Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-19
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cause ! got a lot more up stairs-none ON
! 'em cheap-and a sealskin jacket and gloves
with ever SO many buttons and all man.
ner."
"BravoP' said he, rubbing his hands, with
a smile; there's nothing like doing things
| thoroughly, Aura"
My shoes Is a caution" said, stepping
out into the light and drawing back my
skirts to show the glittering buckles.
pleasant to walk in, too, should say"
WALK 1 feel like as If could Almost
dance in 'em, Pm that light. Just like
! dream, where you feels If. you could fly.
An it don't seem real neither 1t kinder
frightens me to think as 1 may wake up
presently and find myself on the sacks up
in the corner of Baxter's wharf"
Turn it about. Say that this is the
awakening, and Baxter's wharf the dream
to be forgotten"
tried to realize that, but my heart and
brain gave way under the strain put upon
them.
Its too much for me all at once, f." said,
struggling with my hysterical emotion.
Its more'n 1 can bear. Don't you say
another word to me just for a minute or
two, or I'll make n fool of myself again"
But though he did not speak, and turned
away, biting my lip to stop its quivering,
the tears would spring in my eyes and
choking sobs rise in my throat
Pm a-goin off, think" said /, with a
queer laugh, at length. ut amt so much
these clos and things-its this kindness
as comes over me. amt used to it. This
Is twice I've give way like this. Here!'
suddenly turning, in Impotence with my
weakness. Il amt a-goin to carry on this
here way no more. I'm a-goin to be regular
good, am"
Taras nodded approvingly, and placing a
chair for me seated himself
There's the purse you give me: I've only
paid for the boots out of it, said l, offering
the purse
Keep it; you are sure to want other
things You may see some ornaments that
you would like for your room-this would
look homelier for n few trifles such as you
girls delight in"
There's somethin in here, though, as 1
must give you, Cause Not knowing
what excuse to make, took out the iron
ring 1 had stolen from him in silence and
held it out to him with a shamed face
He took it,with n smile, and putting it on
told me that If wanted it again l should
have it, but in a tone which led me to think
that there was more in his words than !
then understood.
At that moment Mere Lucas entered the
room with the soup, and her ordinations
of establishment as she recognized me in
my new gown gave new turn to our
thoughts. Having set down the tureen, she
stepped back, and putting her hands on her
hips surveyed me from head to foot with
smiling admiration, while she conveyed
her thoughts in confidential but perfectly
audible asides. l distinguished only the
words 'elegante" and ''propre' but these
just served to whet my appetite for fiat
terry.
she says I'm elegant and proper, but
what else does she say?" asked eagerly.
"Ah! to understand Mere Lucas compli-
ments you must learn French" Taras re
piled, laughing. Come, let us see if her
dinner isn't just rs nice
"Dinner!'' l exclaimed, why, we've had
one How many do you have day, for
goodness sakel" That dinner stands out in
my recollection as the most delightful 1
have ever had. There was n greater variety
of dishes than at n lunch, and each-espe-
cially wonderful gateau prepared express
ly for me-was n fresh surprise The can
dies clustered round boquet of bright
flowers and delicate grasses, shed soft
light over the table, the silver glittered, and
the wine shone like ruby in the glasses. 1t
afforded me great satisfaction to be able,
after one or two little accidents, to hold my
knife and fork as Taras did, to forego the
| habit of resting my elbows on the table,
and to find that after all, thanks to my
single spot on my new gown.
When we had finished our little cups of
black coffee, ventured to ask Taras what
ne usually did in the evening.
We'll, usually saunter along the EN-
bankment for half an hour or So he re-
piled.
Would you mind me a-goin along with
you jest for once'" l asked.
He glanced at my dress with a moments
| haGi H., s,,,r Ii,
qualms, said that he should be very happy
to take me.
Jest you wait bit, d." said l, jumping up
III be down in n jiffy."
The 'jiffy,' l fear, must have been u
rather tedious one to Taras, but at length
came down in my dark skirt, my sealskin
jacket and toque and n pair of pale kid
gloves.
what dye think of me now" asked
in exultation.
Taras purposely restrained himself from
saying all he felt, for fear that praise might
do more harm than good at this time. and
l felt little disappointment when he said
very quietly that my dress was ladylike and
graceful.
We walked over Westminster bridge and
along the embankment to the temple and
then back. My walking boots were tight
| and pinched my feet cruelty, but had the
borne it cheerfully and without murmur.
Indeed almost eNulted in this suffering
and in the effort to conceal the slightest
trace of it from Taras, with the feeling in a
minor degree of n martyr enduring torture
| for great cause. The gain to me was moth
ing less than tremendous. But yesterday
| girls stopped to laugh in my face and jeer
! at my grotesque distress; now they glanced
| at me with looks of envy. There was moth
ing ludicrous in my appearance, nothing
| anomalous in my walking beside a well
| dressed gentleman. l appeared to be his
| equal.
Taras himself seemed pleased to have a
| companion to talk to-not that said much
| for was unused to taking any part in con-
versation; my powers of forming ideas and
expressing them were wholly undeveloped,
and my chief anxiety was to hold my Shout
| ders back like Miss Hopkins and to find a
gait which was neither shuf1ling nor jerky.
He knew my inability to talk, and so kept
up an easy running chat which called for
| nothing beyond yes or no on my part.
l remember he told me the history of Mere
| Lucas life-how years ago she had starved
| with her husband in besieged Paris, when
even the rich could not get food; how she
| had fought beside him on the barricades
| where he was killed; how she herself mar
rowly escaped being shot with other COM
munists only to be transported to an island
thousands of miles from her country and
friends, and how, on her return to Paris,
she found her children dead and not friend
| to help her.
She don't look like as if she'd gone
through all that" said I.
mo; time brings forgetfulness, thank
Godr' he replied. But it struck me even
| then that the old woman owed more to his
humanity than to time
A gentleman stood with his hand on the
knocker as we reached our door
| "Come in. am glad to see Ynn - said