PEELED to submit, the most obnoxious to his
feelings was the obligation of complying
with the Ito him) utterly inexplicable Gus
tom of celebrating the advent of New
Years day by distribution of etrennes;
drain on his purse which, although he
took care to confine his iberality within
the narrowest limits, was, even in its modi-
fed form, inexpressibly painful to him.
The twenty franc piece he felt bound to
offer his concierge caused him an annual
pang, and the guerdon of two francs to the
waiter Of the little restaurant where he
was in the habit Of dining when not in
vited elsewhere lay heavy on his conscience,
even after appropriating to his own use
which no one but himself ever dreamed of
doing-the cigar tied up with pink ribbon,
presented to him as reminder" and in
tended by it's owner to be offered in turn to
every customer In the room.
These, however, were minor grievances
compared with what he was suffering on
the last day of the year of grace, 1874, and
only those who knew him could by any
possibility understand or appreciate his
mental perplexity on the morning of his
introduction to the reader.
In the course of the preceding six months
he had made the acquaintance of the
Countess de Franchimont a Belgian wild
ow with two daughters. who had re-
Gently settled in Paris, and was, according
to report, in possession of handsome for
tune. Naturally partial to society when
it cost him nothing, he had by degrees be-
come habitual frequenter of her pretty
apartments in the Rue de Marignan, and
had established himself there to a certain
extent as Z ami de la maison.
Whether he entertained any Interior
views respecting either mother or daugh-
tiers we are not In position to state; if he
did he kept his own counsel, and all that
can be limited on the subject is that he
might have done worse.
Nine de Franchimont was barely forty,
and Gid not look her age; as for Mile.
Berthe, the brunette and Mile. Louise, the
blond, they were both charming, and per
fectly aware of the fact. In this pleasant
circle the baron soon made himself entirely
at home When he did not dine there, and
we may be sure that he never refused an
invitation unless he had q better one in
prospect, he generally dropped in of an
evening, or occupied a spare seat in their
box at the opera.
This continued intimacy, with it's many
COuUluStuU HC Idu ulUuCIUU
enjoyed without scruple; but the time was
at hand when in accordance with Partisan
usages, the Inequalities he had received
must be adequately returned. New Years
day was approaching with rapid strides
and his Offering on the occasion must, as
he dolefully acknowledged, be proportion
ately liberal.
For days and weeks he had wandered
from place to place like perturbed spirit
in quest of some object suitable for his
purpose. He had diyed into obscure pas
sages and emerged at the other end with
the disheartening consciousness of failure,
and had pored over the stock of half the
curiosity shops in the capital without I'M
earthing single pearl of price within the
| limits of his own. Bonbons were of
course out of the question, even if the
tariff of Messrs, Roissier and Gouache per-
| mitted such an investment Of his money,
and as for jewelry, the bare idea made him
| shudder.
In short, the worthy baron was at his
wits end, and as last resource resolved
| to explore the refuge of the destitute, the
quay from the Pont Royal to the Pont
des Arts, whittier we may as well follow
him.
He had already exhausted the Quai Vol
taire and the Quai Malaquais, and was on
the point of retracing his steps, when the
recollection of an old bric-a-brac establish
| lnent in the adjoining Rue de Seine struck
| him as a hitherto uninspected locality.
Taking therefore the turn opposite the
| Mazarim library, he speedily discovered
| on his right hand the object of his search,
| and entered the shop. A few minutes ex
| animation and question or two sufficed
| to convince him that his unlucky star was
| still in the ascendant and he was about to
resume his walk when some broken pieces
| of china lying in a corner caught his eye.
"What is thstf" he asked the dealer.
"Ah, monsieur, ne mien parlez pasP' eK-
claimed the individual addressed, in dis
consulate tone which seemed to forbid fpz-
| ther allusion to the painful subject.
'But what is it?' persisted the baron.
| what it is now, you see, M. lie Baron,
but what it was before my shopmen let it
| fall and smashed it to bits you can have
| no idea never saw finer vase; real old
| Dresden. worth couple Of thousand francs
If it was worth sou. They say 1t once
belonged to Nine. Dubarry."
| "Ah!" said the baron, looking attentively
| at the heap of fragments, and poking at
| them with his cane. "Capnot it he re
paired?"
Impossible, monsieur" replied the
other. ''The cleverest workman in France
| would make nothing of it now"
"Have you triedS" asked the baron.
'Of what use, monsieurf Who would
| buy vase dissected like map of Francep
What are you going to do with the
pieces?" inquired M. de Croix- Martel, in
| whose fertile brain a "happy thought" was
gradually terminating.
| what can do but throw them away"
| growled the irate tradesman. ''They are
| fit for nothing else. Even chiffonier
would hardly pick them up"
'sWill you sell them to me for five
| francs?"
Certainly, monsieur, IL you desire 1t.
But what possible use"-
Never mind" interrupted the baron,
"that's my affair. Now listen-what
want to do is this. You will pack up these
| pieces, just as they are. mind, put this
card of mine with them and send the par
Gel this evening from to $50 to Nine. la
| Comtcsse de Franchimont, Ga Rue de Ma
| rignan. 1t is not to be taken up stairs,
| but left with the concierge. Do you I'M
| derstand?"
Perfectly, NJ. lie Baron" answered the
| owner of the bric-a-brac shop, glancing at
| the card as he spoke. "All shall be done
exactly as you wish"
81 can quite depend upon your"
"Qaite, NJ lie Baron. At $50 to the mo-
ment it shall be delivered"
| "Enfinr' said M. de Croix-Martel to him
self as he walked briskly homeward. "a
most brilliant inspiration, ma parole!
For five francs shall have the credit of a
present worthy of millionaire. The fellow
who brings it will naturally be supposed
to have let it drop on the way-the Champs