Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-27

1AEL7 81 TIC r-@1-N---%%~l - H-@~~
never sxIose 0ysslf--
Two tears. two little tears. gilstened
CT the edge Of her lashes. II. Arthur
felr himself novel A wonan, pretty
won2n, weeping there before ann
Never had such homage been paid 70
Ais senias.
Mon Dieu. madame, | am anxious 70
make the eftort-a very siIaple dress -
''Oh, 10. not simple, On the contrary,
very striking-brillisnt IN the highest
degree. Two OF nay friends are your
customers lshs told hin their namesl
.-and /. am Mnls. Derline"-
NINE. Derlinsl You are Nine. Der
hue"
Il was theatrical. absolutely theat
rical.
Nine. Derline returned the next day
aud the next after that. and every day
until the eve OF the famous Thursday,
and every time she went back. while
waiting her turn 70 try on her gown. she
ordered dresses, very plain, but never
theless costing 100 10 SO francs.
Nor was that all. The day OF the 1rss
visit To NJ. Arthur, when Mime. Derline
walked out OF the fine place she was
grieved, absolutely grieved at the sight
of her coupe. IL had been her mother
in-law's coupe ana had rolled around the
streets OF Paris for fifteen years.
Mime. Derline only entered this shock
ing coupe 20 De driven 10 very Illus
triOus carriage makers.
That night. adroitly seizing the psy-
Geological moment, she explained 10 NJ.
Derhne that she had seen certain little
black coupe, lined with deep blue satin,
that would divinely frame her new
gowns.
The coupe was bought next day by NJ.
Derline. who himself began TO realize
the extent II his new duties. But next
day he saw it was impossible TO harness
u that pretty toy Of coupe the old
horse that drew the old carriage, and
equally impossible 10 put on the box the
old cOachman who drove the old horse.
That is why on Thursday, April %. at
1890 .. M, a very handsome sorrel
mare, driven by very correct English
coachman, drew NJ. and Mime. Derline
10 the Palmers' house. Nevertheless,
yet one thing was lacking-a little groom
by the English coachman's side. But
one must use certain discretion. The
most beautiful woman in Paris proposed
to wait for ten days before asking for
the little groom.
While she mounted the staircase at
the Palmers' she distinctly heard the
repeated little blows of her heartbeats.
She entered, and for the first minute she
enjoyed the delicious sensation of sue
cess. Yes, decidedly all went well. She
was in the way of having all Paris al
her feet. And sure of herself, more
confident, more courageous, more rash,
she advanced, leaning on NJ. Palmer's
arm, who introduced her on the way to
counts, marquises and dukes.
Palmer suddenly said to her:
Il am anxious TO present to you one
! of your greatest admirers, who the other
night at the opera could talk of nothing
else but your beauty-the Prince de
/ Nerins"
| Nine. Derline was not to see the
Prince do Nerins that night. Neverthe-
less he had counted surely on going tc
I Palmer's house and presiding at the
/ apotheosis Of his notary's wife. But he
dined at his club and permitted himseh
| to be persuaded to go TO first per
Torrance at a small theater. They
played an operetta cast in the classic
mold. The principal character was d
/ young queen, who was always escorted
by four regulation ladies of honor.
Three of these young ladies were well
known to first nighters as having figured
in a good many finales of operettas and
in not a few professions of fairies. But
the fourth-oh, the fourthl She was
new. magnificent brunette of the most
surprising beauty. When the audience
was leaving, Prince de Nerins said to
every one who would listen to him:
THAT brunettel Helm! That brunette'
There's nothing like her in any other
theater. She's the most beautiful wo-
man In Paris. The most beautiful"
The next morning Nine. Derline found
in the fashionable intelligence of her
newspaper ten lines about the Palmers
ball. The marchionesses. the counteSses
and the duchesses who were there were
named. but OF her, Mime. Dorline, not &
word-nOt one word.
And to make it worse. he who wrote
about the theatrical performance landed
in enthusiastic terms the beauty Of the
| ideal lady of honor and said. Moreover,
tho Prince de Nerins declared that in
coutestably Mile. Miranda was the most
beautiful woman in Paris
Mime. Dcrline threw the paper in the
| fire. She did not wish her husband 60
know that she was no longer the most
beautiful woman IN Paris
Nevertheless she held on 10 the great
dressmaker and the English coachman,
but she has never dared to ask for the
little groom. Translated from the
French of Ludovig Halevy for the New
York World