Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-23
CHAPTER I.

tie wedding comedy to which you re-
fer, think I may assure you without
offense, that your news is, so far as
am concerned, Of the stalest possible
kind. Take pinch Of snuff, Monsieur
Guillaume, and excuse me If l inform
you that my question referred to pub
lie news, and not to the private affairs
Of the two families whose household
interests we have the pleasure Of pro-
noting"
Il don't understand what you mean
by such phrase as promoting house
hold interests, Monsieur Justin. am
the servant of Monsieur Louis. Tru-
dame, who lives here with his sister,
Mademoiselle Rose. You are the serV-
ant Of Monsieur Danville, whose ex-
cellent mother has made up the match
for him with my young lady. AS serv-
ants, both of us, the pleasantest news
we can have any concern with Is news
that is connected with the happiness OF
our masters. I have nothing to do with
public affairs; and being one Of the
old school, make 1t my main object in
life to mind my own business. II our
homely domestic politics have no In
terest for you, allow me to express my
regret, and to wish you very good
evening""
Pardon me, my dear sir, l have not
the slightest respect for the old school
or the least sympathy with people who
only mind their own business. How
ever, accept your expressions Of re-
greet; reciprocate your good evening;
and / trust to find you improved in
temper, dress, manners, and appear
ance the next time have the honor OF
meeting you. Adieu, Monsieur GULL
aume, and vive la bagatelle"
These scraps Of dialogue were inter-
changed on lovely summer evening in
the year seventeen hundred and eighty
nine, before the back door Of small
house which stood on the banks of the
Seine, about three miles westward OF
the city of Rouen. The one speaker was
lean, old, grabbed, and slovenly; the
other was plump, young, oily-man-
nered, and dressed in the most gorgeous
livery costume Of the period, The last
days of genuine dandyism were then
rapidly approaching all over the civil
lied world; and Monsieur Justin was,
in his own way, dressed to perfection,
as living illustration of the expiring
glorles Of his epoch.
After the old servant had left him,
he occupied himself for few minutes
in contemplating, superciliously
enough, the back view of the little
house before which he stood. Judg-
ing by the windows, 1t did not con-
tain more than six or eight rooms in
all. Instead of stables and outhouses,
there was a conservatory attached to
the building on one side, and low, long
room, built of wood gaily painted, on
the other. One of the windows of this
room was left uncurtalned, and through
1t could be seen, on a sort Of dresser in
side, bottles filled with strangely col
ored liquids, oddly-shaped utensils OF
brass and copper, one end Of a large
furnace, and other objects, which plain
ly proclaimed that the apartment was
used as a chemical laboratory.
Think of our brides brother anus
ing himself in such place as that with
cooking drugs in saucepans," muttered
Monsieur Justin, peeping into the room
Il am the least particular man in the
universe, but l must say l wish We
were not going to be connected by
marriage with an amateur apothecary
Pah! l can smell the place through the
window"
With these words Monsieur justin
turned his gack on the laboratory il
disgust, and sauntered towards the
cliffs overhanging the river.
Leaving the garden attached to the
house, he assembled some gently-risinl
ground by winding path. Arrived a
the summit, the whole view of the Seine
with its lovely green islands, its banks
fringed with trees, its gliding boats
and little scattered waterside cottages
opened before him. Westward, whert
the level country appeared beyond tn,
further bank of the river, the land
scape was all aglow with the crimson
of the setting SUM- Eastward, the lonl
shadows and mellow intervening lights
the red glory that quivered on the rip
pllng water, the steady ruby-fire glow
ing on cottage windows that reflecte
the level sunlight, led the eye onwar
and onward, along the windings Of tn
Seine, until it rested upon the spires
towers, and broadly-massed houses Q
Rouen, with the wooded hills rising be
yond them for background. Lovely (
look on at any time, the view was al
most supernaturally beautiful now III
der the gorgeous evening light ths
glowed upon it. All its attraction
however, were lost on the valet; h
stood yawning with his hands in hi
pockets, looking neither to the right nc
to the left, but staring straight befoI
him at a little hollow, beyond which tn
ground sloped away smoothly to tn
brink Of the cliff. A bench was place
here, and three persOns-an old lad.
/ rvfv- saN