Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-12-18
THE COACHMAN.

VA aSCJ WOAAA NoAAO A4AeO PoooSookSAA VI
$500, 000 and as I did not want to be &C.
cused OF paternal covetousness l desisted
from taking her to my home Conse-
quently she spent all her vacation at
school, grew up beautiful and thereby
caused me to redouble my precautions.
She showed religious proclivities and
professed a vocation for convent life. l
demonstrated against her becoming nun,
but she urged that she was happy and
wanted nothing better than to pass her ex-
istence at the convent. When Of age, she
for two years devoted her whole income to
feeding and clothing the poor Of Juilly.
One morning, however, received the
following astonishing letter:
MY DEAR GuAnD1AN-I am bored. After
mature reflection find that am not cut out
for religious career. Kindly find me hus-
band as soon as possible Your grateful and
devoted ELIANE.
hurried to the convent.
$50 you are bored?"
$40 death, my dear guardian"
'And you wish to marry simply for lack
of something better to do?"
Exactly
Have you considered"
"Not very much-only enough to know
that since / am bored at the convent I can
have no religious vocation. I won't be an
old maid. There is nothing left then ex-
ccpt marriagc-or DEATH"
"How you jump at conclusionsl'
Have you in your infinite wisdom any
thing else to suggest"
Hum! And what do you require of the
happy mortal, your future husband?"
Nothing, except that he please me"
Every we'll. But what does please you!
You must have some ideal. All girls
have"
mot t. she answered quietly. RE
member, my kind friend, that know only
three men-you, our father confessor and
the convent gardener, and'---
"And9"
She slightly tossed her head "Well,
they are not at all what want"
1 was fully aware that I, stout, bald
and nearsighted, could not be the fancy
of handsome girl Of 20; still I felt little
provoked at being told it so plainly.
Very WE'LL" said grutfly.
She kissed me. Probably she would have
been more circumspect had been hel
ideal. Anyhow her kiss Gained me-
II shall seek and find"
She dropped me nice little courtesy,
and we parted.
1t does not seem hard to find q candidate
for the hand of young and charming
heiress. presented quite number Of
men to her-nice fellows, too-but none
suited her. Summer was passing, and
each week Eliane sent me card with the
words, II AM bored. "
Don't be SO hard to please, then. Make
choice" answered In evaporation.
Things were at this point when my Ole
friend, the curate Of Redon, spoke to mt
Of the Marquise do PEN Valloet and hel
two sons-old family, distinguished name
good connections, respectable fortune.
proposed to Eliane to spend a few weeks
with my wife at Trouville She joyfully
accepted.
son the way" said /, I'VE will stop al
one Of my clients, the Marquise de Per
Valloet."
II wager your client has a son."
1.-TWO, In fact.
| $50 much the easier to choose.
The marauise resided on a largo estate
some miles from Rcdon. l had been tolt
of her strictly economical way OF living
so was not surprised to find awaiting III
at the station an old rattletrap of car
riagc, which smellod so nusty that, as WI
| started to got in Eliane rccoied,
Suppose we ride outside l should en-
| Joy the fresh air.
II don't see any ladder" said l, a littl'
dis,nayed at the steep climb.
bah! Ono foot on the wheel, another
near tho conchman and there you are.
| 'tYou want to break my neck. y
Don't DO afraid, sir" said the coach
man. Offering mo his strong hand ant
r! holping me to mount quite easily.
Evidently an ex-soldier," Thought !
looking admiringly at tho robust, hand
some figure of the man.
| Eliane seemed no moro than a feathe
in his strong grasp. Before. / was scatet
sho was beside me, radiant and happy as
lark.
'.You will be afraid, said I, measuring
| the distance from our perch to the ground
| ssAfpaid You don't know mo. 70,
| will cry quarter before do. Now, driver
quick, quick, quick"
| The man smiled rather sarcastically,
| thought.
SHOT too fast, my boy" said. Don
listen to that featherbrain."
| He gathered up his rcins and started hi
| team. Heavens, what a race! My bloc,
curdles ut the thought Of 1t. Eliane clap
ped her hands and melted the please'
coachman to redoubled efforts Iheld OF
with might and main, prepared to jun
4 ut the expected crush.
| Nv to1tllre lastefl S5 minutes durin
which must have grown 10 years Older
The carriage turned sharply to the right
| We raced up narrow road and stoppe'
short in paved court The precision wit
which the ponies halted at the door wonl
have done honor to circus horses, but
was too vexed to admire.
"You came near killing u.s." said t
the coachman.
every one knows his own business, sil
know NINE :" he answered phlegmatioal
".
A handsome, refined looking youn
| man Of medium height met us and assiste
US to alight.
Mime. de PEN valloet received US In th
large, gloomy drawing room, hung wit
ancestral pictures more or less hideoua
She herself, In her old fashioned, fade
gown, looked like an old family portrait
desccnded from its Frame She greeted u
graciOusly and herself led us to our apart
mcnts. e
my son Rene, she said, designatin
J the handsome young man who had ~