Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-07-17
ANNETTE.


Nine. Xavier kept shop at the end
of the street, such tiny shop, with
only one window to it and u bit of
counter piled high with punches of gay
yarn and boxes of cheap tinsels There
was bird in cage in madnme's Win
dow. He always sang furiously in the
early morning, and pot of nlignonette
in blossom adorned the sill.
just across the road lived the sausage
yender, little old man, who wore q
wig and dressed in snuff color.
He was early at his post every morn
ing frying sausages, but being cruelty
afflicted with asthma he could only
speak in loud, hoarse voice, SO his
daughter, Annette, a very dream of
health and beauty, would stand beside
him in her neat stuff gown and call in
a voice as lusty as ohanticleer:
''Hot sausagesl Hot sansagesn
Now, diagonally across ON the next
street was tall brick building used as
storehouse. Its lower rooms were piled
with dusty white bags full of grain,
over which the satin coated mice frol-
licked and grew fat the liyelong day, but
up in the peak of the building was q
large garnet, rented to a poverty stricken
artist.
Here were pictures strewn all about
| the room, while in the middle of the
room stood stout easel supporting a
bare canvas. Every morning the artist
crept down from his lofty quarters to
buy hot sausages of NJ. Daubeau and to
cast sly glances of intense regard at An
nette, who, for her part, kept on at her
calling as if there were no young men
| in the world
But when he turned to go back to his
| garret then would Annette smile and
| toss her head, with its white cap, in a
coquettish nod to the little madame
across the road, saying as much, HSee,
I have an admirerl' And madame
would smile back, for she dearly loved a
romance. Sometimes she would becIIon
to Annette, and when the girl ran light
| ly across the street the old woman
would say:
"When shall the wedding beP'
Ought" Annette would answer.
Gould eat paint? thrive now and
am comfortable. Monsieur must mako
his fortune ere Annette weds him"
= 'tAnd he shall do it, " returned the
little madame. 81 viii myself speak to
monsieur. -
That very day when the artist passed
| her shop with a canvas we'll wrapped in
paper under his arm the little French
woman called to him. Come in, " she
said "Show me the picture. -
Reluctantly he undid it and disclosed
a pensiye faced Madonna
ttFi done, monsienrp' exclaimed ma
dame. 'But she has siclkly look. 1 do
not wonder you may not sell her. We
have enough like her. Monsieur must
paint different-something gay and
cheerful-fresh, you know"
ST am too poor to hire model, - said
the artist gloomily.
tAh, truly, " replied madame, 'ebut
suppose I could find model. Would
monsieur paint?''
/ Perhaps"
She led the way through the tiny
shop to "a timer living room. There,
in one corner, looking very big and
| clumsy, stood am oaken chest, with the
lilies of France carved upon it. The
old woman unfastened key from her
chatelaine and lnelt before the chest.
She paused
s'Monsieur must know" she said
grayely, ''long way back in France my
people were not poor, but rich. That
/
fore their names were knitted into the
cruel madame's stocking. They fell.
We have always been poor enough since.
! Ee coffre contains my great grandmeer' s
ball gown. Monsieur shall see.
She unlocked the chest, and lifting a
covering of tissue paper shook out a
rich white satin gown heavily embroid-
cred with pale blue forgetmenots. The
stomacher was thickly sewed with seed
pearls, and wide ruff1es OF rare old lace
edged the neck.
The artist gave a cry of admiration:
"a costume of the time of Louis XVI
How exquisitel"
iHere are her slippers, continued
madame, holding up pair of white
satin slippers adorned with tarnished
gold buckles, land these are the gloves
she wore. To think I have them yet,
monsieur, and my great -grandmere dust
these 100 yearsl We might have sold
her toilet over and over again when
we were hungry and cold, but we al
ways preferred to suffer for my grand
mere's sake. Listen, monsieur. Petite
Annette, across the street, You love her.
1 have seen so. She has a heart as sweet
as nut and as bonny face as ever the
sunshine kissed If I put these robes
upon her, she viii look like une grande
dame fit for monsieur's brush She win
be fresh like the rose and as beautiful
She shall be monsier's model, and
will make his fortune.
That night, then. the sausage vender
: took in his stand Annette, free at last,
slipped across the road, and the old
madame robed the girl IN the grand tot
Let and fastened her soft, fluffy curls in