The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-20
THE LAST CIGAR.

While coffee was being served our host
turning to us pleasantly, said, "Yay know
| gentlemen, smoking does not inoonyen
ienco me, " at the came time making
sign to the footman.
He left the room, to return in few
minutes with a box Of superb cigars, whcl
Immediately began to CIRCULATE round til,
table. 1t was long shallow box orna
mented with highly colored pictorial dc
signs, and each of the cigars it held wa,
furnished with golden ring and wrapped
in silver paper.
The box was passed from hand to hand
till 1t reached me, and after helping my
self offered 1t In rurn to u friend sittin,
at the end of the table lie pushed it
aside gently THANK you, monsieur; !
don't smoke"
You don't smokef" said our host
"And what Ia the world has made yo,,
take up with that custom, thenS'
Il cant say that I've taken up with 1t
Its penanae."
"a pcnanco' Pray enlighten me. Tn
afraid don't understand you"
"Oh! You are not ablo to understand,
Well, it is quite a romance, assure you.
"A romancef Let us hear it, then, l beg
of you"
Apparently my neighbor wanted moth
ing better than to be asked to narrnto hi
story He bowed slightly to our host IA
much as to say: Willingly. l am only
waiJing your good pleasure, and without
further pressing ho bcgan
"At tivo and twenty | was, to say the
least o well made young fellow, proud U,
my curly LOCKS and proudcr still of II ver!
.-.l.
and silky over the upper lip, taperinE Of
on either sido and finishing with Il mag
niilcently daring curl.
The boys would poke fun at me abou,
the way curled my mustache. 1t wa
the curl of my mustache, they would say.
which did so much damage, wounding tht
hearts OF all the fair friends of my ac
qunlntance.
Evidently they must have exaggerated.
/ didn't catch all, but certainly l hookeu
some.
AT this time used to smoke GOOD
deal, and my friends whenever they mel
me in tho evening would say:
Hello, here's Philip; got his mus
tache lit up al usual
Briefly my mustache made many fel.
lows jealous, few happy and myself ex
ceedingly proud.
"Ono fine daytime evening rather
fell in love. 1t was bail, ravishinp
young beauty--I had danced three valses
with her, md l was caught. From ths
first my heart was II prisoner
II sought some Information about the
fair damscl who had made such wonder
full impression on me.
Every one told me, Mile. Geneyiovt
Is the daughter of one of our merchant
.,,il ira.- ,.,-t HOO Al.
family-dot, 900, 900 francs. Her relations
are very important people and very partic
ular. Her parents will only accept sou
in-law who is highly distinguished, OI
great intelligence and enormous wealth
In n word, he must be very pearl among
| men, .... ..-M .... .
II was too modest to hope to reach tn,
| ideal demanded, and besides pearl thougl
l might be, rs the fortune possessed wa!
not worth counting when 1t calno to reeE
oning by hundreds of thousands of francs
thought II was wisest to abstain froII
taking the first step.
"Whcn ons,a in love- ono is very rarel,
successful! in eoncesling the fact.
My secret was soon guessed.
ut passed from mouth to mouth. M
friends kindly carried 1t from ono tirawin.
room to another until at last Mile. Gene
we've Ieurncl thut there was actually
young man in the world with fai
mustaehe who WAS reported to bo dying 0
| loyc for her.
Was she touched by my secret worship
or had 1 really mado an impression oil
herr
Your mustache interrupted.
YES, my Observation-Disclosures it mn,
have been, Mile, Geneyleve soon gave he
father to understand that was the mar
she wanted to marry.
Papa made wry face, but the younl
lady was headstrong and willful, and Ii
the end gained her point.
Our engagement lasted six wceks-siI
| delicious weeks for me.
I'VE occupied ourselves chiefly In build
ing castles in spain. We promised our
selves life of continued and increasing
happiness We could see nothing likel,
to arise in the future that would dim tn,
brightness OF our sky or give rise to tht
smallest difference OF opinion. What WA
there for us to dispute abouts
Il was perfectly willing to make any