The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-08-09
SELECTED STORIES.
The Figurine.


the glass of the great window a beautiful
blond head coifcd with a little blue ca
puchn.
An adorable head it was, with tendrilly
tresses of shining gold languishing eyes
and half parted lips, seeming to need and
to await but "A kiss to warm them to ardent
life.
1t was the novelty of the season in the
advertising line, and the trade of the Golf
feur so much increased thereby that it real
ly looked as if the police would be needed
to keep the street free.
All paris-as one sheep follows another
over the fence till the whole flock has
passed-was occupied now with the pretty
figurine of the Madeleine quarter
But the cagcrncss of the city changed
nothing in the habits of the hairdresser's
shop. The pretty figurine in her coquettish
capuchin faced with vieuX rose showed
herself neither more nor less often in Ter
velvet and crystal caging, and worse than
all for the inportunate and curious ones
when they entered the shop and demanded
of the Majestic dame de compton nearer
view of the wonderful wax image she an
swered firmly and always that the key was
not in her possession and blandly pointed
to the side of the room impenetrably in
closed to the ceiling behind stout wooden
paneling
Marcel made up his mind one morning
and entered the shop, determined to &c.
uuire the beautiful object of his desires, no
matter at what cost. The stately saleswom-
an met him and sought to sell him every
thing in the world but that which he had
come to purchase.
NO" said he, sit is the head that l want
that is to say, the head that last even
ing was in the window, for the window at
present is empty"
With many hens and haws the sales
woman finally declared that she had no au
thority to negotiate such an affair.
ITO whom, then" persisted Marcel
'shall address myself, madameS"
ITO the patron, monsieur, though warn
you that it will be entirely useless. For
nothing in the world would the patron part
with it,"
THAT is my affair." madame. And when
can the patron be seen? wish to settle
the matter as soon as practicable"
"Impossible to say, monsieur; the patron
goes out every morning, not to return some
times-till exceedingly late"
"His home address thenW urged Marcel
stubbornly.
"Out of the question, monsieur; it is for
hidden to disclose it,"
Marcel was not to be stopped by trifles
He took up his stand in a cafe opposite the
hardressers shop and waited.
About II o'clock he saw little becurled,
pomaded and perfumed being enter the
place and begin to strut around with the
air of the master. He quickly crossed and
stated his business. He was badly received
truly.
'If such outrageous, such indiscreet steps
continue" fumed the artistic coifTeur, II
shall close up my shop Immediately,
III sieur Never before, and | have dwelt
in every capital in Europe with-with my
head m'sieur-never, never, repeat, have
i suffered before persecution that equals
this"
'But, monsieur" said Marcel, you look
at this matter in a very strange manner.
Allow me a word of explanation. You are
a merchant and possess an object that
find to my taste and which | offer to buy
from you What could be simpler, partic-
ularly as | am willing to pay whatever
price you choose to ask"
"And | tell you, m'sieur," returned the
enraged little man, stamping around like
one possessed, mo matter what price you
offer, my-my object is not for sale. Any
thing else that you please in my shop
paints powders, perukes, capuchins, trim
kets-anything, anything | say, but-but
the figure in my window"
The case was useless, Marcel departed
defeated and furious.
She was regularly in her place for per-
haps week more, when the window was
empty, and queerer than all else the win
dow remained empty.
Compile CASTOR Leopold, too, had
strangely disappeared and was to be found
at neither house, club, opera, nor any other
place that once had known him. Marcel
inquired for him of friends and besieged
the servants who answered the door.
IN. lie Comte had left Paris very sud-
denly" they responded, without saying
where he was going or how long he would
remain"
A month passed, and then one evening
at the club Marcel and Blankston's wager
upon the coiffeur's flgurine brought up the
subject again.
But she's there no more, you know"
sadly declared little Frisbie
'Eh? What? Gone for good the pretty
little fgurinef"
$50 it seems"
And 50 eventually it proved. The win
dow was rearranged and filled with mis-
cellaneous collection of all sorts of things
apropos of women's toilets-fichus, flowers
combs, brushes, pads and buckles-any
thing that you could ask, in fact but not
40 much as one golden curl of the little fig
urine's pretty head.
But she wasn't there always at first
Frisbie, you know" cried a voice at the
back, "only occasionally; perhaps we miss
herr
'No, she comes no more, tell you. I've
watched and waited; it is total eclipse
Deuced hard on me besides, for that pretty
little hgurine was II genuine mascot to me
When | stopped to look at her and she
smiled upon me, luck was always, as now
it is the reverse, in my favor"
And as forme, - said another 'when sh'
gave me II lock-
This was too much; disturbed in his rub
Der, the old Comte Dannevlle brought tn,
chatter to an end with sharp rap on thu
table. A coiifeur's fgurine smiling ant
gazing at passersby? Poohl What rubbish
Not to be tolerated moment in serious
gameof piquet!
Marcel alone remained thoughtful, ant
next morning breakfast over, he betool
himself hur.edly to the cafe that once be
fore served him as an observatory.
The window opposite was still minus o