The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-16
A PORCELAIN CUP.


ties and antiques and ran my eye over the
different articles displayed in the window,
of which the majority were old acquaint-
ances and some Of which had passed
through my own hands.
As I was about to pass on the door OF
the shop opened, and who should come
out but my friend Octave Ducrozel, whom
/ had not seen for several months. The
moment he saw me he came forward, and
/ noticed that he seemed annoyed, and that
the hand he gave me trembled in a way l
had never known before.
"What has h~anpened?" I inquired of
him. you look worried"
"Oh, these women, these womeni' he
growled in a voice that seemed addressed
to his own reflections rather than to me.
do not trust their promises; do not place
any confidence in th.ir VOWS. It's enough
to make a man blow his brains out"
f.'Ill see that you don't do that" l said
quietly, passing my arm through his. Il
shall stick to you like your own shadow"
IF you only knew, " continued the poor
fellow. And it is only five years ago. I
wa in love, head over ears in love. I
loved with all the passion and intensity
of a first love. 1t was with a beautiful
young girl at Batignolles. She wa stay
ing with her mother, and in order to re-
main by her side as long as she lived she
had refused many offers of marriage.
Louise Audry was as lovely as she was no.
BILE in her devotion to her mother.
"You know how the heart loves to
adorn the object of Its affections with all
the graces and charms Imaginable. I was
fortunate enough, too, to prove not dis
pleasing to Louise, and before long we
had formed the delightful plan of uniting
our destinies and getting married. We
decided to wait two or three months be-
fore taking the final step.
"Unexpected events, however, caused a
different disposal of our plans. Compelled
to undertake a long journey, of which the
termination seemed doubtful, found my
self obliged to postpone the wedding until
my return. When we said goodby, Louise
gave me q faithful promise to wait for me
as long as events might make necessary.
Gas a token of my tender affection l
begged her acceptance of an extremely
beautiful porcelain goblet that had been
left to me by my grandmother, and which
I cherished as the apple of my eye.
Louise was delighted to possess an article
that would constantly remind her of me
and promised me that whatever might
happen she would not suffer it to leave
her possession.
''Those were her last words. Shortly
after they fell from her beautiful red lips
I started on my journey.
-Four years passed, as you know, be-
fore I returned to France. During that
time I was in the center of Africa con-
ducting explorations and practically ex-
lied from the world, receiving no news
and able to send zone.
.'As soon as I arrived in Paris I hurried
to see Louise, to whom / had telegraphed
from Marseilles. Alas, what a cruel de-
ception was in store for me!
1.-The house she used to live in had been
torn down and removed by the construc-
ton of a new street. No one knew where
Mime. Audry and her daughter had gone
to live, and all my efforts to trace them
were Intellectual and vain.
"Several months have gone by since
then without bringing any news to change
the unhappy state of affairs.
This morning, while looking through
the shops to find o birthday present for
my sister, ! went by chance into the shop
where you have just met me.
81 examined first the numberless trim
kets displayed in the showcases-th an
oient jewelry, the enanels, worries, china
sets, miniatures and masterpieces of the
arts of the gold and silversmiths. Then
the salesman placed in my hands some
dainty figures in Saxon china and called
my attention to several graceful vases,
Japanese bronzes and dainty articles of
crockery ware.
while searching thus for something
that would make a present a little out of
the ordinary run ! walked up and down
the shop i'll front of the showcases and let
nc corner escape my attention. In this
way I found myself at length in front OF
q tall case with closed glass windows, be-
side which a young girl was sitting with
some embroidery work in her hands.
"And In this glass case, just about the
height of my eyes, what should I see
standing on a shelf behind the shining
glass pane but the old porcelain goblet I
had given to Louisel Yes, the very same
it was, the exquisite piece of Sevres that
had such deep Significance for me ana
with which SO many tender memories and
associations were linked.
'tAt first I was inclined to doubt my
eyes, but on looking closer it was no Ion
ger possible, for I knew every detail of it
by heart, and / recognized them all be
You'd the possibility Of being mistaken.
"There was a wreath of flowers so fine
ly and delicately worked in with threads
of gold and silver, forming a crown work
in which alternated tremendously a
superb rose cluster, with leaves and buds
and a bunch of dainty little flowers, red
and blue. / could not mistake it. There,
too, was the artistic mounting that I knew
so well, with the three bronze supports
representing the heads of animals peering
forth out of dense foliage and chiseled by
the hand of a master,
my surprise speedily gave place to in
dignation, as you may well understand.
This treasure of my heart in a shopl This
gem, linked with SO many family tradi-
tions and representing the %faithfulness of
my first love, exposed to the public eye of
the chance and ordinary buyer!
"In spite of her solemn oath she had
sold the goblet and forgotten me, who
gave 1t to her. oh, woman, woman, wom-
an, all and always the same, you are the
Disqualification of Inconsistency and the lie!
Naturally, you will understand, l had
only one thought in my mind-to buy the
goblet back again. / asked the price.
"sAh, monsieur, , answered the clerk,
the precious objects in that case are
the special care of Mime. Brunard, t.
proprietress, and she alone attends to any
business connected with them. Mime.
Brunard has just gone out, and / can say
nothing about them. Perhaps made-noi-
selle has some instructions
NO answered the young girl thus