The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-20
THE LAST CIGAR.

While coffee was being served our host,
turning to us pleasantly, said, "Youknow,
gentlemen, smoking does not inconven-
ienco me-" at tho Same time making q
sign to the footsnan.
Hc left tho room, to return in II tow
minutes with box of superb cigars which
Immediately began to circulate round tho
table. 1t WAS long shallow box orna-
mentcd with highly colorcd pictorial de-
signs, and each Of tho cigars it held was
furnished with golden ring and wrapped
in silver paper.
The box was passed from hand to hand
till it reached me, and after helping my
self 1 offered it in turn to friend sitting
ut the end of tho table. He pushed it
aside gently. "Thank you, monsieur; 1
don't smoko.'
You don't smoker said our host
And whit in tho world has mado you
take up with that custom, thcnr'
II can't say that Two taken up with it.
It's n penancc."
"A pcnancci Pray cnlightcn me I'm
afraid don't understand you"
"Oh! You arc not able to understand
Well, it Is quito romance, assure you. :"
~ romanccf Let us hear It, then, beg
of you"
ing better than to be asked to narrato his
story. Ho bowed slightly to our host as
much as to say: 'Willingly. l nm only
waiting your good pleasure, and without
further pressing he began:
AT five and twenty WIS., to say tho
least, well made young fellow, proud of
my curly locks and proudcr still of very
handsome mustachc, which grew thick
and silky over tho upper lip, tnpering off
on either sido and finishing with n mag
niflcently daring curl.
1.-The boys would poke fun at me about
tho way l curlod my mustnche. 1t was
the curl OF my mustachc, they would say,
which did SO much damage, woundng the
hearts of all tho fair friends of my nc
quaintancc.
Evidently they must have exaggerated.
didn't catch all, but certainly 1 hooked
some.
AT this time used to smoke good
deal, and my friends whenever they met
mo in tho evening would say:
Hello, hero's Philip; got his mus
tacho lit up as usual
Briefly my mustachc made many fol
lows jealous, few happy and myself OK
cecdingly proud.
Ono tine daytime evening rather-I
fell in love. 1t was IL ball, ravishing
with her, and 1 was caught From the
first my heart was prisoner.
- |. sought some Information about the
fair damsel who had made such q wonder
full impression on me.
Every ono told mo, Mile. Genevieve
Is tho daughter of ono of our merchant
princcs-a millionaire-lnost honorable
family-dot, 500 900 francs. Her relations
arc very important people and very pnrtio-
ular. Her parents will only accept d SON.
in-law who is highly distinguished, Of
great intelligence and enormous wealth
In word, he must be very pearl among
mcn.'
II was too modest to hope to reach the
ideal demanded, and besides pearl though
l might be, as tho fortune possessed was
not worth counting when it camo to rcck-
oning by hundreds of thousands of francs,
/ thought 1t was wisest to abstain from
taking the first step.
When ones in love, ono is very rarely
successful i'll concenling the fact.
My secret was soon guessed
1t passed from mouth to mouth. My
friends kindly carried it from ono drawing
room to another until ut last Milo Gene
vicvo learned that there was actually
young man in the world with fair
mustache who was reported to DO dying of
love for her.
WAS she touched by my secret worship,
or had L really madc an impression on
hcr?''
Your mustaci.c." 1 interrupted.
Yes, my whatever 1t may
have boon, Mile Gcnevieye soon gavo her
father to understand that was the man
she wanted to marry
Papa made wry face, but the young
lady was headstrong and willful, and in
the end gained her point.
Our engagement lasted six wccks-six
delicious weeks for Inc.
we occupied ourselves chiefly in build
ing castles in Spain. We promised our
selves u life of continued and increasing
happiness. We could see nothing likely
to arise in the future that would dim the
brightness OF our sky or give rise to tho
smallest difference of opinion What was
there for us to dispute about2
Il was perfectly willing to make any
sacrifice to please Gcncviove.
ut had been quito sufficient for me
when, ono evening rs 1 was lighting I'D,
she begged Inc not to smoke any moro. L
ask it as favor of you dear threw
away the cigar just started without muir
muir.
And, as if she understood something
OF tho pleasure of which had thus unhe
itntingly deprived myself, she whispered:
"'Ah, if you only knew, dear, how
much 1 love you for yielding to my
wishesp
1t is my greatest happiness to oboy
you And was sincere in saying that.
II even went 80 far as to refuse to finish
the box already broken into. 1t stood up
on the mantelshelf in my room. My Gus
tom was to smoke cigar every night be-
fore going to bed, but on this occasion no
sooner had I stretched out my hand toward
them than-ahl my promise. Tho tempta-