Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-26
the RED FLAG.
CONTINUED.

y
amidst the din, squeezed together in
their corner, sti1ingly hot under thu
burning glass roof and in the crowded
atmosphere. But who would not be
happy on wedding-day, and in the
hour of victory? They sat at the little
table for more than an hour, nearly
half of which time had been wasted
ID waiting; and when they went out
again it seemed to Durand'S keen eye
as if change had come over the spirit
of the crowd outside. There were only
about half the people, and faces Were
graver- faces of business men
looking even perpleXed and troubled;
voices less loud; no more hats thrown
into the air, no more laughter.
The rest OF the bridal-party were too
much absorbed i'll each other to note
this change in the public temper. The
carriages were waiting to take them
to the ButteS Chaumont, where it had
been decided to spend the afternoon.
They We're to go back to a dinner,
which Madame Schubert and Rose had
planned between them, in Madame
Schuberts apartment, which was spac-
iOuS and splendid in the eyes of the
jewellers in Git le Occur. Durand and
MOrtemar had wished to give a dinner
at some popular restaurant-au Moulin
Rouge, for instance, but the women had
set their faces against such eXtraya-
gance. Rose argued that it was a sin
to Squander money on eating and
drinking. She had heard that at such
places a napoleon was charged for Il
single dish, a franc for pear or
peach; yes, when peaches were to be
had for three of four sous at the street
corners. SO Maman Schubert and Rose
had held grave consultations, and bad
gone marketing together on the eve
of the wedding; and now, while they
were driving merrily toward the Place
de III Bastille, the daube La Proven
Gale was Simmering slowly on the little
charcoal stove in IL Schubert's tiny
kitchen. The petits tours from the con-
fectiOner'S in the Rue du Bac We're
ready i'm the doll's-houSe larder, and the
.dinner-table was out with its fruit and
flowers and golden-cruSted lOaves of
finest bread, and bottles of innocent
MedOc, ready for the feast.
The excitement of the good news
prevailed Paris. The Rue st. Antoine,
the Place de In Bastille, were alive
with idlers. They drove by the long
dreary Rue de Ii Roquette, past the
prisOn4WallS, away to Menilmontant
and BelleVille, where the honest harm
less working population, the blue
blouses and white muslin caps, were all
astir in the sunshine-a seething crowd.
There was kind of fair on the
Boulevard, Saturday and Sunday fair
swings and r0undabOuts, and Il juggler
or tWo-all merry in the white August
dust, under the hot blue sky.
They drove through narrow old
streets on the top of the nill-dusty,
crowded, unWhoIesome, wretched
dwellings; Il truculent rabble, blue
blouses, white night caps, everywhere;
queer little wine-shops, queer little eat
ing houses, an intoIerable odor of petit
belue and abSinthe suisse, Il tumult of
harsh VOiceS-and so to the wonderful
gardens, the green valleys and Alpine
cragS, the blue lakes and Swiss sum-
warehouses;, and Grecian temples of
the old, old quarries that have been
made into a pleasure ground for the peo-
pie of Paris; surely the prettiest, gay
est, most picturesque playground that
ever Il tyrant gave to his slaves. Let
us call him Il tyrant, now that he is
asleep in his English grave, and all the
good he did for the Paris he loved SO
well is appropriated by new masters,
his name obliterated from all things
which his brain devised and his enter
prise created
The Wedding-party drove in by the
gate that had admitted so many brides
and bridegrOoms, smart and smiling,
in their new clothes, their new bliss.
They drove a lit r. way into the
grounds, and then = "hted, and climb
ed one of the Alpine lromontories, and
looked down upon he gay scene be-
ncath. Never was more joyous crowd
beneath Il brighter sky, amidst Il fairer
landscape. 1t seemed as if all Paris
was taking holiday The verdant val
ley was palpitating mass of blue
blOuSes, white caps, parti-colOred raj
ment frightened here and there by the
uniform of Sergent de vile. One
could hardly see the greensward, so
dense was this muster of human be-
ingS. The chalets Were crowded with
customers; lemonade, syrups, coffee,
ices, Bavarian beer, were being con-
Sumed wholesale Mothers and child
rem, fathers, SweetheartS: Paris was
all here en- famille, all elated at the
great news, somewhat vague at present.
But Castor and his young wife went
higher and higher, seeking some soil
tary spot beyond this holiday throng,
and at last found hill upon which
vegetation was wilder and more roman
tic, and where they were alone for
little while, looking down upon Paris
lying in an oval basin at their feet,
city of white houses and church tow
ers, domeS and statues, girdled with
gardens, flashing with fountains, the
beautiful river winding through the
white streets and Quays like Il broad
blue ribbon, touched with CLEANS of
gold.
rs it not a noble city," asked Gas
ton, proud of his birthplace, the only
home he had ever known.
Yonder to their left on the slope of
the hill, lay the cemetery. crosses and
columns, Egyptian sepulchres, Roman