The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-07-17
IN THE CAFE

She was quiet little woman, with Q
very pale face. Her serge gown was worn
and shabby. The blue had faded to sort
Of heliotrope. She wore pink shirt waist
which had also faded end wea streaked.
but was sorupulously clean. The shabby
shoes and the frayed gloves carried out the
general impression Of poverty, =,
She walked to small table In the COR
ner and sat down with certain grim de-
termination In her manner. The very way
In which she pulled her chair up TO the
table was full Of decision. The way she
dragged off her shabby gloves and laid
them to one side suggested desperation.
She read the menu card over and gave her
order to Pierre quite distinctly, though in
O low tone. Then she leaned back, her
lips, which lacked the ruddiness Of health,
drawn closely together.
Queer looking girl that, remarked the
artist to his wife as he tossed up a salad.
Eyes; isn't she9" remarked the artist
wife, nlbbiing an olive.
"Sho doesn't look like the bohemian
sort" pursued he.
"She looks like-a-well, a teacher, as
far as her face goes, and a starving mil
liners assistant as regards clothes and
air., commenced Mrs Artist critically.
"She does seem hard up, that's fact"
Meantime Pierre placed the tureen be-
fore the hungry looking girl. The aroma
of soup floated on the air. The girls
transparency white face was suffused with
color for an instant as she carried the
ladle toward her soup plate Then there
was little crash, little cry, and soup
was trickling down the shabby gown. The
pale faced girl had tainted.
They bore her to the little parlor, and
Mrs. Artist, who was a recognized au-
thority at the Mazarin, because she always
dined there, unfastened the frayed, stifiiy
starched shirt collar and ordered some
sherry. The white faced girl revived be-
meath the stimu1ant and drew O long
drawn and shuddering sigh.
Then she INTERESTINGLY took more Of
the wine the golden haired woman was
forcing upon her. When she had recovered
somewhat, the wise little wife of the art.
list forbade her to speak.
"When you have drunk this broth, " she
said In the voice Of a commander In chief,
"you may tell me all about it,"
The girl drank the broth obediently.
Now" said the artists wife, "what
does 1t all meanf'
The pink flush suffused the white face
again.
81 hadn't had anything to eat for SO
And didn't have money TO pay for my
dinner, and-hunger and-fear-made
me-
Eyes, ! see," nodded Mrs. Artist as
though to be starving and swindler were
natural occurrences. 1T see. But how
did 1t happen9 Tell me In Just few
words"
"Im music teacher " faltered the girl,
land music student. Alone in New York.
Home in Ohio. Boarded on Tenth street.
Lost my pupils; lost my money Couldn't
write home They re poor. Stopped tax
ing my meals in the house. Did chamber.
work to pay for my room. Finally didn't
have cent. 1 couldn't borrow or beg for
money, and couldn't earn any It--it-
hadn't anything to eat for three days,
and made up my mind to have one din
ner II was put In Jail for it,
IT understand perfectly" said the art
lists wife in the tone of one who had fire.
quently experienced starvation. NOW
come out and dine with u.s. Miss
Miss Wylie," said the girl, blushing.
"My DEAR" said the artists wife that
night, 'you are going to paint picture Of
atbin, pale, spirituelle faced, shabby young
woman teaching round, rosy little cherub
the violin. You are going to call 1t The
Music Teacher, and sell it to old Mr.. Van
Fletcher, who likes you, for 5000 or so.
And you are going to give Miss Wylie a
hundred of those dollars for being such a
perfect model for the subject. Then she's
going to spend the summer on an Ohio
farm. Do you underestimate
Perfectly, my love-" replied the docile
husband.-New York World.