The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-02

BiCNC VI SlANCA III IL, anu Sdlu IOI Two
This gentleman had understood the cause
of my embarrassment and paid for me
so, mademoiselle, you accept six sous
from an unknown man /? Better thous-
and times to have explained the circum-
stances to the conductor-to the driver
to the comptroller-to anybody. One
does not forget one s pocketbook when GO
ing on an omnibus, or better still, one does
not go on an omnibus after having forgot
ten ones pocketbook. How do you pro-
pose to return these six sous to this young
man For 1 hope you do not intend
keeping them.
"But, papa, have his card. See
here Monsieur Agenor Baluchot, super
numerary to the Ministry Of
The father, without waiting to hear
more, snatches the bit of paste-board from
the girl and cries
''What, not content with lending seu.
thirty centimes in violation of all the pro-
prieties, this gentleman gives you his card
beside He is the pettiest intriguer, The
lowest of the low-your young man who
is CONNIE IL tam'
"Now, papa, be reasonable; to return
the money, it was, of course, necessary to
know his address.
Monsieur Chapoulot finds no suitable
reply to this ingenious reasoning; but, with
a gesture indicative of ill-humor, throws
his napkin on the table,
II am fated not to dine today. Ger
trude, go engage me carriage I wish
to return this Agenor his six sous at once,
and tell him few plain truths beside.
"Oh, papa, papa, you won't do that
1t would be base ingratitude Only think
of it This young man has extricated me
from very unpleasant situation.
Unpleasant situation ! Let me alonel
l do not care to be lectured, especially by
a rattle brain who loses her pocketbook -
Monsieur puts on his boots and takes
his cane and hat, all the while growing
more and more morose Gertrude enters.
''The cabman is below. But he only
promises to take you there, not to wait for
you
Every we'll 1 can get another cab to
bring me back.
So monsieur departs, after slamming the
door, while Charlotte, blushing and trem-
bling, recounts to her old friend Gertrude
how she is much better acquainted with
Agenor than she dares to confess to her
father; that for month at least she and
he have taken the omnibus at the same
time, each evening, and that, without
seeming to do so, she, Charlotte, has no.
ticed, and so forth, and so forth r
ga fine affair indeed p exclaims the
astonished servant, all in tremor of ex-
element
Agenor is in his bachelor apartments,
and in a sentimental mood is gazing at the
hand that his charming neighbor in the
omnibus has touched while taking the card
he gave her.
Suddenly there comes knock at the
door, which opens abruptly. A large man
out of breath, his hat over his ears, his
cane in his fist, enters unceremoniously.
''Sir, he exclaims, ''to say the least
of it, your conduct is unworthy of French
gentleman A gallant man does not thus
take advantage OF the innocence, the in-
experience, the artlessness, the embarrass-
ment of young girl. To profit by the
absence of father and pocketbook, to
brutally offer to a young person who is
alone, not only thirty centimes, but vis-
iting card, may be good investment, but
it is very bad manners. But here they
are, sir-your six sous. Ny daughter and
l wish nothing further in common with
you"
And the large man, after perorating
with such volubility, begins to search in
his pocket; but before Agenor, who is lit
orally dumbfounded, can utter word,
new actor appears upon the scene 1t is
the cabman, who comes in furiously bran
dishing his whip.
''This is fine 1 tell you l will bring
you here, but not wait for you, and you
accept the terms. You even order me to
make haste, and when L arrive you
shoot off ike zebra, as slippery as an eel,
without paying me and calling me to wait.
That won't go down, tell you mean
what l say. One trip means one trip,
nothing else. Come, hurry up, citizen
No Pour6oire, if that worries you, but |
want my thirty sous, and be quick about
itr'
Agenor does not understand; but the
large gentleman, who has precipitately
dived into each pocket, then successively
turned them all wrong side out without ap-
preciable result, grows pink and white,
then crimson, then violet, and now shades
off into green-a rainbow in plug hat
and overcoat.
81 have forgotten my-my pocket
book p
THAT an old trick, roars the cab
man, "but you can tell that to the COM
missary. 1t won't answer with mt" -
and he prepares to seize the arm of the
unfortunate, who, in despair, on the verge
of apoplexy, meekly submits. But Age
nor, veritable providence to the family,
gives the cabman the necessary amount,
and orders him away.
Permit me, the young man says,
with exquisite politeness to Monsieur
Chapoulot, who barely has strength to ar
ticulate
Certainly, my dear sir, with pleasure,
but give him only twenty-five centimes
powboire-no more.
The father of Mademoiselle Charlotte,
who but recently could not understand that
a person has not always as much as thirty
centimes about one to pay in an omnibus,
now admits that he is very happy to have
some one advance the sum of thirty five
sous to stop the mouth of pitiless cabman.
Thus, notwithstanding the diverse and
unusual emotions he has just experienced,
it is with an almost gracious smile that he
says to Agenor
Observation-Disclosures Baluchot, l be-
lieve I now owe you forty-one sours
If you viii do me the pleasure Of dining
with me this evening, we will settle this
little affair A merchant does not like