People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-11-24
s~ CopYRIeHTED By JBLIpplNcoTT COMPANY

III hAC w AONCs anu hAOh
do anything. l s'pose we ought to
have done something bout it, but we
were plain folks, and we didn't think.
1t wasn't just right"
"It's no matter now, father Sam
does not care"
mo, Sam does not care. He loves
you, and | guess he's contented. be,
SO long as you stay near me-"
Then they fell into silence for few
moments. The old man was twice
tempted to speak, but did not. There
was more to tell,-something he had
never mentioned to any one, except to
his dead wife, and she had asked him
to keep it always secret, and he had
promised her.
Mother was right" he said in his
heart. ut would break the girls heart
if she knew it. It's best she should
never know"
"And the buoy marks the spot,
father?'
"Yes, deary. Governm't put the
two-fathoms buoy just six fathoms east
by south of the place where the ship
went down"
That night there came in from the
sea one of those series of long myster-
ious rollers that hint of storms far off
on the open ocean. The stars sparkled
and quivered as il anxious to speak,
and the vast shaft of light from the
tower searches round and round the
horizon, but found nothing. And the
buoy moaned and moaned to itself in
the dark for the dead secret
of the sea.
Mademoiselle Louise Rochet burst
upon the hotel at breakfast the next
morning in a new and more bewilder-
ing costume. Breakfast cakes were
neglected and coffee grew cold that
feminine eyes might mark, examine,
and mentally digest its minutest de-
tails. The breakfast-room had not
been closed an hour before the natural
result appeared. There was timid
knock at Mademoiselle's door, and the
maid opened to young girl.
Gould | see Mademoiselle Rochetp"
Mademoiselle would see the young
miss. With some difidence the girl
made her errand known. Was this the
Mademoiselle Louise Rochet of Fifth
avenue-late of Paris? Yes Was
there any service Mademoiselle could
offer? Yes. Mother, that is, Mrs.
Van Houton, had robe. There was
to be a hop that night at the hotel.
Could Mademoiselle examine it with
perhaps view to its improvement?
Mademoiselle seemed to think for an
instant Should she continue her
character of fashionable New York
dressmaker or play the lady of
leisureP Which would be the best
character in which to appear when she
met him? She thought of his pride,
but only to smile in curious way at
the thought. He had cared nothing
for her feelings; why should she con-
slider his? Besides, business, brought
money, and brought it more easily and
abundantly than she had ever dreamed
in the days of her poverty in Paris.
With scarcely a perceptible hest
tation she said, sweetly, 81 shall re-
ceive Madame Van Houton with
pleasure"
"our room is No. 65, this floor, and
thank you kindly, mademoiselle.
Mother will be greatly pleased, Pm
sure"
No man has yet been able to under
stand the process of reasoning by
which the feminine mind reaches GER
tain results. Mile. Rochet had not
been seen except at supper and break
fast, and yet it was known to more
than half the people in the house that
a certain valuable order of mind
had arrived. The born dress-maker
had appeared. The genius for drap-
ing had shed its benefcent light
upon them. The masculine mind
falls back on the safe proposition that
as the waist is gored so is the skirt in
clined-and stops. The feminine mind
knows better and goes farther. Drap-
ing is a mystery, matter only for
superior minds. Within another hour
the peasant maid at Mile Rockets
door had four times informed anxious
inquirers that Mile Rochet was en-
gagged at room 65. Thither the pill
grims went to see, admire and discuss
Mrs. Van Houton had secured the
prize, but was willing that friends
should witness her success.
Mademoiseue gazed thoughtfully at
robes, suggested, lightly touched the
fabrics here and there, and it was
done. Genius when really great rarely
works with its hands in this fine art
1t suggests, and other and perhaps
lower minds buy materials, direct the
hands in needle-work, and wear the
result with conscious pride. In twenty
minutes Mrs Van Houton's robes had
been passed upon, and Mademoiselle,
with mental note of the value of her
services, was led away to see other
robes. As she examined and COM
mented on dress, she measured women.
She soon found just what she wanted,
"a society woman with an unruly
member. In this ladys dress
Mile Rochet found much to ad-