Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-01
A STUDY IN SMOKE.

name of Passeraud perched like spar
row on the topmost branch of a poplar
tree. The manners of this young mar
Were peaceful and orderly: his temper
was gentle; his bearing modest; his
clothes were patched. The janitor had
expressly forbidden this insignificant
tenant to have in his possession dog,
violin, a sewing machine-anything
no matter what, which was cumbersome
or noisy. He was enjoined to come in
very early at night. 1t was question
in the neighborhood how he managed
to keep his hands clean, for the janitor
had forbidden him to take up any wa
ter, because this liquid, carried care
lessly in jugs by mis- youthful hands,
might dampen the stairs. However, by
good will and good humor, Passeraud
had succeeded in making his presence
supportable, although only poor devil
in a house inhabited by bankers, favor
lite tenors, diplomats and commissioners
of accounts.
He had recently left the Ecole Cen
trale with an honorable standing, and
almost Immediately the Calcium Min
ing company of the upper Peloponnesus
had offered him a position-$100 a
| month to begin with-which would
| have put him out of the reach of want,
| but as he dreamed of inventing an au-
tomato brake, which would prevent
locomotives from coming into collision
ON the railroad or at least would re-
! duce the force of the shock, he had re-
| fused the offers of the mining company,
! TO give himself night and day to the
! drawing of innumerable diagrams of
/ the brake in question. Therefore he
/ looked forward to glory and fortune.
| but while he waited he was dying of
hunger. That mattered not to him; his
1 inventiOn-he was absolutely sure of
| that-his invention was ON the point of
| succeeding.
One day on the first flight of the stair
| case he encountered a young girl, blond
and exquisitely dressed and so graceful
| that scholar would Immediately have
! called her gOddess-as shown by her
! bearing. She went forward and disap-
peared, light and supple, leaving be-
| hind her a subtitle odor of lemon YER
/ hera, and Passeraud. astonished, re-
| manned luOtionless in the middle of the
| landing for five minutes with his mouth
| open, as though he expected that the
vision of his peerless neighbor would
| present itself to him anew.
The next day, by a coincidence
| which we would like to believe quite
| fOrtuitous, Passeraud was on the same
landing exactly ut the same hour again.
The young girl passed, and as it seemed
blushed in passing. Fearing that he
had wounded her. Passelaud resolved
never to come down the staircase at
that hour again.
The following day, however, he re-
membered that urgent business COM
| PEELED him to so out at moment ex-
! actly identical with that when leaving
the house WAS quite forbidden him by
/ his decision of the day before. He took
up his hat. annoyed at this business
which exposed him to the danger of
embarrassing with his presence a per-
son whom he would not have troubled
for the world. What he dreaded hap
pened; new meeting took place, and
PasSeraud was inconsolable. the fair
maid having blushed more than before.
He was accordingly enraged against
( himself; the unknown one, scandalized
at being thus followed. would very
probably take steps to keep herself out
of his way. In order to convince him
self of this misfortune, Passeraud sought
the same place every day at the same
hour, and every day drew aside on the
staircase to let his neighbor pass.
Brought up politely by his mother, he
bowed at each meeting. At the end of
some time it seemed to him that the
slight inclination of the head which he
received in return took on an aspect al
| most friendly.
Having noticed this, he went to look
at himself in the mirror of a shop-in
his room there was nothing of the sort
in order to know if his person was
such that it might please so accom-
plished a young girl. Then he saw
that, even though the cut of his over
coat was bad, there was nothing repul-
sive about his looks. Next he inquired
with caution concerning the first name
of the pretty young lady of the first
floor He did not know why, but he
had a strSng desire to know her first
name. When he had learned that it
was Valentine, he was quite enchanted.
These comings and goings were not
of advantage to the automatic brake;
the diagrams were neglected.
AT last Passeraud took a decided
step; he dressed himself as well as pos
sible, went down to the apartments of
Valentines father, who was no less a
parsonage than NJ. Lamantin, owner of
the large and imposing building. and
4 ., l., ha hanOx 20
ask for your daughters hand.
My daughter S hand!' said the as
tonished old gentleman, eying Passe-
raud from head to fooA For whom, il
you please:"
For myself, SIR"
For yourself! Why, are you not my
little tenant of the garnet, upsthere I'M
der the roof?''
Yes, SIR"
Then what do you meanf My
daughter has $500, 200. am willing
to inform you of that fact. Do you
take it in? Eight hundred thousand.
And You, what have your
The engineer answered frankly; then
he added:
Il am not actually rich, but if you
give me Mile. Valentine believe me
that my work, my humble acquire
ments''-
Stop talkingl Your conversation Ia
of no interest to me. Will you please
to take your departure at once7 1t
makes me die of laughing to have you
come to ask me for my daughter. /
have only to add, Good evening.
But, sir, if do not present my suit
until after my automatic brake has
made me a millionaire, risk finding
Mile. Valentine married to another.
Now, sir, do not wish to run any such
risk
SO much the worse. What do you
want me to do about it2''
Passeraud retired in much distress.
Banging the doors after him, NJ. Lamar
tin exclaimed: