The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-13
FORTY-ONE SOUS.

than all, M. Chapoulot does not know what
may be happening, for good or ill, to his
beloved daughter Charlotte. Cruel an
guish, wherein the disquietudeo Of the heart
and the pants of hunger intermingle!
M. Chapoulot has never been so near un-
Outstanding why some commit suicide.
At this moment Gertrude, the old nurse
family cook, young lady's maid, in word
a veritable female factotum, enters the din
ing room, grumbling, and finds no one
dining. M. Chapoulot, whose strength
and patience have departed, at the same
instant lets fall his paper, while his two
hands at the ends of his swinging arms
seem ready to drop also.
SWELL, monsieur?' snaps out Gertrude.
"Well, Gertrude' p replies the unfortu-
nate.
"Shall take away the soup?"
"Do you think it worth while, Ger
trude? Charlotte will surely be here in
an instant 1t is astonishing that she has
not already come. When did she leave,
and where did she. go?"
"Mademoiselle left, as usual, at o. clock
for her music lesson. The lesson lasts an
hour. Allowing half hour to go and as
long to return, mademoiselle should have
been here, as she always is, at o'clock. !"
"And now it is 35 minutes past
"But the omnibus is frequently FULL
"a plague on the omnibuses!'
"Perhaps, as the weather is fine, made
moiselle has taken a walk and will return
home on foot by way of Rue de la Paix,
and there are many milliners and Jewell
ers and pretty things to attract a young
person along this route. y
1.-THE deuce take the fashions, and the
jewelry, and the girl herself, if she keeps
me waiting like this I should like to
know what one wishes to see after the
dinner hour has arrived? One should
have, neither eyes nor ears for anything
else.''s -
Not to mention the lovers-the handles
that follow pretty passersby, to whisper
to them az
stOhl I see. Lovers, indeedl You are
laughing at me, Gertrude. Thank God,
Charlotte understands how to send such
rascals to the right about. am glad to
say Charlotte has been brought up like an
American girl"
may be fool, but how father can have
his daughter run alone through the
streets p
''Runl RUM In the name of heavenl
You know, on the contrary, Gertrude,
Charlotte never hurries HERSELF
II am glad you can jest about it, I'M
natural father. But mark my words, this
will all end badly, and it will be your
fault, your fault for educating her as the
Ameri''-
M. Chapoulo5 refuses to listen further
He has taken sudden resolution.
Gertrude, Gertrude, take away the
soup. Keep it warm and bring ne my
boots. am going to meet her,"
Gertrude, still mumbling, removes the
tureen and is returning with the boots
when the doorbell peals out joyously.
ssThat is Charlotte, at lastl' exclaims
the father, who has just taken off his slip
pers. "a
sit is mademoiselle, % repeats Gertrude,
who in her haste to open the door drops
the boots upon M. Chapoulot's plate.
Charlotte enters like miniature whirl-
wind. She is small and graceful, with
laughing eyes and fluffy harris IS years
old, has little feet, with arched insteps,
and pretty hands, perfectly gloved, besides
a Thousand other charming details-thers
are dimples in her cheeks, and she has
clean cut little chin and a softly rounded
form. In word, she Is an adorable little
Parisienne, butterfly, all ribbons and
lace, flowers and furbelows, with all the
goods Of her fathers shop upon her dainty
person, but assuredly nothing Of the shop
about her.
"You have come at last" announces the
L
the table and unfolds his napkin.
"Oh, papa, I was just going to tell you"
"Sit down, sit down first, you can ex-
plain while eating, and will understand
you better then. The deucel I have
waited long enough already. Gertrude,
the SOUP"
"But papa, you can't thinkI I've had
a real adventure"
Gan adventure" cries M. Chapoulot,
starting up, just as Gertrude gives him a
glance of reproach as well as triumph,
above the tureen, as much as to say, 81
told you so.''
Yes, papa, an adventure, in the omni-
bus, with young man.
"In the omnibus, with young man?
Merciful heayens!"
1.-THE American education,'' growls
Gertrude as she retires in obedience to an
imperious gesture from her master,
ooh, papa, an adventure with young
man who was altogether genteel, assure
you."
II would have you know, my dear, that
a young man who is genteel never has an
adventure with young lady-above all
in an omnibus. Explain yourself"
"That is easy to do, little papa, and
really it isn't OF the least use to make
such big eyes at me and talk to me in
such voice. had forgotten my pocket
book-a thing that is liable to happen
any day
"Oh, yes, yes, especially to those who
haven't one. Go or
g. didn't discover it until the conductor
demanded the fare. What was to do?
Should pass for pauper-an impostor
perhapss turned first as red as peony:
-hen felt my face pale. Happily, as the
conductor held out his hand, young man
1t my side placed a piece of silver in it
md said, For two This gentleman had
understood the cause of my embarrass-
nent and paid for me-"
So, madomoiselle, you accept 6 sous
rom an unknown MANI Better thou
sand times to have explained the circum-
stances to the conductor-to the driver-to
he cOlnDtroI lpr-tn anrbo6r O,,a ,Iooe