The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-02-07
CHAPTER xxI.-TCoNT1SUEp.

ooh, sir! oh, sir!'' she murmured,
show can I thank you?"
Besides, I will allow YOU 200 francs
a month, for you must eat we'll, and
not kill yourself with homework. Your
adopted mother will sign a paper, in
which it will be stipulated that you owe
me two years of your talent, after you
have acquired it, bien entendu-for I
am going to make you work very hard.
When [ think proper you will make
your debut at the Eden, and from that
day you will owe me, 1 repeat, all the
money you make. Do o understand?
You will have no compensation what
ever but the 200 francs a month for
your support. Do ou accept my offer?
Tiomane was half suffocated with
joy.
How shall I ever repay you, sir??"
h said, happy tears raining down her
cheeks.
oh! do not trouble yourself about
that" he answered, laughing; that is
my business. Do not imagine that I am
a philanthropist. Not at all! I have
said so already. But I relieve you
from your trouble. Tomorrow morning,
4 repeat, | will hand you 5000 francs,
as soon as the engagement is signed,
and ZOO francs a month will be paid
you to keep the pot boiling"
Before leaving he professors apart
ments, Tiomane begged him not to re-
veal her brothers guilty folly. He
gave her his word of honor.
How shall we describe Guillaume's
gratitude and confusion When To
name told him what she had done?
AT first he declared he could not and
would not accept such a sacrifice, u
she imposed 1t upon him as something
which she, his sister, had a light
70 do, and which he, without shame,
could accept. She knew that the. ten
der words in which he thanked her
were not idle promises.
The lesson had been severe, but eff
cacious. Guillaum was one of those
noble souls that gratitude binds ire
,vocably.
The day which had opened so sadly,
ended most happily. In the afternoon,
Tiomane received a long telegram
from Sancede, handed her privately by
the wife OF the concierge, who, with a
Woman's instinct, felt a storm in the
air. The good fellow had guessed all,
and forestalled any evil nsequen
Having noticed Guillaume's absence the
evening before, aftert the trainfrom Paris
had arrived, and receiving no telegram
from him explaining his absence, he
a feared some foolish boyish exploit.
n had taken it upon himself to ex-
cuse his friend to his uncle, who was
very rigid In the observance of rules
himself, and who required his employees
TO be equally so. He had told his uncle
that the sudden and dangerous illness
pr Madame de Sorgnes was the cause
Df his friends absence, and he begged
a1onane to send the deserter back to
MS post OF duty as soon as possible.
Guillaume was saved.
Madame de Sorgnes was not unde-
ceived. The next morning she signed
the paper which Tiomane presented to
her without bertaying much surprise
that so grave a determination had been
reached without consulting her, and
thought only that her adopted daugh-
ter was Very ambitious.
So we intend to be a great Artist
she said; "oh! how well I understand
It! We want to be applauded, admired!
What, indeed, is more to be desired in
this world?"
Tiomane, knowing the address of Gull
laurne's creditor, sent him the 5000
francs, and then she wrote her
shrother" a long letter, telling him they
were all free again.