The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-08-24
THE BROKEN CHAIR.

jacques climbed rapidly the five flights
Of stairs which led to his room. The ascent
made, he stopped moment on the last
landing. From this landing opened two
doors, one at tho right hand, one at the
left. He took key from his pocket, looked
q long time at the door on the right, ut.
tered great sigh, then opened the door
at the left. Ho turned his head, looked
again ut tho right hand door, uttered
second great sigh, and entered his own
apartment.
Once there he doffed his coat, put away
his bundles, took chair, placed it against
the wall and himself astride of 1t, lighted
a cigar, and, remaining thus, watched the
little rings of smoke ascend to tho ceiling,
while every five minutes he pressed his
ear to the partition.
He stayed there for half hour or so,
smoking several cigarettes and pressing
his car several times to the wall. At last
his face, till then dull and melancholy,
took on an expression of joy. Some one
was moving ON tho other side
"She has returnedl' he exclaimed.
In moment there was heard the noise
Of chairs and dishes.
"She is going to dlnel'' cried Jacques,
and he pressed his car still closer to the
partition, trying to follow tho least move
mcnt of his neighbor. He was not able
to sec her, but he was happy to hear her,
to be near her
To see her no morei That was a great
grief to Jacques. Formerly he had seen
her often.
He made plans to meet her on the stair
way. For that he would remain in tho
street whole hours together. Then, when
he perceived her afar of, he would como
back, mount few flights in order to give
her time to arrive, and Immediately de-
scending, rs IL by accident, would have the
joy of single look in her face.
But he always felt so troubled to see her
pass before him, so grave and so reserved,
that he salutcd her more awkwaf1ly than
the most awkward schoolboy and lowered
his eyes without daring to raise them.
He had tried hard to be less timid, had
practiced graceful salutations, invented
pretexts for conversation, imagined wise
remarks, but all this forethought was in
vain Each tffne that the adored being
passed jacques saluted her moro awk-
wardly. Once he even let fall his hat
Then tespairing of conquering his embar-
rassment and timidity and trembling lest
he should make bad impression upon
her he had renounced seeing hor For"
he thought, "what If should happen not
to please herl 1t is better not to SEQ her
than to displease her." -..........
jacques had arranged his lie thus' TAX
ing caro- never to go out or come IN at the
same time as his neighbor. ana ne con-
tented himself with living beside her and
near her without her haVlhg the least
suspicion Of his existence.
Without being able to see her ne was
nevertheless acquainted with her.
She was named Charlotte' Sne workeo
by the day. setting forth carly In the
morning and returning late IN the even
ing. And she was honest. oh, yes very
honest and hardworling, for very far into
the night she occupied herself WIN the
needle.
jacques felt himself hllcd with admira-
tion for this brave and beautiful girl, who
alone in the world-she was certainly
alone, for she never received any visits
| knew so well how to resist the temptations
which befall one so young and lair.
She had come to the house the year De-
| fore. The first time jacques had seen her
he noticed that she was pretty-that was
| all. At first he had given little attention
| to her, His love for her had come to him
little by little, her attraction for him fore
ing its way, so to speak, through tho par
| tition.
The thought came to him late at night
| when he entered his home, Il wonder IL
she has retired" and when coming out
early in tho morning he Thought, ~ Won
der II she is awake" Little by little the
thought of tho morning became bound
without interruption to the Thought OF
tho evening. 1t became the Thought OF
his entire life. jacques was now well es-
| tablished in his affection Tor Charlotte.
He adored her, and ho knew that he Should
adore her always.
| II she had permitted him to speak to
her, or If he had had courage to speak to
her, his declaration and his confession of
faith would not have been long. 1t would
have been this only;
| "Madcmoiselle, love you. VIII you be
my wifes"
| But, alas, to offer ones hand TO woln-
an it Is necessary to have something with
in it, and Jacques had nothing. He was