The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-12
ANNETTE.

counter piled high with punches of gay
yarn and boxes of cheap tinsels. There
was bird i'll cage in madame's Win
dow. He always sang furiously in tho
early morning, and pot Of mignonetto
in blossom adorned tho sill.
Just across the road lived the sausage
vender, II little old man, who wore
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 i'll loud, hoarse voice, so his
daughter, Annette, very dream of
health and beauty, would stand beside
him i'll her neat stuff gown and call in
voice as lusty rs chanticleer:
'Hot sausages! Hot sausagesr'
Now, diagonally across on the next
street was tall brick building used as
storchouse Its lower rooms were piled
with dusty white bags full of grain,
over which the satin coated mice frol-
licked and grew fat the livelong day, but
up i'll the peak of tho building was u
large garnet, rented to poverty stricken
artist.
Here wcro pictures strewn all about
tho room, while in the middle of the
room stood IL stout easel supporting u
baro canvas. Every morning the artist
crcpt down from his lofty quarters to
buy hot sausagcs of M. Daubeau and to
cast sly glanccs of intense regard ut An
ncttc. who, for her part, kept on ut her
calling as if there were 10 young men
in the world
But when he turned to go back to his
garnet then would Annette smile and
toss her head, with its white cap in
coquettish rod to the little madame
across the road, saying as much, Sec
1 have all admirerv' And madame
would smile back, for she dearly loved a
romance. Sometimes she would bcckou
to Annette, and when the girl ran light
~ across tho street the old woman
would say:
When shall the wedding be?''
"Ugh!" Annette would answer
Gould I eat paint? 1 thrive now and
am comfortable. Monsieur must make
his fortune ere Annette weds him.
"And he shall do it" returned the
little madame. II will myself speak to
monsieur.
That very day when the artist passed
her shop with Il canvas we'll wrapped in
paper under his arm the little French
woman called to him. Come in," sho
said. Show mo the picture
Reluctantly he undid it and disclosed
pcnsive faced Madonna
Fl done, monsienrl' exclaimed ma
dame. But she has a sicllly look. 1 do
not wonder you may not sell her. We
hoI
paint Notwithstanding gay and
chccrful-fresh, you know
81 am too poor to hire model, " said
tho artist gloomily.
''Ah, truly, replied madame, "but
suppose l could find model. Would
monsieur paint?"
Perhaps.
She led the way through the tiny
shop to Il timer living room. There,
i'll ono corner, looking very big and
clumsy, stood an oaken chest, with the
lilies of France carved upon it. The
old woman unfastened key from her
chatelainc and knclt before the chest
She paused
Monsieur must know she said
gravely, long way back in France my
people were not poor, but rich. That
was before the revolution, monsieur. be-
fore their names were knitted into tho
cruel madamc's stocking. They fell.
We have always been poor enough since
Ce cotfre contains my grcat-grandnccr'
ball gown. Monsieur shall see''
She unlocked the chest and lifting n
covering of tissue paper shook out a
rich white satin gown heavily embroid-
cred with pale blue forgctmcnots. The
stomacher was thickly sewed with seed
pearls. and wide ruflles Of rare old lace
edged the neck.
The artist gave u cry Of admiration:
"a costume of the time of Louis XVI.
How eXquisitcl"
Here are her SLIPPERS" continued
madame, holding up pair of white
satin slippers adorned with furnished
gold buckles, land these are the gloves
she wore. To think l have them vet,
monsieur, and my great grandmere dust
these 100 years! 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.
have seen so. She has heart as sweet
as nut and as bonny face as ever the
sunshine kissed If l put these robes
upon her, she will look like une grandc
dame fit for monsicur's brush She will
DO fresh like the rose and as beautiful.
She shall be monsienr's model, and |
will make his fortune.
That night then, the sausage vendcr
took i'll his stand. Annette, free ut last,
slipped across the road, and the old
madome rObo1 rho Girl in rho ,,.,,,,, to;